Physician Assistant GS-0603-12

Overview

This position is located at Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center, Fort Hood, Killeen, TX.

Fort Hood is a United States Army post located in the beautiful 'hill and lake' country of Central Texas between Killeen and Copperas Cove and is approximately 60 miles north of the capital city of Austin, 50 miles south of Waco, 160 miles south of Dallas, and 150 miles north of San Antonio. The post is located halfway between Austin and Waco, about 60 mi from each, within the U.S. state of Texas. The post is the headquarters of III Armored Corps and First Army Division West and is home to the 1st Cavalry Division and 3rd Cavalry Regiment, among others.

Its origin was the need for wide-open space to test and train with World War II tank destroyers. The War Department announced the location in January 1942, and the initial completion was set for that August. As originally constructed, Fort Hood had an area of 158,706 acres, with billeting for 6,007 officers and 82,610 enlisted personnel.

Working for the Department of Defense comes with an abundance of benefits and perks to include competitive compensation packages, paid time off, medical benefits, student loan repayments, and retirement package with Thrift Savings Plan to include matching employer contributions. For more information, please visit the following link: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/benefits/  

• This is a Direct Hire Solicitation
• Student Loan repayment may be authorized.
• Salary negotiation may be available for those candidates who are new to Federal service.

Responsibilities

As a Physician Assistant you will:

•  Perform a variety of professional direct health care clinical duties.
• Assess, plans, evaluates, and modifies the plan of acute and chronically ill patients.
• Exercise autonomy in determining the necessary medical care.
• Provide consultation, teaching, and coordination with patients regarding treatment and medical care.
• Coordinate with patients regarding physicians' findings and diagnoses, laboratory results, follow-up treatment plan or the effect of medications prescribed in accordance with approved protocols.
• Refer high-risk, unstable, or extremely complex patients to the physicians and emergency medicine. Performs emergency care as appropriate.

• Perform Other Duties as Assigned

Qualifications

Who May Apply: US CitizensIn order to qualify, you must meet the education and 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 Physician Assistant:Education: Graduation from a physician assistant educational program, accredited by the Accreditation Review Committee on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) or its predecessors, at a college, university, or educational institution that is accredited by an accrediting body or organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained.Certification: Successful completion of the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) examination; must maintain status as a certified physician assistant, including completion of all requirements for Continuing Medical Education (CME) and re-certification.Licensure: Applicants must possess a current, active, full, and unrestricted license or registration as a Physician Assistant from a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States.Exemption: You are exempt from the license requirements above if you are a current federal employee occupying a position in the 0603 occupational series and have been continuously employed in this occupational series since September 27, 2017 or before. Note: You will be required to provide appropriate documentation to the respective Human Resources Office to validate your status.In addition to meeting the basic requirements above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below:Experience: A minimum of one full year of work experience as a certified physician assistant which includes: 1). Performing physical examinations, 2). Reviewing patient medical history, 3). Prescribing medications, and 4). Determining appropriate medical treatment. This definition of experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service GS-11.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.

Education

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/.