Physician- Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

The incumbent is ultimately responsible for the successful performance of patient care related activities in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. This responsibility predominately includes handling anatomical pathology with responsibilities in cytology, surgical pathology, and autopsy and oversight and diagnostic responsibilities in Microbiology, Immunology, Molecular Diagnostics, clinical chemistry, blood bank and hematology.

This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until September 30, 2026 or until all positions are filled. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be 30 October 2025, with subsequent cut-off dates every two weeks. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred to at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until positions are filled.

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Major Duties and Responsibilities to include but not be limited to:

• Application of accepted criteria in formulating and reporting diagnostic information on various anatomic pathology specimens to include hematopathology, surgical pathology, cytopathology and autopsy pathology.
• Provide clinical laboratory consultation to technical personnel and healthcare providers.
• Participation in Quality Assurance measures for laboratory sections as required by accreditation standards.
• Teaching of residents, medical students, allopathic medicine students and other healthcare personnel who seek training within the field of Pathology
• The AP/CP pathologist is ultimately responsible for diagnostic interpretation of specimens processed within the laboratory.
• Processing and interpretation of intraoperative frozen sections.
• Provide intraoperative and intra-procedural consultation as requested.
• Interpretation/sign-out of surgical pathology specimens within TJC guidelines.
• Provide 24 hour on-call services as rotated among all pathologists and designated in the monthly schedule.
• Responsible for diagnostic expertise and sign-out in any area for which sub-specialty fellowship training has been completed.
• Review appropriate clinical history/medical record when responsible for autopsy coverage and discuss with clinical team ensuring appropriate consent documentation before proceeding with autopsy.
• Participation in multi-disciplinary conferences such as Tumor Board, CP Conference and GI Conference as determined by section responsibility.
• Participate in minimum required continuing medical education (CME) to maintain licensure/privileges

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
Work Schedule: Monday- Friday 0800-1630, rotating 24/7 on-call, frozen section coverage

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 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 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), b) OR
  [(2) Those approved by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA),OR
  (3) Other residencies (non-US residency training programs followed by a minimum of five years of verified practice in the United States), 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.
  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 or fee-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.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.

Additional Requirement:

• Cytopathology board eligibility or board certification

Preferred Requirement:

• 2+ years of experience in GU pathology, or GI pathology

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

Physical Requirements: Placement in this position is subject to meeting the physical requirements of the position. This includes Walking (up to 2 hours); standing (up to 2 hours); Light and moderate lifting (up to 44 lbs.) light to moderate carrying (up to 44 lbs); straight pulling and pushing, reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; both hands required; ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously. Near vision correctable at 13" to 16"; Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/50 and 20/100 in the other; Depth perception; Ability to distinguish basic colors; Ability to distinguish shades of colors; Hearing (aid permitted)

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.