Physician (Pain Management)

The New Mexico Health Care System (NMVAHCS) is seeking a full time Physician (Pain Management) to join the pain section of Anesthesiology Service. This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until January 08, 2027. Applicants will be accepted on an ongoing basis and qualified candidates will be considered as vacancies become available.

Albuquerque, New Mexico, is vibrant city renowned for its unique blend of cultural heritage, stunning natural landscapes, and thriving economic opportunities. Nestled in the heart of the Rio Grande Valley, the city boasts over 300 days of sunshine annually, making it a haven for outdoor enthusiasts who can enjoy hiking, biking, and skiing against the backdrop of majestic Sandia Mountains.

The New Mexico VA Health Care System (NMVAHCS) in Albuquerque is a leading facility dedicated to providing exceptional care to Veterans through innovative treatments, compassionate service, and advanced technology.


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

Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): May be authorized.
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



This role involves interviewing and examining patients scheduled in the Anesthesia Interventional Pain Clinic. Although telemedicine is used as appropriate, physical examination is necessary for patient care and requires in person face to face interactions.

Major duties of this position include but are not limited to:

• Interview and examine patients scheduled in the Anesthesia lnterventional Pain Clinic.
• Perform interventional pain procedures/injections for relief of pain syndromes after appropriate diagnostic studies performed. Injections are done using fluoroscopic and ultrasound techniques.
• Review consults submitted to the service, provide patient care with in person, telemedicine and telephone visits.
• Provide emergency care, including CPR/ ACLS as needed for cardiac emergencies.
• Chart and document patient care and/or procedures performed in medical records, on worksheets, and/or logs, as appropriate.
• Engage with patients, family/significant others, support staff, providers, and other members of the interdisciplinary team to implement changes to improve direct patient care and to provide a safe work environment for staff.
• Demonstrates an understanding of the need for and provides appropriate safety measures, when indicated.
• Manage time and workload efficiently and seeks feedback on output generated to improve quality of services.
• Collaborate with other physicians and other departments to provide patient care.
• Maintain confidentiality of all sensitive data and information, and compliance with ADP Security, VISTA, and PC policies.
• Sustain both patient and employee safety in an environment with everyday risks and/or discomforts.

Work Schedule: Monday- Friday 6:30AM- 3:00PM

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.
• 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.

Preferred Experience:

• Qualified candidates must also be proficient in Fluoroscopic/Ultrasound Guided full range of interventional pain procedures experience.
• Qualified candidates must also be Pain Medicine Board Certified or Eligible
• Qualified candidates must also be expert in physician diagnostics, spine, peripheral joint injections and spinal cord stimulators

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

Physical Requirements:
- Heavy lifting (45 lbs. and over); Heavy carrying (45 lbs. and over)
- Straight pulling and pushing, extended standing, sitting, bending
- Ability to wear lead aprons for x-ray cases.

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.
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.

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.