Staff Dentist

The Dentist will be assigned as a staff dentist or dental specialist to the Dental Service and reports to the Chief, Dental Service.

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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

As a staff general dentist, the incumbent will be responsible for providing consultation and treatment within the scope of their specific clinical privileges. He/she may provide education and training to members of the medical staff through various conferences, committees and lecture series. The incumbent may be assigned administrative or managerial responsibilities through participation in clinical, educational and administrative committees, task groups or special projects.

The incumbent spends approximately 95% of time in the clinic providing direct patient care dental services, answering consults for outpatient dental care and providing follow-up care as needed. The incumbent establishes professional working relationships with clinical service providers within the medical center and the Community Base Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs), providing telephone and curbside consultation as needed and screening consults that are received for appropriateness prior to scheduling. The remaining 5% of the time is spent on administrative or training activities.

Dentist duties include:

• Providing outpatient, inpatient and ER care for patients eligible for dental care as described in the VHA Handbook 1130 - Feb 2013.
• Periodically examining or evaluating patients to determine need for further dental care.
• Prescribing medications within defined scope of dental practice.
• Ordering diagnostic studies such as laboratory tests or radiographs.
• Initiating and expediting requests for consultation intra-facility, inter-facility, and FEE basis care, and scheduling special tests and studies.
• Providing education and counseling of patients and families in preventive care, medical conditions, and use of prescribed treatments and drugs
• Conducting Compensation and Pension (C&P) Exams as requested by Veterans Benefit Administration (VBA) and Regional Office.
• Assist in meeting Performance Measures for clinical dental care.
• Completes all mandatory training requirements timely, attends medical center committee meetings and complies with computer and privacy directives.
• Assist with other collateral duties as assigned by supervisor, Chief of Staff, or Director.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00AM - 4:30PM, (subject to change based on agency needs)

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.

Dentist Basic Requirements

• A degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery or dental medicine resulting from a course of education in dentistry. The degree must have been obtained from one of the schools approved by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for the year in which the course of study was completed. Approved schools are (1) United States and Canadian schools of dentistry listed by the Commission on Dental Accreditation(CODA), in the list published for the year in which the course of study was completed.(2) Schools (including foreign schools) accepted by the licensing body of a State, Territory, or Commonwealth (i.e., Puerto Rico), or the District of Columbia as qualifying for full and unrestricted licensure provided the licensure requirements include a written examination measuring science achievement and a performance examination measuring clinical competence certification, and must obtain a copy of the ECFMG certificate, if claimed by the applicant. ~AND~
• Completed, or you are currently completing, a residency program in general practice or specialty, or comparable experience as a dentist actively involved in treating medically compromised patients. ~AND~
• Currently hold, or will hold, a current, full and unrestricted license to practice dentistry in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia. Note: Dentists must maintain current registration in the State of licensure if this is a requirement for continuing active, current licensure.

• Proficiency in spoken and written English.

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

Physical Requirements: To perform in a fully successful manner, the individual must have the physical ability to perform job-related duties which may require light carrying (under 15 pounds), reaching above shoulder, use of fingers, both hands required, walking (up to 1 hour), standing (up to 1 hour), and both legs required. In addition, there may be exposure to the following environmental factors: working inside and outside, working closely with others, and protracted or irregular hours of work. A health examination must be successfully completed prior to this assignment and periodically thereafter as required by the Occupational Health Clinic policy. There may be intermittent exposure to blood and body fluids

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.