Podiatrist (General)

The mission of Podiatry Services of the Veterans Health Administration is to serve the needs of America's veterans by providing the highest quality foot and ankle care.

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SCOPE OF PRACTICE:

• Podiatry is the health care profession that specializes in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and management of foot and ankle conditions through medical and surgical means.
• Podiatry Services should include the following:
• Complete history and physical examination with an emphasis on diagnosis and foot/ankle pathology, and identification of related systemic conditions.
• Complete medical and surgical management of podiatric pathology
• Prescription of pharmaceuticals and therapeutic devices, (orthotics, prosthetic devices, plaster casts, immobilization devices, etc.)
• Appropriate consultation, referral and co-management of patients with complicating systemic conditions, and
• Health promotion and disease prevention.
• The Podiatry Service may include, but is not limited to the following:
• Outpatient Podiatry medical and surgical services
• Inpatient Podiatry medical and surgical services
• Nursing Home/Domiciliary medical and surgical services
• Ongoing prevention, in-service, and patient education programs,
• Direction, teaching, and training of residents and students enrolled in training programs in both the inpatient and outpatient setting, and
• Maintenance and upkeep of clinic logs, patient medical charts, and other documents necessary in the operation of an inpatient/outpatient treatment clinic.

Work Schedule: Monday- Friday 0730:1600
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Podiatrist Basic Requirements

• a United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• b. Education. Applicants must possess a doctor of podiatric medicine degree, or an equivalent degree resulting from a course of education in podiatric medicine and surgery. 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.

(1) Approved schools are United States schools of podiatric medicine and surgery, approved by the Council on Podiatric Medical Education of the American Podiatry Medical Association in the year in which the degree was granted.
NOTE: The Under Secretary of Health or designee in Central Office may approve the appointment under authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405 for a podiatric 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.
c. Licensure or Registration. Applicants must possess a 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. The podiatrist must maintain current registration in the state of licensure if this is a requirement for continuing active, current licensure.
(1) Impaired Licensure. A podiatrist who has, or has ever had any license(s) revoked, suspended, denied, restricted, limited, or issued/placed in a probationary status may be appointed only in accordance with the provisions of chapter 3, section B, paragraph 14 of this part.
(2) Waiver of Licensure. Licensure requirements may be waived by the Under Secretary for Health, or designee in Central Office, for individuals in research, academic, or administrative assignments, involving no direct patient care responsibilities, in accordance with current regulations. In addition, the facility II-G4-1 April 1, 2020 VA Handbook 5005/114 PART II APPENDIX G4 director may waive this licensure requirement if the podiatrist is to serve in a country other than the United States, and the podiatrist has licensure in that country. (See section B, chapter 3, paragraph 14 of this part, for waiver of licensure provisions.)
NOTE: Individuals who have or had multiple licenses, and had any such license revoked for professional misconduct, professional incompetence, or substandard care, or who surrendered such license after receiving written notice of potential termination of such license by the state for professional misconduct, professional incompetence, or substandard care, are not eligible for appointment to the position, unless such revoked or surrendered license is fully restored (38 U.S.C. § 7402(f)).
This requirement does not apply to licensed podiatrists on VA rolls as of November 30, 1999, provided they maintain a continuous appointment and are not disqualified for employment by any subsequent revocations or voluntary surrenders of state license, registration, or certification.
d. Residency Training. Podiatrists must have completed residency training, or its equivalent, approved by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in an accredited core specialty training program leading to eligibility for board certification. VA Podiatrists 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 Council on Podiatric Medical Education, in the list published for the year the residency was completed, or
(2) Other residencies and training experiences, or their equivalents, which the local Professional Standards Board determines to have provided an applicant with appropriate professional training.
e. Physical Standards. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019
f. English Language Proficiency. Podiatrists appointed to direct patient-care positions must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. § 7402(d), 7407(d).
Additional Requirement:

Staff Podiatrist Surgical. Should be board qualified or board certified by a Council on Podiatric Medical Education certification board, or other equivalent certification to grant surgical privileges.
The individual must possess experience to perform duties as a podiatrist and surgeon, and have completed an accredited residency, and/or possess experience to perform general and surgical duties and some specialized functions and procedures, without supervision.
Staff podiatrist surgeons also includes attending physicians who train podiatrist residents, assigned in facilities with residency training programs, and consultants who are capable of giving authoritative views and opinions on subjects in their field of medicine.
These podiatrists will perform office based procedures and operating room procedures and are responsible for surgical patients 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Added work responsibilities may include seeing hospital patients daily and carrying a pager or be available by phone for emergency consultations.

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

The full performance level of this vacancy is VM-15

Applicants must possess a doctor of podiatric medicine degree, or an equivalent degree resulting from a course of education in podiatric medicine and surgery. 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.

• (1) Approved schools are United States schools of podiatric medicine and surgery, approved by the Council on Podiatric Medical Education of the American Podiatry Medical Association in the year in which the degree was granted. NOTE: The Under Secretary of Health or designee in Central Office may approve the appointment under authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405 for a podiatric 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

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.