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.

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
• 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 one of the schools approved by the Department of Veterans Affairs for the year in which the course of study was completed
• Licensure and Registration
• 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
• The Physician must maintain current registration in the state of licensure if this is a requirement for continuing active - current licensure
• 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
• English Language Proficiency
• Proficiency in spoken and written English
• Additional Requirement: All VA medical facility pathology physicians must be licensed physicians and board certified in anatomic pathology or clinical pathology by the American Board of Pathology per VHA directive 1106
• Preferred Experience: Hematopathology fellowship or experience preferred but not required
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019

Duties

• This position is in the Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Service at the VA WNY HCS - Buffalo - NY
• The Anatomic and Clinical Staff Pathologist provides diagnostic services within the Department of Pathology to include potential for subspecialty coverage as training permits - examples include dermatopathology - hematopathology or molecular pathology
• Anatomic and Clinical Staff Pathologist apply standardized criteria for formulating and reporting diagnostic information on various anatomic pathology specimens to include surgical pathology - cytopathology - autopsy pathology
• Provide clinical laboratory consultation to technical personnel and healthcare providers
• Participate in Quality Assurance measures as required by VA Directives and accreditation standards
• Teaching of residents - medical students - allopathic medicine students and other healthcare personnel who seek training within the field of Pathology
• Lists the major duties and responsibilities of the position: The AP/CP pathologist is ultimately responsible for diagnostic interpretation of specimens processed within the laboratory
• The AP/CP pathologist will provide residents and/or trainees information on specimen processing and evaluation
• Grossing of AP specimens if needed and review of gross description of specimens Processing and interpretation of intraoperative frozen sections
• Provide intraoperative and intraprocedural consultation and on-site adequacy assessment as requested
• Interpretation/sign-out of surgical pathology and cytopathology specimens within established guidelines for turnaround time
• Ordering/interpretation of appropriate immunohistochemical stains and special stains
• Participation in multi-disciplinary conferences such as Tumor Board - Chest Conference and GI Conference
• Review appropriate clinical history/medical record when responsible for autopsy coverage and discuss with clinical team ensuring appropriate consent documentation before proceeding with autopsy
• Perform/supervise autopsy as needed - issue preliminary autopsy findings within 48 hours of autopsy - and complete autopsy report with clinicopathologic correlation within 60 working days of autopsy
• Participate in Quality Assurance measures including 10% retrospective review of all anatomic pathology cases and inter-laboratory comparison programs as designated by Chief - Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
• Provide 24 hour on-call services as designated in the monthly schedule
• Review hematology fluids and issue diagnostic interpretation
• Participate in minimum required continuing medical education (CME) in order to maintain licensure/privileges
• Responsible for timely completion of VA assigned TMS educational modules
• Responsible for diagnostic expertise and sign-out in any area for which sub-specialty fellowship training has been completed or that aligns with expertise in practice
• VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package
• VHA Physician Total Rewards
• Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Learn more
• EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive
• Contact EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive
• Contact [email protected] - the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance 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 8:00am-4:30pm (Weekends - Holidays and On-Call Rotations as Needed)