PHYSICIAN - PSYCHIATRIST

Summary

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment.

Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application.

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Overview

• Accepting applications
• Open & closing dates

12 / 21 / 2023 to 12 / 20 / 2024

Salary

$200,000 - $300,000 per year

Education and length of practice are considered through a formal pay-setting process to determine the final compensable salary (Base Pay + Market Pay)

Pay scale & grade

VM 15

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Location

1 vacancy in the following location :

• Bessemer, AL
• Remote job
• Telework eligible

Yes-Ad-hoc Telework schedule is available for 2 days per week and is subject to approval by the Mental Health Service Chief

Travel Required

Not required

• Relocation expenses reimbursed
• Appointment type

Permanent -

Work schedule

Full-time -

Service

Excepted

Promotion potential

None

Job family (Series)

0602 Medical Officer

• Supervisory status
• Security clearance

Other

• Drug test
• Position sensitivity and risk

Non-sensitive (NS) / Low Risk

Trust determination process

Credentialing

Suitability / Fitness

Announcement number

CBTB-12211024-24-SPH

Control number

767464600

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This job is open to

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Clarification from the agency

All qualified candidates encouraged to apply. Open to U.S. Citizens but non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens.

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Duties

The Birmingham VA Medical Center (BVAMC) is a 313-bed acute tertiary care facility located in the historic Southside district of the city.

The facility provides acute tertiary medical and surgical care to Veterans of Alabama and surrounding states. The medical center serves as a referral center for this population area with 141 operating beds currently.

Recent construction provides state-of-the-art facilities and equipment in all clinical programs. Care is provided in practically all medical and surgical specialties and subspecialties.

Most staff physicians have joint appointments with VA and its primary affiliation, University of Alabama at Birmingham. The BVAMC operates nine Community Based Outpatient Clinics in North Alabama.

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards.

Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus) : Authorized

Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment) : Approved. Learn more.

EDRP Authorized : Contact [email protected] , the EDRP Coordinator for questions / assistance.

Pay : Competitive salary, annual performance bonus, regular salary increases

Paid Time Off : 50-55 days of paid time off per year (26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year and possible 5 day paid absence for CME)

Retirement : Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA

Insurance : Federal health / vision / dental / term life / long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)

Licensure : 1 full and unrestricted license from any US State or territory

CME : Possible $1,000 per year reimbursement (must be full-time with board certification)

Malpractice : Free liability protection with tail coverage provided

Contract : No Physician Employment Contract and no significant restriction on moonlighting

The employee serves as a Psychiatrist within Mental Health Service at the Bessemer CBOC for the Birmingham VA Medical Center.

The employee provides comprehensive clinical services to Veterans and their families. The employee will perform general psychiatric assessment and treatment in a multi-disciplinary setting.

Therapeutic and clinical services associated with this position will include medication management, treatment planning, and other specialized services as needed.

The employee will work closely with his / her colleagues to provide comprehensive, state-of-the-art mental health care.

Work Schedule : Primarily 8 : 00-4 : 30pm Monday-Friday. Alternate or compressed schedules may be available. Night and Weekend back-up rotational on-call shared with other providers, for a limited number of times a year.

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Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. Citizenship; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment.

Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.

• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12 / 31 / 1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Subject to background / security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See Additional Information below for details.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, you must meet the basic requirements as well as any additional requirements (if applicable) listed in the job announcement.

Applicants pending the completion of training or license requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Currently employed physician(s) in VA who met the requirements for appointment under the previous qualification standard at the time of their initial appointment are deemed to have met the basic requirements of the occupation.

Basic Requirements :

• United States Citizenship : Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• Degree of doctor of medicine or an equivalent degree resulting from a course of education in medicine or osteopathic medicine.

The degree must have been obtained from one of the schools approved by the Department of Veterans Affairs for the year in which the course of study was completed.

• Current, full and unrestricted license to practice medicine or surgery in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia.
• Residency Training : Physicians must have completed residency training, approved by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in an accredited core specialty training program leading to eligibility for board certification.

NOTE : VA physicians involved in academic training programs may be required to be board certified for faculty status.) Approved residencies are : (1) Those approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), b) OR

2) Those approved by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA),OR

3) Other residencies (non-US residency training programs followed by a minimum of five years of verified practice in the United States), which the local Medical Staff Executive Committee deems to have provided the applicant with appropriate professional training and believes has exposed the physician to an appropriate range of patient care experiences.

Residents currently enrolled in ACGME / AOA accredited residency training programs and who would otherwise meet the basic requirements for appointment are eligible to be appointed as Physician Resident Providers (PRPs).

PRPs must be fully licensed physicians (i.e., not a training license) and may only be appointed on an intermittent or fee-basis.

PRPs are not considered independent practitioners and will not be privileged; rather, they are to have a scope of practice that allows them to perform certain restricted duties under supervision.

Additionally, surgery residents in gap years may also be appointed as PRPs.

Proficiency in spoken and written English.

Preferred Experience : Board Certification

Reference : VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G-2 Physician Qualification Standard. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office.

• Physical Requirements : Moderate lifting, 15-44 pounds; straight pulling (4 hours); pushing (4 hours); reaching above shoulder;
• use of fingers; both hands required; walking (2 hours);standing (7 hours); kneeling (1 hour); repeated bending (4 hours);
• both legs required; near vision correctable at 13 to 16 to Jaeger 1 to 4; far-vision correctable in one eye to 20 / 50 and to 20 / 100 in the other;

ability to distinguish basic colors; hearing (aid permitted); mental and emotional stability required.

Education

Degree of Doctor of Medicine or an equivalent degree resulting from a course of education in allopathic medicine or osteopathic medicine.

The degree must have been obtained from an institution whose accreditation was in place for the year in which the course of study was completed.

Approved schools are :

• Schools of medicine accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) for the year in which the degree was granted, or
• Schools of osteopathic medicine approved by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation of the American Osteopathic Association for the year in which the degree was granted.
• For foreign medical graduates not covered in (1) or (2) above, facility officials must verify with the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) that the applicant has met requirements for certification, and must obtain a copy of the ECFMG certificate, if claimed by the applicant.

If the applicant does not claim an ECFMG certificate, facility officials must still confirm that the medical school meets (or met) ECFMG eligibility requirements for the year the candidate graduated.

NOTE : The Under Secretary of Health or designee in the VHA Central Office may approve the appointment under authority of 38 U.

S.C. 7405 of a physician graduate of a school of medicine not covered above if the candidate is to be assigned to a research, academic, or administrative position with no patient care responsibilities.

The appointment will be made only in exceptional circumstances where the candidate's credentials clearly demonstrate high professional attainment or expertise in the specialty area.

Additional information

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members : Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

Financial Disclosure Report : Not required

Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.

e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date.

The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

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Benefits

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding.

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Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent.

Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your application, resume, C.V., and / or other supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully.

Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

NOTE : A formal pay-setting process will be used to determine your salary. The salary may be at any point in the range listed for this vacancy.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.

g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment.

You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.

g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

Veterans' Preference Note : Preference eligible candidates and other Veterans will be given preference when qualification of candidates are approximately equal for Title 38 positions in VHA.

When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP / CPS / XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire.

You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.

and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference with required proof as stated on the form.

Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference.