Physician - Associate Chief of Staff for Education and Research

Shape the future of health care as a Physician in the Education and Learning department. You will elevate the trainee experience, strengthen academic partnerships, advance research and innovation, and lead high-performing education programs. Bring your clinical expertise and strategic vision to develop the next generation of health professionals-and make a lasting difference in the care of Veterans.

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. In this role, you will provide strategic leadership and oversight for all health professions education and training programs, ensuring a high-quality learning environment that supports the development of medical students, residents, and other health professions trainees. The incumbent is expected to devote approximately 40 percent of their time to clinical practice, with the remainder dedicated to education and research leadership responsibilities.

Duties include, but are not limited to, the following: Oversee all health professions education and training programs, ensuring a positive and compliant trainee experience. Direct administration of medical student, resident, dental, and allied health trainee programs. Ensure compliance with VA, affiliate institution, accrediting body, and regulatory requirements related to trainee appointments, onboarding, and separation.

Review and validate trainee credentialing and qualification documentation, including Trainee Qualifications and Credentials Verification Letters (TQCVLs). Conduct audits of trainee records and stipend processes to ensure accuracy, compliance, and accountability. Develop and implement local education policies and procedures based on agency-wide directives and program requirements. Serve as the primary liaison with affiliated academic institutions regarding trainee assignments, curricula, and program evaluations.

Identify and resolve issues affecting the clinical learning environment through collaboration with program and site directors. Establish and implement organizational education policies, priorities, and strategic initiatives. Provide leadership and oversight for employee education programs, including TMS, New Employee Orientation (NEO), leadership development, and academic affiliations. Supervise education staff, including the Supervisory Health Care Education Specialist (Designated Learning Officer), and manage recruitment, performance, and employee development activities.

Coordinate education resource planning, budgeting, and funding to ensure mission requirements are met. Monitor expenditures and maintain internal controls to ensure efficient, effective, and compliant use of resources. Lead special studies, program evaluations, and continuous improvement initiatives related to education and training operations. Advise leadership and present briefings on education programs, resource requirements, policies, and operational outcomes.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 8:00 am - 4:30 pm 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

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: Applicants who has experience working with Masters Interns and the Office of Academic Affiliations is preferred. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: You may be asked to participate in a pre-employment evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position.

Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation.