Physician-Pathologist

Veterans Health Administration•Ann Arbor, MI

12d•Onsite

About The Position

This functional statement is specific to a physician position assigned under the PALMS at Ann Arbor VA Healthcare System (VA HCS) to perform duties as a Pathologist for Anatomical and Clinical Pathology. Pathologists working in the Department of Pathology at the Ann Arbor VA HCS must be Board Certified in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology. Additional training or experience in another subspecialty is highly encouraged.

Requirements

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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents).
Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification 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.
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.
The physician must be Board Certified in Anatomic and/or Clinical Pathology and possess an active license in any state or territory in the United States, and must maintain privileges at all times at the Ann Arbor VAAA HCS, and maintain professional competency as indicated in their delineation of privileges.
Evaluation of physical, cognitive, and emotional fitness of candidates for appointment in VA is required prior to appointment.
Candidates must be capable of interactions with patients and health care personnel in a caring and professional manner.
The candidate must be able to tolerate physically taxing workloads, to function effectively under stress, to adapt to changing environments, and to display flexibility.
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: 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.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.

Nice To Haves

Additional training or experience in another subspecialty is highly encouraged.

Responsibilities

Maintain professionalism, work ethic and responsibility to VA mission, Vision, and Core Values and coordinate and collaborate with the Ann Arbor VA HCS Chief of Pathology to meet the VA mission, to include provision of patient care in the context of a Patient Centered Care model.
Participate in Surgical Pathology, Cytopathology, Autopsy services, and Clinical Pathology.
Participate in Multidisciplinary on-site interdepartmental conferences such as tumor board etc. Offsite conferences need to be approved by the service chief first.
Participate in QA, Performance and dashboards for pathology and for Ann Arbor VA HCS.
On-call 24/7 (Anatomic and Clinical) as delineated in monthly rotation schedule.
Required to participate in training and supervision of trainees and Residents.
Professional overseeing of lab operations (Anatomic and Clinical).
Participate in departmental meetings, QA process or task delegated by Chief of Service to achieve the mission of Pathology and Lab Medicine Services and VA.
Provide support and educational interactions to pathology staff (technicians, transcriptionists, technologists, supervisors, lab managers and administrative staff).
Inform the Chief of service for leave approval, tour of duty, time off from regular tour of duty or any related issues.
Meet turnaround time requirements for surgical, Non-Gyn cytology, Gyn cytology, FNA, autopsy, or other cases as defined by VHA pathology policy and performance measures.
Serve on medical center committees representing Pathology.
Fulfill obligations in completing mandatory training, competency, computer skills (work related).
Maintain patient privacy and medical record in accordance with VHA policies.
Fulfill all requirements related to accrediting agencies such as and not limited to CAP, The Joint Commission (TJC), FDA, AABB, and VHA pathology policies and procedures.
Adhere to policies and procedures for VHA in general and medical center in specific.
Ensure that the staff and trainees meet VHA performance measure goals.
May also be assigned duty as a supervising or collaborating physician for one or more mid-level providers.
Participate on hospital committees as assigned.
Provide Comprehensive Pathology Care for Veterans.
In the context of a longitudinal relationship, fulfill all pathology care needs including gender and age specific Pathology conditions and diagnosis.
Coordinate and communicate with the clinical provider regarding the diagnosis to ensure continuity of care.
Timely completion of all mandatory training.
Alternative or collateral duties may include management of a subsection of pathology lab/sub-section.
Act as surrogates for the pathology cases of their colleagues, when one or more of their colleagues are on leave.
Always work within their privileges, unless necessitated by an emergency.
Any task as designated or delegated by the Chief or Assistant Chief of Pathology.

Benefits

Competitive salary
Annual performance bonus
Regular salary increases
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)
Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting)
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)
Free liability protection with tail coverage provided
No Physician Employment Contract and no significant restriction on moonlighting
Possible $1,000 per year reimbursement (must be full-time with board certification)