Clarification from the agency

Open to all US citizens or US nationals; no prior federal experience is required

Duty locations are limited to the following for this position: San Diego, CA; Aurora, CO; Washington, DC; Baltimore, MD; Kansas City, MO; Portland, OR; Pittsburgh, PA; Dallas, TX; Seattle, WA; Spokane, WA

Remote work may be considered if a qualified candidate is not within the local commuting area of any duty stations listed above.

As a Physician (Psychiatrist), you will:

• Analyze and report on nationwide healthcare program issues, especially those pertaining to mental health issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder.
• Participate in all aspects of OHI activities, including planning, conducting on-site reviews, writing reports, and monitoring follow-up actions.
• Research complex mental health issues and develop project proposals that reflect strategic national health care priorities of VA.
• Prepare and present testimony at congressional hearings, in judicial and administrative proceedings regarding OIG programs and operations, and healthcare inspection reports.

Conditions of employment

The experience may have been gained in either the public, private sector or volunteer service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/day/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week on your résumé.

Key Requirements:

1. Click "Print Preview" to review the entire announcement before applying.
2. Must be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. National.

Qualifications

You must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Licensure Requirement:

For all grade levels and positions, applicants must possess a current, active, full, and unrestricted license or registration as a Physician from a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States.

Education Requirement:

Degree: Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine or equivalent from a school in the United States or Canada. This degree must have been accredited by the Council on Medical Education of the American Medical Association; Association of American Medical Colleges; Liaison Committee on Medical Education; Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation of the American Osteopathic Association, or an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained.

OR

Degree from a Foreign Medical School: A Doctor of Medicine or equivalent degree from a foreign medical school must provide education and medical knowledge equivalent to accredited schools in the United States. Evidence of equivalency to accredited schools in the United States is demonstrated by permanent certification by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates, a fifth pathway certificate for Americans who completed premedical education in the United States and graduate education in a foreign country, or successful completion of the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination.

Graduate Training Requirement:

Subsequent to obtaining a Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree, a candidate must have had at least 1 year of supervised experience providing direct service in a clinical setting (i.e., a 1-year internship or the first year of a residency program in a hospital or an institution accredited for such training). For purposes of this standard, graduate training programs include only those internship, residency, and fellowship programs that are approved by accrediting bodies recognized within the United States or Canada. Descriptions of such programs are described below.

An internship program involves broadly based clinical practice in which physicians acquire experience in treating a variety of medical problems under supervision (e.g., internal medicine, surgery, general practice, obstetrics-gynecology, and pediatrics). Such programs are in hospitals or other institutions accredited for internship training by a recognized body of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).

A residency program involves training in a specialized field of medicine in a hospital or an institution accredited for training in the specialty by a recognized body of the American Medical Association (AMA), or Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).

A fellowship program involves advanced training (beyond residency training) in a given medical specialty in either a clinical or research setting in a hospital or an institution accredited in the United States for such training.


Specialized Experience:
Specialized experience for the GS-15 is defined as one year of experience at the GS-14 level, or equivalent that is directly related to the position and which has equipped the candidate with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position, which should include:

Providing direct psychiatric care across inpatient OR outpatient settings;
AND
Implementing quality improvement initiatives to enhance patient care within clinical environments.

How you will be evaluated

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

Your application includes your résumé, responses to the online questions, and required supporting documents. Please be sure that your résumé includes detailed information to support your qualifications for this position; failure to provide sufficient evidence in your résumé may result in a "not qualified" determination.

Rating: This announcement is issued under "direct-hire" authority. Consistent with 5 U.S.C 3304(a)(3) and OPM regulations (5 CFR 337 Subpart B) on direct-hire: All candidates who meet all the qualification and other eligibility requirements may be referred for consideration. Competitive examining rules providing for rating and ranking, category rating, and veterans' preference do not apply. We will evaluate your application by comparing your description of your work experience, level of responsibility, and accomplishments, with the requirements of the position to determine whether you meet all the qualification requirements. You may be required to participate in a selection interview and/or a writing assessment. Applicants who are selected for an interview may ask questions about the evaluation process at the time they are contacted for an interview.

If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee (eligible for the Career Transition Assistance Plan(CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)) you must be assigned the middle category or better to be rated as "well qualified" to receive special selection priority.

To be found well qualified at the GS-15 grade level, the applicant must have documented the capacity to serve as a medical advisor on mental health issues, provided analysis, reporting and implemented quality improvements on healthcare program issues, and has provided direct care in either an inpatient or outpatient environment.

A complete application includes 1. A résumé, 2. Vacancy question responses, and 3. Submission of any required documents. Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).

All applicants are required to submit a résumé either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their own choosing. (Cover letters are optional.)
USA Jobs restricts resume uploads to a maximum of 2 pages. Resumes attached in other sections (such as "Documents" or "Other") will not be considered in the determination of specialized experience. To ensure readability, resumes must be formatted using an easy-to-read font (such as Lato, Calibri, or Arial) with a minimum font size of 10-points and margins no smaller than 0.5 inches. Failure to follow these formatting guidelines may result in disqualification from further consideration. To receive full credit for relevant experience, please list the month/date/year and number of hours worked for experience listed on your résumé. We suggest that you preview the online questions, as you may need to customize your résumé to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions.

For resume writing guidance, please visit USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job?

VETERANS' PREFERENCE DOCUMENTATION: Veteran's preference does not apply to announcements posted under Direct Hire Authority; however, you are encouraged to provide your documentation. Please see applicant guide for required documentation.

CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (CTAP) OR INTERAGENCY CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (ICTAP) DOCUMENTATION: If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee, click CTAP/ICTAP for eligibility and a detailed list of required documents.

EDUCATION DOCUMENTATION: It is highly recommended that you submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent at the time of application. An official transcript will be required if you are selected. Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathy from a school in the United States or Canada approved by a recognized accrediting body in the year of the applicant's graduation. A Doctor of Medicine or equivalent degree from a foreign medical school that provided education and medical knowledge substantially equivalent to accredited schools in the United States may be demonstrated by permanent certification by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) (or a fifth pathway certificate for Americans who completed premedical education in the United States and graduate education in a foreign country).


A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation page. If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Refer to the OPM instructions.

Next steps

Additional locations