Physician (Primary Care)

Veterans Affairs$150K — $200K *
Healthcare
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • United States Citizenship required.
  • Degree of Doctor of Medicine or equivalent in allopathic or osteopathic medicine.
  • Current, full and unrestricted medical license in the U.S.
  • Completed residency training in an accredited core specialty program.
  • Proficient in spoken and written English.

Responsibilities

  • Provide primary care to Veterans in an outpatient clinic.
  • Conduct comprehensive patient assessments including histories and physical exams.
  • Manage a panel of patients per Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) principles.
  • Diagnose and treat acute/chronic illnesses following VHA guidelines.
  • Order and interpret diagnostic studies and laboratory tests.

Benefits

  • Eligible for Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) for student loan repayment.
  • Generous paid time off totaling 50-55 days a year.
  • Federal retirement benefits, including pension and 401K contributions.
  • Comprehensive health, vision, dental, and life insurance options.
  • Free malpractice liability protection with tail coverage.
Full Job Description
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

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Duties may include but are not limited to:

  • Provide comprehensive primary care services to Veterans in the outpatient clinic setting, including preventive, acute, and chronic disease management.
  • Perform comprehensive patient assessments including medical histories, physical examinations, diagnostic evaluations, and development of treatment plans.
  • Manage an assigned patient panel in accordance with Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) principles and VHA access standards.
  • Diagnose and treat acute and chronic illnesses using evidence-based clinical practices and national VHA guidelines.
  • Order, interpret, and evaluate diagnostic studies, laboratory tests, imaging, and specialty consultations as clinically indicated.
  • Initiate, prescribe, evaluate, modify, and monitor medication therapies in accordance with VHA policies and formulary requirements.
  • Complete timely and accurate documentation within the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) for all patient encounters, orders, consultations, and clinical decision making.
  • Respond appropriately and timely to View Alerts, abnormal diagnostic findings, patient messages, and clinical notifications.
  • Collaborate with interdisciplinary team members to coordinate patient care, improve access, and ensure continuity of care.
  • Participate in population health management initiatives, clinical reminders, quality improvement activities, and performance measure monitoring.
  • Support organizational initiatives related to patient safety, customer service, access to care, and quality improvement.
  • Maintain compliance with all VHA, VISN, Joint Commission, and facility-specific policies, procedures, mandatory training, and continuing medical education requirements.
  • Participate in clinic huddles, staff meetings, provider meetings, committee assignments, and operational initiatives as assigned.
  • Demonstrate flexibility in clinic operations, including coverage for other providers, same-day access needs, and virtual care modalities when operationally necessary.
  • Promote a professional, respectful, and collaborative work environment consistent with VA Core Values and ICARE principles.
  • Utilize telehealth, virtual care, and other approved technologies to support Veteran care and access initiatives.
  • Participate in performance improvement activities and contribute to achieving service level performance metrics related to quality, access, efficiency, and Veteran satisfaction.
  • Participate in OPPE/FPPE activities, peer review processes, and ongoing professional practice evaluations.
  • Assist with clinic coverage needs during provider absences, staffing shortages, or operational emergencies as directed by Primary Care leadership.


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 [redacted], 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

Work Schedule: 8:00am-4:30pm, Monday-Friday

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • 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 identification 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.


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.


Preferred Experience: Primary Care Experience

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

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:

  1. Schools of medicine accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) for the year in which the degree was granted.
  2. Schools of osteopathic medicine approved by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) for the year in which the degree was granted.
  3. 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.

Additional information

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

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