Physician, Gastroenterologist - Recruitment/Relocation Incentive and EDRP Authorized

The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT & will remain open until January 12, 2026 or until positions are filled. Eligible applications received will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur.

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

Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized
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 Gastroenterologist must possess an active license in any state or territory in the United States and must always maintain privileges, at the Amarillo VA Health Care System, to be able to work as a physician. The Gastroenterologist must be board certified or board eligible in Gastroenterology and maintain professional competency as indicated in the delineation of privileges. All physicians must maintain current BLS certification as indicated per medical center policies.

• The Gastroenterologist will provide comprehensive care for patients who have illnesses within the scope of Gastroenterology, with an additional focus on patients with hepatitis. In addition to patient care, the physician may have responsibilities in other areas such as, education. The Gastroenterology Staff Physician will be located in the Specialty Clinic at the Amarillo VA Medical Center in Amarillo, Texas.
• The Gastroenterology staff physician should be skilled in providing patient care and in coordinating the activities of other health care providers. He/she should be an effective teacher for fellow staff members, house staff medical students and in allied health care disciplines. He/she will be currently licensed in a State, Territory, or the District of Columbia and should preferable be a certified or qualified for examination by the American Board of Internal Medicine, or other appropriate specialty certifying boards.
• The Gastroenterology staff physician is responsible for providing primary, secondary, and tertiary care in both hospitalized and outpatient settings, identifying patients' health problems and designing diagnostic and therapeutic plans to meet these needs. He/she is responsible for coordinating activities of other health service personnel, resolving problems affecting patient care and providing appropriate education for the patient/family members regarding the patient's care, patient's illness and its management.
• A major percentage of the physician's time will be devoted to patient care. Depending on other activities, sufficient time will be allotted to administrative duties.
• The Gastroenterology staff physician will be responsible to perform diagnostic and therapeutic procedures:
  1. Colonoscopy procedures
  2. Polypectomy
  3. Flexible sigmoidoscopy
  4. Upper Gl endoscopy
  5. Esophageal ligation or banding of varices
  6. Dilation of the esophagus (bouginage)
  7. Small bowel biopsy\

The Gastroenterologist must demonstrate the knowledge and skill necessary to provide patient care appropriate to the age of the patients served. The Gastroenterologist provides patient care which is appropriate to the cognitive, emotional, and chronological maturation needs of the young adult (age 18-40), middle adult (age 41-65), and older adult (age 66-older) patient.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday (8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.)

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.
• Education: 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.
• License: 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 Certified/Board Eligible in Gastroenterology
• Ability to work within an organization to provide strategic direction.
• Ability to provide compassionate, appropriate, and effective patient care.
• Four years post fellowship experience practicing clinical gastroenterology.
• Procedural experience of more than 500 EDG's and 500 colonoscopies.
• Experience teaching residents/fellows.

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

Physical Requirements: Heavy lifting, 45 pounds and over; Moderate carrying, 15-44 pounds; Straight pulling for 1 hour, Pushing for1 hour, Reaching above shoulder; Use of fingers; Both hands required; Walking for 3 hours; Standing for 3 hours; Kneeling for 1 hour; Repeated bending for 1 hour, Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously, Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4; Hearing (aid permitted).

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, or
2. 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.
3. 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.

• 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).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 2-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

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.