Physician - Compensation & Pension

Summary

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

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Duties

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Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Learn more.

EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact [click to reveal email address]V21CCOEEDRP@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:00am - 3:30pm

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

• Compensation and Pension (C&P) is a mandated examination process under 38 CFR Section 3.159 that supports Veteran claims for pension and disability compensation. The C&P Examiner Physician (MD/DO) performs non-treatment outpatient examinations and medical opinions to provide sufficient competent medical evidence to decide a claim, including determination of current disability, severity, functional impact, and whether a current diagnosed disability is related to an event, injury, disease, or exposure incurred while in military service.
• Additional evaluations may include examinations for active-duty service members for disability and fitness-for-duty purposes in support of the Integrated Disability Evaluation System (IDES), and pre-discharge examinations in support of the Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD) and Quick Start (QS) programs. The incumbent performs examinations and medical-legal opinions in accordance with applicable VA, VHA, VBA, and DoD requirements, local policies, and granted clinical privileges.
• This position is aligned under Health Administration Service (HAS) at VA Pacific Islands Health Care System (VAPIHCS). The incumbent reports to the Chief, Compensation and Pension (C&P) Service

Major Duties Include but not limited to:

• Perform disability benefits examinations for Veterans referred by the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), consistent with required templates, clinical protocols, and exam sufficiency standards.
• Review available medical records and relevant evidence to support accurate history-taking, examination, and opinion formulation, consistent with C&P requirements and local processes.
• Conduct comprehensive, objective, and reproducible clinical evaluations appropriate to the claimed condition(s), including assessment of severity and functional impact.
• Provide medical opinions as requested to support adjudication, which may include opinions addressing diagnosis, etiology/nexus, aggravation, secondary conditions, and functional impairment, consistent with training, privileges, and applicable guidance.
• Complete documentation in an accurate and timely manner in the VA electronic health record and required C&P systems, in accordance with VHA and VBA policies and local requirements.
• Ensure exam reports and opinions are complete, internally consistent, and responsive to the requested questions to support adjudication decision-making.
• Perform examinations for active-duty service members referred by the Department of Defense (DoD) as part of the VHA/DoD IDES program, consistent with program requirements and local workflows.
• Perform pre-discharge examinations in support of BDD and QS programs when assigned and consistent with service requirements.
• Provide medical-legal opinions associated with C&P claims and, when assigned, claims under 38 U.S.C. Section 1151, consistent with requested scope and applicable standards.
• Communicate clinically relevant findings, limitations, and recommendations within the required documentation framework; refer Veterans to appropriate clinical services when urgent issues or safety concerns are identified, consistent with VA policy and local procedures.
• Participate in quality assurance activities related to exam sufficiency, timeliness, and documentation standards as required.
• Maintain current knowledge of applicable C&P examination requirements, relevant regulations, and documentation standards; complete required training to support competent performance of C&P examinations and opinions.
• Maintain current knowledge of applicable C&P examination requirements, relevant regulations, and documentation standards; complete required training to support competent performance of C&P examinations and opinions.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ([click to reveal website link]https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

Qualifications

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:

• The C&P physician must be able to demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to evaluate Veterans/Service members served by VAPIHCS C&P Unit. The individual must demonstrate the knowledge of the changes associated with aging and possess the ability to evaluate Veterans/Service members based upon physical, psycho/social, cultural, safety and other age related factors as noted in the competencies described in departmental and/or unit specific policies and procedures.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit [click to reveal website link]https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements: Applicants must meet physical standards for the position. A physical examination prior to placement is required. This is a designated drug testing position. After appointment, you will be subject to random testing for illegal drug use. Requires lifting 15-44 pounds; pushing (approx. 2 hours); reaching above shoulder; use of fingers and both hands; walking and standing from 3-5 hours and kneeling. Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously. Must have depth perception and ability to distinguish basic colors and shades of colors. Hearing aid is permitted.

Education

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.

Additional information

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.