Physician (Pathology)

Summary

The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. The West Palm Beach VA Medical Center’s Pathology and Laboratory Service is seeking an experienced and dynamic (Pathologist). Ideal applicants are those who want to contribute to the achievement of quality care standards, as well as the growth and development of a VA academic hospital program.

You must be an excellent communicator and team player.

Duties

• This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT.
• Eligible applicants will be referred until all vacancies are filled.
• VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package.
• VHA Physician Total Rewards.
• 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 providedContract: No Physician Employment Contract and no significant restriction on moonlighting The Physician (Pathology) duties consist, but are not limited to the following: The incumbent will be responsible for assisting in accreditation of the Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Service by the College of American Pathologists (CAP), the Joint Commission for Accreditation of HealthCare Organizations (JCAHO) and the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) and the Blood Bank licensure by the food and Drug Administration (FDA).
• Must have excellent general surgical pathology skills and be proficient in the use of computers.
• Performance of Surgical Pathology to include: Gross review and dictation with dissection of surgical pathology specimen, selection and interpretation of routine, special and immunohistochemical stains, correlation with patient history, reporting of microscopic findings, notification of significant abnormalities to submitting physician, review of cases for operational and quality activities.
• Included are intraoperative consultations (frozen sections).
• Performance of Cytological Pathology to include: performance of adequacy exam at interventional procedures, interpretation of cytology slides, correlation with patient history, reporting of microscopic findings, notification of significant abnormalities to submitting physician, review of cases for operational and quality activities.
• Performance of Autopsy to include: Review of patient chart to determine areas of focus in the autopsy, prosection with assistance, request of any special cultures or stains appropriate for the autopsy, reporting of preliminary and final autopsy diagnosis.
• Daily Medical supervision, oversight, and operation of the Blood bank to conform to all the accreditation and regulatory requirements of CAP, AABB & FDA organizations.
• Will work with the technical supervisor of the blood bank to ensure appropriate policy and procedures are in place to achieve the above.
• Presents Transfusion reports to the Patient Care Review Committee as required.
• Provide technical oversight for one or more clinical laboratory sections, if required by the Chief of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Service.
• Other duties of the position: Performance of Educational presentations such as tumor board and Morbidity & Mortality conferences, photography of microscopic images for conferences, quality improvement activities, accreditation activities, and other services pertaining to the contemporary needs as required by the Chief of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Service.
• Work Schedule: Monday – Friday- 8:00am – 4:30pm(Note: Work schedules are determined and approved by the supervisor.
• The incumbent may be required to work various shifts on a permanent or temporary basis based on facility/patient care needs).

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.

Conditions of employment include:

• 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.

Required Documents

Prepare the documents below before applying. Always confirm the exact requirements on the official announcement, since they vary by position:

• Other documents may be requested later in the process if needed.
• Special Note for Applications: To complete your application, please use the following link https://vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Resume.docx to download the standard Clinical Resume Document.
• This one-page document does not need to be modified and must be uploaded into the two-page restricted 'Resume' document upload field.
• Your full resume/CV may be uploaded without page limitation into the 'Other' document upload field.