Summary

This position is eligible for 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 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 Certified in Pathology
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements: Lifting up to 35 pounds - intermittently
• moderate carrying (15-35 pounds) - intermittently
• lifting over 35 pounds with assistive devices in accordance with the Safe Patient Handling Policy except in emergent situations requiring prompt patient care
• pulling - intermittently
• pushing - intermittently
• reaching above the shoulders - intermittently - both hands required
• walking - intermittently
• standing - intermittently
• kneeling - intermittently
• and repeated bending.

Duties

• Since 1946 - the Martinsburg VA Medical Center has been improving the health of the men and women who have so proudly served our Nation
• Located in the heart of West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle - the Martinsburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) can be found on 175 acres in historic Berkeley County and has a service area of more than 70 -000 Veterans in West Virginia - Maryland - Virginia - and Pennsylvania
• Medical Center - part of the VA Capitol Health Care Network (VISN 5) - offers a comprehensive range of services - including internal medicine - ambulatory surgery - audiology and speech pathology - dental - nursing home - nutrition - podiatry - prosthetics - women's health - mental health and rehabilitation medicine
• Patient care is provided through an integrated primary care concept - and each veteran is assigned to a team of health care providers that follows the patient's care both as an inpatient and an outpatient
• It is the mission of the Medical Center to honor America's Veterans as heroes by providing the highest quality health care
• The Clinical Pathology Section is responsible for providing clinical pathology diagnostic services by performing tests in the area of chemistry - toxicology - hematology - coagulation - urinalysis - serology - microbiology and transfusion service
• The incumbent performs tasks as assigned - which may include quality assurance and participation in the Department of Laboratory Services and hospital committees and working groups
• Attends FNA and renal biopsy procedures to assess adequacy of specimens collected
• Responsible for maintaining high standards of professional services so that the Department of Laboratory Services will maintain the JC and CAP accreditation
• Appropriate analysis of surgical specimens - intraoperative surgical pathology consultations and prompt and accurate reporting of results
• Gross description - tissue sampling microscopic examinations of surgical and bone marrow specimens - reporting of findings - verifying and SNOMED coding of diagnoses in the computer - normally in no more than two workdays
• Taking photographs and photomicrographs of the specimens for tumor board and other appropriate functions
• - Cytology related duties consist of screening and reporting non-gynecological cases including fine needle aspiration specimens - normally in no more than two workdays
• Performs autopsies - sampling tissues - taking photographs of specimens when indicated - and microscopic examination of sampled tissues - reporting - clinicopathologic correlation and coding using the SNOMED system in no more than one month in uncomplicated cases
• Participates in providing 24 hours call coverage for Anatomic and Clinical Pathology needs for emergency consultations
• VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package
• VHA Physician Total Rewards
• Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Learn more
• Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) Authorized: This position is eligible for 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 your start date
• 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
• Former EDRP Participants are ineligible to apply for the program
• Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@va.gov 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: 8:00am-4:30pm - Monday - Friday This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until February 5 - 2026
• The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be February 24 - 2025 - with subsequent cut-off date every two weeks
• Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as needed basis until the position if filled.