Summary

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

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 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
• Preferred Experience: Board Eligible/Board Certified in General Adult Psychiatry Reference: VA Regulations - specifically VA Handbook 5005 - Part II - Appendix G-2 Physician Qualification Standard
• This can be found in the local Human Resources Office
• Physical Requirements: Moderate lifting - 15-44 pounds
• straight pulling (4 hours)
• pushing (4 hours)
• reaching above shoulder
• use of fingers
• both hands required
• walking (2 hours);standing (7 hours)
• kneeling (1 hour)
• repeated bending (4 hours)
• both legs required
• near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4
• far-vision correctable in one eye to 20/50 and to 20/100 in the other
• ability to distinguish basic colors
• hearing (aid permitted)
• mental and emotional stability required.

Duties

• The facility provides care to approximately 91 -000 veterans in the midlands and upstate SC
• CBOCs are located in Anderson - Greenville - Spartanburg - Florence - Orangeburg - Sumter - and Rock Hill - and provide primary care - mental health - and telemedicine services
• Dorn VAMC is affiliated with the University of South Carolina (USC) School of Medicine and provides teaching services for students and residents
• USC is the state's flagship research university with Schools of Medicine - Public Health - Nursing - Pharmacy - and an active Graduate School
• Columbia - SC is a wonderful place to live and work
• A small-town atmosphere within a metropolitan city - known for its museums - restaurants - and the University of SC
• Columbia offers four-season outdoor activity with several championship golf courses in the area and is a short drive from the mountains and the beach
• Columbia is located near a 50 -000 acre lake with boating and recreational opportunities and is also in close proximity to the premier Atlantic Ocean beaches and mountains
• VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package
• VHA Physician Total Rewards
• Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized
• Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Authorized - Learn more
• Contact Lena.Gowder@va.gov - 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
• We are currently seeking a full-time board certified/board eligible Psychiatrist for inpatient psychiatric services to be conducted on-site at the Columbia VAMC as part of the Inpatient Mental Health Team
• Duties include - but are not limited to: Provide general inpatient clinical psychiatric/psychiatric hospitalist services to Veterans hospitalized on the Acute Inpatient Psychiatric Unit and including on-call services
• General psychiatric care of adult Veterans to include: conducting diagnostic evaluations with ongoing medication management along with brief individual therapy as indicated
• The psychiatrists will work as part of a team which includes a nurse - social workers and psychologists
• Additionally - there are referral options for Psychological Testing and Neuropsychological Testing
• Some of the specific counseling programs that Veterans can be referred to include: Outpatient Mental Health - Trauma Recovery Program - DBT Program - Substance Abuse Program - TBI Clinic - Chronic Pain Program - etc. - as part of outpatient follow-up/aftercare services
• Psychiatrist may be expected to provide direct clinical supervision of mid-level providers - psychiatric advanced practice nurses or physician assistants and other staff as appropriate
• Required to exercise judgment in the selection of or adaptation of standard and accepted clinical theories - techniques - and practices in treating patients or developing new techniques and programs for the treatment of specialized problems or clinical populations
• Common patient diagnoses treated include: PTSD - Anxiety Disorders - ADHD - Personality Disorders - Mood Disorders ( MDD - BP) - Schizophrenia - Substance Use Disorders - Dementia and Sequela from Traumatic Brain Injuries
• Veterans are typically admitted to the Inpatient Mental Health Unit due to active suicidality or severe psychosis
• There are specialty care clinics staffed by Psychiatric Specialty Pharmacists - NP's and various other support staff including: Clozapine - Suboxone (as part of the Substance Treatment program- STARS) and MHICM (for veterans with severe mental illness and increased level of care needed) that Veterans can be connected with as appropriate
• Refer for internal and external specialty care such as Neurology - Sleep Lab - Endocrinology - etc
• when indicated and coordinate care
• There are local external resources for various somatic treatments including: Ketamine/Esketamine - TMS and ECT
• The Psychiatrist shall be expected to cooperate with and participate in - medical duties or functions related to quality of care - peer review - improvement and with other performance improvement activities which do fulfill requirements for PIP for ABPN board certification
• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday - 8:00 am to 4:30 pm
• Hours are subject to change based on agency needs.