Physician - Outpatient Psychiatry Site Training Director (SJMC/TUMG)

Position Overview

The Psychiatry Site Training Director oversees outpatient educational, supervisory, administrative, and accreditation-related functions for general psychiatry residents from San Joaquin Medical Center/Touro University Medical Group (SJMC/TUMG) assigned to VA Northern California Healthcare System's Mental Health Product Line. This role ensures program compliance with VA Office of Academic Affiliations (OAA), American College of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), and relevant affiliation agreements while providing leadership in trainee supervision structures, clinical onboarding to the service, and rotation management.

The site training director serves as the primary liaison among leadership of the VA Mental Health Services, SJMC/TUMG Residency Program and VA Medical Education, ensuring that high-quality psychiatry training is delivered in alignment with VA policy and national accreditation standards.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee the structure, functioning, and operations of the psychiatry training program at the site, ensuring rotations, schedules, supervision, and educational activities align with VA and affiliate expectations.
• Lead coordination with VA and affiliate program directors and faculty to maintain and update training agreements, rotation descriptions, and training manuals.
• Manage and coordinate site-specific trainee coverage responsibilities, including supervision coverage when necessary.
• Participate in VA Medical Education (MedEd) site director, affiliate Faculty and Clinical Competency Committee (CCC), and VA MH Training meetings as directed.
• Ensure compliance with all APA/ACGME standards in collaboration with VA academic affiliates.
• Develop orientation schedules for psychiatric trainees and ensure training prerequisites are met in advance (e.g., TMS modules, telehealth requirements).
• Liaise with supervisors, Clinic Operations Managers (COMs) and administrative staff to ensure new trainees receive appropriate clinical space, schedules, supervision, and training resources.
• Ensure rotation quality through supervisor engagement, rotation evaluations, and curriculum updates.
• Coordinate psychotherapy training and Primary-Care Mental Health Integration (PCMHI) opportunities when applicable.
• Maintain alignment with national VA educational initiatives and quality improvement programs when applicable.
• Monitor trainee progress, competency evaluations, remediation or escalation processes and adherence to supervision requirements in collaboration with the academic affiliate.
• Conduct trainee check-ins, address program concerns, and manage emergent issues affecting trainee performance or safety.
• Assist supervisors with coverage planning, workload distribution, and compliance with supervision caps.
• Review trainee leave, schedule adjustments, and timecard requirements in collaboration with the VA Medical Education office and academic affiliate(s).
• Maintain site documentation, including training manuals, yearly schedules, onboarding checklists, and supervisor contacts.
• Coordinate with Clinical Operations Managers (COMs) regarding site logistics such as room reservations and virtual platforms for didactics and supervision.

• 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 allopathic 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 accrediting bodies for graduate medical education, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) or American Osteopathic Association (AOA), in the list published for the year the residency, or fellowship if applicable, was completed; OR
  • (2) One year of post medical school training (internship, first year of residency, or transitional year residency) approved by ACGME or AOA followed by two years of post-training independent practice (performing under a full and unrestricted license) in the United States; OR
  • (3) Non-US residency training programs followed by a minimum of three years of verified independent practice in the United States (performing under a full and unrestricted license) performing duties related to the position they are applying for (United States fellowships would be creditable towards this requirement), 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.
  • Exceptions:
    • 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 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.
    • In rare and unusual circumstances, the Facility Director can submit a memo to the VISN Director through the VISN Chief Medical Officer, who may approve requests for reasonable exceptions to the residency training requirement for Physicians whose composite record of experience, accomplishments, performance, and qualifications warrant such action.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.

• Licensed and board-certified psychiatrist.

• Experience supervising psychiatry trainees and providing structured psychiatric education.
• Familiarity with ACGME and APA accreditation standards and VA OAA requirements.

1. Schools of medicine accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) for the year in which the degree was granted.
2. Schools of osteopathic medicine approved by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) for the year in which the degree was granted.
3. 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.

• 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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Complete TB Testing and Immunization evaluations.
• 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.