How to Become a Surgical Assistant in Virginia, Maryland, and D.C.

Surgical Assistants are in demand across the Washington, D.C. region, and for good reason. They're hands-on members of the surgical team, working at the table alongside the surgeon on every case. If you're considering the career, the path is clearer than it might look from the outside. Here's how it typically works.

What a Surgical Assistant Does

A Surgical Assistant helps the surgeon throughout a procedure: positioning the patient, providing exposure, controlling bleeding, handling instruments, and closing. It's a technical, high-trust role. For a closer look, read our post on the role of a Surgical Assistant.

Step 1: Build a Clinical Foundation

Most Surgical Assistants arrive with experience in a healthcare or operating room setting. Common backgrounds include surgical technologists, OR nurses, physician assistants, and military medical personnel. Time in the OR matters. It's where you learn the flow of a case, sterile technique, and how a surgical team communicates.

Step 2: Complete a Surgical Assisting Program

Most pathways run through a formal surgical assisting or surgical first assistant program. Many employers and certifying bodies look for programs accredited by CAAHEP or ABHES, so confirm a program's accreditation before you enroll. Program length varies, but many take roughly one to two years.

Step 3: Earn National Certification

National certification is how you show you've met a recognized standard. Two of the most widely recognized credentials are the CSA (Certified Surgical Assistant), issued by the National Commission for the Certification of Surgical Assistants (NCCSA), and the CSFA (Certified Surgical First Assistant), issued by the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA). Other organizations, including the American Board of Surgical Assistants (ABSA), also offer credentials. Eligibility rules and exam details vary by credential, so check with the certifying body before you plan your path.

Step 4: Know Your State's Rules

Requirements depend on where you plan to work, and they differ across our region:

Virginia: Virginia requires a license from the Virginia Board of Medicine to practice as a Surgical Assistant or use the title. Applicants generally need a current credential from NBSTSA or NCCSA. Recent graduates awaiting their national exam may practice for a limited time as a "surgical assistant, license applicant." See Virginia Code § 54.1-2956.13 for the details.
Washington, D.C.: Surgical Assistants are regulated by the D.C. Board of Medicine, and applications go through its advisory committee. See the D.C. Health surgical assistant page for current requirements and deadlines.
Maryland: Confirm current requirements directly with the Maryland Board of Physicians, and with the credentialing office of any facility you plan to work with.

Rules change, so always verify with the state board before you apply or relocate.

Step 5: Get Credentialed and Find the Right Work

Once you're certified (and licensed, where required), facilities will credential you before your first case. Expect to provide your license and certification, background check, immunization records, and more. From there, you have choices. You can work as a hospital employee, as an independent, or with a group that handles scheduling and credentialing for you.

That last option is where CSP comes in. Through ScrubSync, CSP's Surgical Assistants choose their own schedules, the specialties they want to work in, and how far they're willing to travel, and facilities can request them by name for repeat work. If you're certified and want that kind of control over your career, apply through our Careers page.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

Becoming a Surgical Assistant takes time and training, but it's a rewarding path with real career flexibility. If you already have your credentials and are ready to work on your own terms, we'd love to hear from you. And if you're a surgery center looking for coverage, see how CSP's scheduling works.