Surgical Tech - Part Time Flex - Day Shift
Posted Sep 25, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026
Likely interview questions for this role
Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.
About your past
There is a stay-late on-call rotation. How do you feel about staying past your shift when a case runs long?
What they are checking: Whether they accept the real flexibility the role needs and won't leave the team short.
Tell me about a time you made a mistake in the OR and how you handled it.
What they are checking: Whether they own errors openly, which is essential for safety culture in surgery.
Are you a certified surgical technologist, and how do you keep up your skills?
What they are checking: Whether they meet the CST expectation and invest in staying current.
What would you do
You notice a break in sterile technique during a case. What do you do?
What they are checking: Whether they speak up right away even if it slows the case, which protects the patient from infection.
This role floats to Miller Dwan and St. Mary's Medical Center in Duluth. How do you adjust to a different OR and a surgeon you don't know?
What they are checking: Whether they adapt to new preference cards and teams quickly while keeping standards the same.
A surgeon is frustrated and short with you during a case. How do you respond?
What they are checking: Whether they stay focused and professional under pressure without letting it affect patient safety.
About the work
Walk me through how you set up the back table for a laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
What they are checking: Whether they know common general surgery setups and can prepare without being walked through it.
How do you handle counts, and what do you do if a count is off at closing?
What they are checking: Whether they know count procedure and refuse to let a case close with an unresolved count.
How do you anticipate a surgeon's needs during a procedure?
What they are checking: Whether they follow the case closely and pass instruments before being asked, which is what makes a strong tech.
How do you handle specimens to make sure they are labeled and passed off correctly?
What they are checking: Whether they follow specimen procedures carefully, since a lost or mislabeled specimen can change a diagnosis.
Practice this interview out loud.
Offer builds a real interview for this exact role at Essentia Health from your resume and this job description, asks the questions one at a time, and tells you what landed. The first one is free.
Practice this out loudThe full job description
As published by Essentia Health.