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.
Duties
This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until September 30, 2026. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be June 01, 2026, with subsequent cut-off dates are on the 1st of each month. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until positions are filled VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Learn more. EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact vhaedrpprogramsupport@va.gov, 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 incumbent serves as the PACT Physician Primary Care at the patient-focused Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta VA Healthcare System (ATLVAMC) and Community-Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC). The incumbent is directly supervised by the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Primary Care. Clinical Responsibilities: (1) Physician's primary responsibility is to provide primary care services for a panel patients assigned. Physicians will perform exams according to performance guidelines and procedures and dictate/type notes according to policy/procedure. Physician reports directly to the Chief Medical Officer (CMO). Other duties may include screening outpatient to determine need for further care, evaluating unscheduled patients under the physician's care, ordering diagnostic studies, carrying out health promotion and disease prevention activities, initiating and expediting requests for consultations and scheduling special tests and studies. Administrative Responsibilities: (1) Adheres to operational policies and procedures for the primary care team, established by the Chief Medical Officer, Regional Director and/or Chief, Primary Care. (2) Facilitates liaisons with other health care programs in order to effectively coordinate service. (3) Complies with national and local performance measures, including timely health care screening and completion of clinical reminders and encounters for all patients. (4) Complies with all CPRS documentation procedures, including timeliness standards for documentation and proper patient check out procedures (e.g. entering diagnostic and procedure codes). (5) Attends and participates in administrative and informational meetings held by the Chief Medical Officer/Regional Director/Chief of Primary Care and facility Director. (6) Attends regular Service Line Staff meetings, Clinic Team meetings and complies with Primary Care Service Line peer review procedures. (7) Works effectively with team members to facilitate care including timely completion of medical forms, caring responses to patient complaints and other administrative duties. (8) Maintains current BLS certification and performs completion of mandatory educational classes. (9) Responds to the Patient Align Tracking System (PATS), White House and/or Congressional correspondences when assigned (patient complaints).(10) Assists the facility as a Physician Supervision/Collaboration for a Restricted Practice Authority (NPs), when needed. Other Significant Responsibilities: (1) Academic/Teaching/Training opportunities are available at several clinics with residents and/or medical students. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM. Subject to change based on the needs of the agency.
Requirements
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. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. 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). You may be required to serve a probationary period. Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.
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. Schools of osteopathic medicine approved by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) for the year in which the degree was granted. For foreign medical graduates not covered in (1) or (2) above, confirmation must be made that the medical school meets (or met) Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) eligibility requirement for year 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.
How you will be evaluated
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.