Medical Officer

This position is in the Office of Healthcare Inspections, Office of Inspector General, Department of Veterans Affairs.

• Oversight, monitoring, and evaluation of the programs and operations of the Office of the Medical Inspector and other key quality assurance and patient safety offices of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).
• Providing objective assessments of the effectiveness of VA's medical quality assurance programs and activities.

Current VA OIG employees will remain in current duty location. Other locations may be considered based on space availability at the time of close.

The Medical Officer serves as the senior technical medical advisor to the IG, AIG for Healthcare Inspections, and other OIG officials across a full range of OIG health care inspections, investigations, and audits. The Medical Officer interacts with senior VA physicians, scientists, and outside medical consultants and health care organization; and their advice impacts the VA medical system and veterans seeking care.The Medical Officer is accountable for the following, but not limited to:

• Serving as a senior medical technical advisor to the Inspector General; AIG, PDAIG, and DAIG for Healthcare Inspections; and audit, investigative, and other OIG staff to provide expert and timely advice and recommendations on complex issues requiring extensive medical knowledge.
• Serving as a senior medical technical advisor in the oversight, monitoring, and evaluation of the effectiveness of VHA's quality assurance programs and services, and of the VHA Medical Inspector, Office of Research Compliance and Assessment, and the Center for Patient Safety.
• Developing policy proposals and recommending changes to current policies; updating procedures and clinical investigative techniques for health care inspection activities to the AIG, PDAIG, and DAIG for Healthcare Inspections.
• Analyzing and reporting on nationwide healthcare program issues such as posttraumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, homeless veterans' health care, and women veterans' health care.
• Participating in all aspects of OHI activities, including planning, conducting on-site reviews; writing and editing reports; and monitoring follow-up actions.

You must meet the following requirements by closing date of this announcement.

Degree: Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine or equivalent from a school in the United States or Canada. This degree must have been accredited by the Council on Medical Education of the American Medical Association; Association of American Medical Colleges; Liaison Committee on Medical Education; Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation of the American Osteopathic Association, or an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained.

Degree from Foreign Medical School: A Doctor of Medicine or equivalent degree from a foreign medical school must provide education and medical knowledge equivalent to accredited schools in the United States. Evidence of equivalency to accredited schools in the United States is demonstrated by permanent certification by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates, a fifth pathway certificate for Americans who completed premedical education in the United States and graduate education in a foreign country, or successful completion of the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination.

Licensure: Applicants must possess a current, active, full, and unrestricted license or registration as a Physician from a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States.

Graduate Training: Subsequent to obtaining a Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree, a candidate must have had at least 5 years of supervised experience or equivalent experience and training providing direct service in a clinical setting, i.e., a 1-year internship or the first year of a residency program in a hospital or an institution accredited for such training. For purposes of this standard, graduate training programs include only those internship, residency, and fellowship programs that are approved by accrediting bodies recognized within the United States or Canada. Descriptions of such programs are described below.

An internship program involves broadly based clinical practice in which physicians acquire experience in treating a variety of medical problems under supervision (e.g., internal medicine, surgery, general practice, obstetrics-gynecology, and pediatrics). Such programs are in hospitals or other institutions accredited for internship training by a recognized body of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).A residency program involves training in a specialized field of medicine in a hospital or an institution accredited for training in the specialty by a recognized body of the American Medical Association (AMA), or Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).A fellowship program involves advanced training (beyond residency training) in a given medical specialty in either a clinical or research setting in a hospital or an institution accredited in the United States for such training.

Applicants must possess the following Technical Competencies (TCs). These competencies would typically be gained through experience, education, and training that reflects progressive development and achievement. An individual's total experience and education must demonstrate the ability to perform the duties of the position.

All applicants must include a narrative statement showing how their knowledge and experience relates to each of the following technical qualifications. The narrative statement should not exceed two (2) pages for each qualification. In addressing these mandatory qualifications, elaborate on your accomplishments, experience, training, education, and awards, highlighting the problems solved and work objectives met (i.e., the results of your effort and evidence of your success).

• TQ1 Technical: Please describe your experience applying healthcare quality-management, patient-safety, peer-review, accreditation, regulatory, or comparable principles to evaluate healthcare delivery, identify actual or potential patient-safety risks, and assess their clinical significance.
• TQ 2 Analytical: Please describe your experience identifying contributing factors, patient-safety risks, trends, and systemic issues; distinguish isolated events from broader organizational problems; and develop evidence-based recommendations to address identified concerns.
• TQ 3 Communication: Please describe your experience communicating complex medical, clinical, and healthcare-system issues clearly, accurately, and persuasively in writing and orally to diverse clinical and nonclinical audiences, including senior leaders, governing bodies, regulators, policymakers, or other decision-makers.

If you are claiming education as any part of your qualifications for this position, you must submit an official transcript, unofficial transcript, or a list including courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned.

Special Instructions for Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. Failure to provide such documentation with your application will result in lost consideration. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

EDUCATION DOCUMENTATION: For positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualifying for this position by substituting education or training for experience, submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. An official transcript will be required if you are selected. A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation page. If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Refer to the OPM instructions.

The experience may have been gained in either the public, private sector or volunteer service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/day/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week on your résumé.

Key Requirements:

• Click "Print Preview" to review the entire announcement before applying.
• Citizenship: The selected applicant must be a United States Citizen or United States National. Proof of citizenship will be required prior to a final job offer.
• Drug Testing: All applicants tentatively selected for an SL position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment. After appointment, the selectee will be subject to random testing for illegal drug use.
• A one-year probationary period may be required.
• Background Investigation: This position is designated as High Risk and requires a background investigation and favorable adjudication for a Public Trust clearance.
• If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so.
• Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S.
• Financial Disclosure: Senior Level employees are required to comply with the Ethics in Government Act, as amended, which requires the submission of a public financial disclosure statement, OGE 278, upon assuming an SL position, annually, and upon separation from employment.
• Licensure: You must possess and maintain a permanent, full, and unrestricted license to practice medicine in a State, District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rice, or territory of the United States .

Our comprehensive benefits are very generous. Our benefits package includes:
- Challenging work, opportunities for advancement, competitive salaries, bonuses and incentive awards.
- Eleven paid holidays, 13 days of sick leave, and 13 to 26 days of vacation time each year.
- Access to insurance programs that may be continued after you retire.
- A wide choice of health insurance plans, coverage for pre-existing conditions, and no waiting periods. We pay a substantial amount (up to 75%) of the health insurance premiums.
- A retirement program which includes employer-matching contributions.

Learn more about Federal benefits programs at: USAJOBS Help Center - Benefits