Physician - Primary Care

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 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.

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, or

Schools of osteopathic medicine approved by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation of the American Osteopathic Association for the year in which the degree was granted.

For foreign medical graduates not covered in (1) or (2) above, facility officials must verify with the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) that the applicant has met requirements for certification, and must obtain a copy of the ECFMG certificate, if claimed by the applicant. [If the applicant does not claim an ECFMG certificate, facility officials must still confirm that the medical school meets (or met) ECFMG eligibility requirements for the year the candidate 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. RESPONSIBILITIES: The Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System (GCVHCS) provide you with health care services at five locations along the U.S. Gulf Coast. Our facilities include our Biloxi VA Medical Center in Biloxi, Mississippi and four community-based outpatient clinics in Mobile, Alabama; Pensacola and Panama City, Florida; and at Florida's Eglin Air Force Base. GCVHCS is one of the leading health care systems serving Veterans in the South Central Region.

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards .

Recruitment/Relocation Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May be eligible for highly-qualified applicants.

Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Learn more .

EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact April.hightower@va.gov (Biloxi coordinator) or Sharon.rogers@va.gov (VISN coordinator) the EDRP Coordinators 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 Primary Care Physician will perform duties in an outpatient setting. The work assignment may include Primary Care Clinic and/or Women's Health Care. The provider will manage scheduled and unscheduled patients at the medical center.

The Primary Care Physician's duties and responsibilities include :

Manage a panel of patients for Primary Care

Manage scheduled and unscheduled Veteran patients

Manage alternative or collateral duties, which may include subsection of primary care patients, the subsection may be defined either by a disease status (e.g. spinal cord injury patients), or demographic status (Women Veterans, OIF/OEF Veterans, Employees etc.)

Manage special projects pertinent to assigned section

Supervise or collaborate mid-level providers

Teach and supervise medical students/residents/fellows from affiliated medical schools

Act as surrogates for the patients of their colleagues, when one or more of their colleagues are unavailable

Complete administrative work in a timely fashion

Work Schedule: The tour of duty will be determined by the supervisor. 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 eligible or board certified in Internal Medicine or Family Medicine

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

Physical Requirements:

Functional Requirements

Light lifting and carrying (under 15 pounds)

Use of fingers

Both hands required

Walking, standing, kneeling and repeated bending (30 minutes)

Both legs required

Environmental Factors

Working closely with others

Working alone

SALARY: QuantitativeValue EMPLOYMENT TYPE: Other

Salary : $1,000