Pathologist

Summary

Education and length of practice are considered through a formal pay-setting process to determine the final compensable salary (Base Pay + Market Pay)

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Duties

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The JJP Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service (PALMS) encompass the health care facilities at the James J Peters VA Healthcare System in Bronx, NY, as well as the surrounding CBOCs in White Plains and Queens.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNED DUTIES

The Anatomic and Clinical Staff Pathologist provides diagnostic services within the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine.

The Chief, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine oversees the overall clinical and administrative function of the Pathology providers.

FUNCTIONS OR SCOPE OF ASSIGNED DUTIES

The combined anatomic and clinical pathologist is able to perform the following services required in the practice of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine.

• • Application of accepted criteria in formulating and reporting diagnostic information on various anatomic pathology specimens to include surgical pathology, cytopathology and autopsy pathology.
  • Provide clinical laboratory consultation to technical personnel and healthcare providers.
  • Participation in Quality Assurance measures for laboratory sections as required by accreditation standards.
  • Teaching of residents, medical students, allopathic medicine students and other healthcare personnel who seek training within the field of Pathology.

Duties/Tasks

• • 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.
  • Review of gross specimens
  • Processing and interpretation of intraoperative frozen sections.
  • Provide intraoperative and intraprocedural consultation as requested.
  • Interpretation/sign-out of surgical pathology specimens within CAP guidelines for turnaround time.
  • Ordering/interpretation of appropriate immunohistochemical stains and special stains.
  • Participation in multi-disciplinary conferences such as Tumor Board, M & M, dermatopathology conferences, hematopathology conferences, etc.
  • Implementation of tasks assigned by the Chief of PLMS
  • 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
  • Issue preliminary autopsy findings within 2 calendar days of autopsy.
  • Issue completed autopsy report with clinicopathologic correlation within 60 days of autopsy.
  • Participate in Quality Assurance measures including inter-laboratory comparison programs and in Ongoing Professional Practice Evaluation as designated by the Chief of PLMS.
  • Provide 24 hour on-call services as designated in the monthly schedule.
  • Review hematology fluids and issue diagnostic interpretation.
  • Participate in required continuing medical education (CME) in order to maintain licensure/privileges, and constantly improve diagnostic skills.
  • Responsible for timely completion of VA assigned educational modules.
  • Responsible for diagnostic expertise and sign-out in any area for which sub-specialty fellowship training has been completed.
  • Participate in approved department and interfacility research projects.

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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: 8:00am-4:30pm M-F is typical, alternative schedule may be possible depending on clinical needs

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 ( 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 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: Hospital-based pathology and laboratory medicine experience is preferred but not required.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit

Physical Requirements: Moderate lifting (15-44 lbs.); Light carrying (under 15 lbs.); Straight Pulling (up to 2 hours); Pushing (up to 2 hours); Reaching above shoulder; Use of fingers; Both hands required; Walking (up to 3 hours); Standing (up to 3 hours); Kneeling (up to 1.5 hours); Repeated bending (up to 2 hours); Near vision correctable at 13" to 16"; Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other; Hearing (aid permitted); Clear speech. Applicants pending the completion of educational, or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

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, or
2. Schools of osteopathic medicine approved by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation of the American Osteopathic Association for the year in which the degree was granted.
3. For foreign medical graduates not covered in (1) or (2) above, facility officials must verify with the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) that the applicant has met requirements for certification, and must obtain a copy of the ECFMG certificate, if claimed by the applicant. [If the applicant does not claim an ECFMG certificate, facility officials must still confirm that the medical school meets (or met) ECFMG eligibility requirements for the year the candidate 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.

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.

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