Staff Physician (SCI/D Outpatient) – Recruitment/Relocation Incentive/EDRP Authorized

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

• The Staff Physician, Spinal Cord Injury/Disorders Service (SCI/D) is responsible for patient care, patient/family education, and supervision of resident physicians.
• Participation in clinical research is optional.
• Primarily evaluates patients in an outpatient clinical setting.
• The majority time is devoted to patient care and education, with the remaining time set aside for performance improvement activities and research to improve patient care and activities sufficient to maintain proficiency in state-of-the-art rehabilitation/medical care.
• Most of the work takes place at Audie L.
• Murphy VAMC, though some travel may be required.
• Administrative duties include but are not limited to: Reviewing SCI/D service consults for neuro rehab medical appropriateness Participating in managing facility wide performance measures such as access and utilization Participating in accreditation meetings or surveys as needed May serve on hospital wide committees May participate in Quality Management activities such as root cause analysis or Morbidity and Mortality conference Participating in peer review Maintaining medical licensing and Board certification requirements Obtaining resident supervisory privileges through medical school affiliate Operating computer technology/platforms Clinical duties include but are not limited to: Performing a comprehensive, initial history and physical examination in compliance with national guidelines Performing electromyography (EMG), injections and other tests consistent with privileges Consulting other disciplines, as necessary, to complete the patient examination; e.g. Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, neuropsychological testing, audiology and speech language pathology testing, vision testing, psychosocial evaluation, etc. Carrying out whole health and disease prevention activities including education, shared decision-making, and recommending complementary medical services (health coaching/massage/acupuncture) Documenting care provided in the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) Documenting the detailed, targeted, initial history and physical examination required for evaluation in the electronic tool(s) Obtaining consent and documents procedures performed during clinic visits Providing education and counseling of patients with Neuro Rehab diagnoses including outcomes, medical conditions, and the use of prescribed treatments and drugs.
• Available to fulfill On call duties including weekend coverage on the inpatient rehab unit Consulting other medical specialties when necessary Providing SCI Neuro Rehab telehealth consultations, etc. Recruitment/Relocation Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May be available for highly qualified individuals 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 Work Schedule: TBD (Typically M-F, 0730-1600 CST) VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package.
• VHA Physician Total Rewards.

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. PREFERRED EXPERIENCE: Board Certified (or Board Eligible) in Neurology or Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Neuro Rehabilitation (Spinal Cord Injury or Disorder) experience Management of Pain, Spinal Cord Medicine, Musculoskeletal Medicine, Rehab or other Sub-Specialty experience or interest 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. PAY-SETTING 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. 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.

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must submit a C.V. and/or resume. 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.
• IMPORTANT REMINDERS: Current federal employees (VA and other federal Agencies) applying to this position are asked to submit with their application, a copy of their latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50).
• Foreign medical graduates applying to this position are encouraged to submit with their application, a copy of their Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) certificate.
• Current/past/upcoming HPT graduates must submit a copy of their latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50), the FL-294 (or a WOC appointment letter) Listed below is documentation you may include with your Application Package:
• Cover Letter DD-214/ Statement of Service Disability Letter (Schedule A) Disability Letter (VA) License Other (1) – CV/Resume exceeding 2-pages (Not required, May include) Other (2) Other (3) Performance Appraisal Professional Certification
• Resume Separation Notice (RIF) SF-15 SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action Transcript