Career Center

Summary

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) - a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval - award amount (up to $200 -000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

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 allopathic 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 accrediting bodies for graduate medical education - the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) or American Osteopathic Association (AOA) - in the list published for the year the residency - or fellowship if applicable - was completed
• OR (2) One year of post medical school training (internship - first year of residency - or transitional year residency) approved by ACGME or AOA followed by two years of post-training independent practice (performing under a full and unrestricted license) in the United States
• OR (3) Non-US residency training programs followed by a minimum of three years of verified independent practice in the United States (performing under a full and unrestricted license) performing duties related to the position they are applying for (United States fellowships would be creditable towards this requirement) - 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
• Exceptions: 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 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
• In rare and unusual circumstances - the Facility Director can submit a memo to the VISN Director through the VISN Chief Medical Officer - who may approve requests for reasonable exceptions to the residency training requirement for Physicians whose composite record of experience - accomplishments - performance - and qualifications warrant such action
• Proficiency in spoken and written English
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements: See VA Handbook and Directive 5019

Duties

• VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package
• VHA Physician Total Rewards
• The position is a full-time outpatient psychiatrist in the post-9/11 - OOO clinic that serves veterans who served in conflicts post-9/11 with a signature injuries of TBI and PTSD
• The position works on a behavioral health interdisciplinary team along side other psychiatrists - psychologists - social workers - and other clinicians to provide comprehensive care of a complicated population
• Prior experience working with a veteran population is preferred.The incumbent is supervised by the Chief of Psychiatry for the Durham VA Health Care System Mental and Behavioral Health Service (MBHS) - or designee
• The Chief of Psychiatry - or designee - is the administrative Supervisor and conducts performance evaluations for this incumbent
• The incumbent practices independently - exercising initiative and independent judgment in day-to-day program activities as shown below: The incumbent provides a full range of psycho-diagnostic services including assessment and the most appropriate psychotherapeutic techniques in providing quality care
• Performs psychiatric evaluations for patients with diversity by gender - age - and post-deployment combat status who are mentally ill and have psychosocial issues that may include homelessness - unemployment - and poor family support network - primarily in an outpatient setting on a Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP) team
• Provides a full range of therapeutic interventions to units/programs in the Medical Center to which the psychiatrist is assigned and has clinical privileges to practice including diagnostic assessment - medication evaluation and management - suicide risk assessments - crisis intervention - and overall care of patients with psychiatric disorders - including depression - anxiety - psychosis - PTSD - substance abuse - and other psychiatric disorders in various clinical settings including the outpatient - inpatient - ED - and hospital ward settings
• The Psychiatrist may serve as a mental health team leader with responsibilities for coordinating consults and triage of specialty clinic referrals
• Serves as a consultant to other medical center staff and trainees and assist in implementation of treatment plan as appropriate regarding their patients
• Responsible for timely completion of all clinical charting and documentation required by the Medical Center or healthcare system - as appropriate
• Examinations - Uses assessment skills to promptly examine new patients thoroughly using appropriate clinical - laboratory and other pertinent data
• Provides follow-up when indicated
• Answers Mental Health consult requests when necessary
• Diagnosis - Accurately interprets and evaluates clinical data for the purpose of determining diagnosis and clinical status
• Formulates assessment and plan according to accepted protocols - treatment plans or attending physician's treatment protocols - treatment plans or recommendations
• Corrects diagnosis when necessary
• The psychiatrist takes call for the acute care services on an intermittent basis
• Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May be authorized for highly qualified candidates Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): May be authorized for highly qualified candidates Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Learn more
• EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive
• Contact VISN6HRDUREDRP@va.gov - the EDRP group 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 Work Schedule: Monday-Friday - 8:00am-4:30pm and intermittent call responsibilities.