Physician - Psychiatry

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. Additional Requirement : Must be board certified or board eligible in psychiatry.

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 : Typically, the employee sits comfortably indoors to do the work. This position requires potentially long periods of continued walking;

standing; sitting, bending; carrying of light items such as papers, books, small parts; or driving an automobile; etc. Use of fingers, both hands required, ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously, near vision correctable at 13" to 16", hearing (aid permitted), clear distinctive speech.

This position requires visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity. This position requires potentially long periods of continued walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing.

Transferring patients and objects may be required. Mechanical inpatient lifts are provided. The incumbent may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing in isolation situations, operative / invasive procedures, or home settings.

The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders.

The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs.

Must complete annual Employee Health requirements, such as annual TB screening or testing, as a condition of employment.

The incumbent who provides care in home settings or other off-site locations may be required to drive and / or ride in GSA-vehicles.