Optometrist Full-Time and/or Part-Time

Johnson VA Health Care System in Charleston, SC, serves over 100,000 Veterans across coastal SC and GA. Highly acclaimed, it is one of the few Level 1A facilities in the nation to achieve a prestigious 5-star rating. The system continuously expands, offering care through its main medical center and multiple community clinics.
The clinic is seeking a highly qualified Optometrist who is passionate and ready to serve veterans and their families.
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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
Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)
CME: Possible $1,000 per year reimbursement (must be full-time with board certification)
Contract: No Physician Employment Contract and no significant restriction on moonlighting
The mission of the Optometrist is to serve the needs of America's veterans by providing the highest quality care through clinical in-person exams at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System Eye Clinics including its CBOCs. To accomplish this mission, the Optometrist needs to be:

Fully integrated into the interdisciplinary eye care team, providing the full scope of eye Services based on education, training, licensure and competency.
A most cost-effective patient care provider while assuring adequate access, and maintaining a high level of quality as measured by patient satisfaction.
The Optometrist is assigned to one or more of the aforementioned clinics. The incumbent provides comprehensive eye care for patients who have illnesses within the scope of Optometry. Within the VA system, optometrists are allowed to provide medical care of the eye but are not permitted to perform any invasive procedures of any kind, including injections in or around the eye, regardless of state law. The scope of this position's activities covers screening and follow up eye care rendered by the clinic. The selected optometrist will also respect and follow any clinical care guidelines that are provided by the Chief of Ophthalmology clinic.
Work Schedule: Full-Time, 8:00am - 4:30pm. Work schedule subject to change based on the needs of the service/clinic.
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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. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. 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.
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. 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.) 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; 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; 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.
• 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). not a training license) and may only be appointed on an intermittent basis. 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.

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. Schools of medicine accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) for the year in which the degree was granted.

• Schools of osteopathic medicine approved by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) for the year in which the degree was granted.
• For foreign medical graduates not covered in (1) or (2) above, confirmation must be made that the medical school meets (or met) Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) eligibility requirement for year graduated.

NOTE: The Under Secretary of Health or designee in the VHA Central Office may approve the appointment under authority of 38 U.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. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.
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.
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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent.