Optometrist (Clinical)

About the Position: This position serves as a primary eye care provider, with emphasis on therapeutic pharmaceutical agents, medical contact lens specialist, operative refractive surgery management, and is located with Womack Army Medical Center's, at Fort Liberty NC.

This is a Direct Hire Solicitation.

• Salary negotiation may be available for those candidates who are new to Federal service.
• A recruitment or relocation incentive may be authorized.
• Student Loan repayment may be authorized.

Serve as a primary eye care provider on therapeutic pharmaceutical agents, medical contact lens specialist, pre and post operative refractive surgery management, and consultations of Occupational Health through examinations of personnel. | Identify systemic problems in addition to visual/ocular problems. | Follow quiescent and slowly progressive ocular conditions as long as no medical or surgical intervention is indicated. | Treat a full range of eye and visual problems and ocular diseases, to include the application of advanced instrumentation, optometric procedures and techniques. | Monitor the maintenance of ophthalmic equipment and instruments. | Perform comprehensive/limited visual and ocular examinations on all types of patients; including, but not limited to refractive surgery, pediatrics, adults, geriatric, learning disability, low vision, contact lens, and eye hazardous occupations. | Diagnose and treat any visual anomaly and specified pathologic conditions of the ocular adnexa and the eye. | Provide supervision, teaching, and guidance to senior optometric interns/Scholarship Program Students, eye specialist students, and/or eye technicians. | Perform full range of professional optometric duties with major emphasis in the pre-operative evaluation of refractive surgery patients and post-operative evaluation/management of refractive surgery with the assistance of staff ophthalmologists.

Who May Apply: US Citizens

In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements described below. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document.

Basic Requirements for Optometrist (Clinical):

Degree: A Doctor of Optometry degree from an educational program that is accredited by the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education (ACOE) at the time the degree was obtained.

Licensure: Applicants must have received a passing score on the National Board of Examiners in Optometry (NEBO) examinations and possess a current, full, and unrestricted license to practice optometry in a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States.

In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below:

Experience: One year of professional experience as an optometrist which includes examining patients, diagnosing visual disorders and/or diseases, and identifying treatment. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-11).

OR

Residency: One year completion of a residency program in an institution accredited for such training.

Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this job, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone--no substitution of education for experience is permitted.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show 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. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation. | A Personnel Security Investigation is required. | This position requires the incumbent to possess a license to practice Optometry. | All applicants tentatively selected for this position will be required to submit a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. | This position is subject to a pre-employment screening, and random drug testing, to include testing based on reasonable suspicion and testing due to direct involvement with an on-duty accident. | This position has mandatory seasonal influenza vaccination requirements and is subject to annual seasonal influenza vaccinations unless otherwise exempted for medical or religious reasons (documentation of exemption must be provided upon hire). | Immunization screening is required. Hepatitis B immunization is required for all positions with direct patient contact. Applicants may be required to show proof of other immunizations depending on the type of position. | This position requires the completion of a pre-employment Physical Examination and an annual examination thereafter to ensure the continued, required level of physical health and ability or fitness to perform the duties of the position. | Moderate to heavy lifting up to 50 pounds may be required. | Applicants must be able to fulfill credentialing requirements and obtain and maintain appropriate/relevant clinical privileges. | This position has specific initial background investigation and periodic re-verification requirements since its duties require interaction with children and youth under the age of eighteen (18) years of age on a recurring basis.