Physician (Psychiatrist)

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Smyrna (GA); On-site; USD 160,000 - 220,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary with annual performance bonus

Paid time off: 50‑55 days per year

Federal health, vision, dental, life insurance

Recruitment/relocation incentive offered

Job summary

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is seeking a Psychiatrist to provide direct care for Veterans with complex psychiatric and substance abuse issues. Responsibilities include clinical examination, diagnosis, crisis intervention, and teamwork in a multidisciplinary environment. Candidates must possess a Doctor of Medicine degree, a full and unrestricted medical license, and proficiency in English. The position offers competitive benefits, including salary bonuses, extensive paid time off, and potential relocation incentives. Work schedule is Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Qualifications

• Must be a United States citizen or meet VA policy for non-citizen appointments.
• Completed residency training in an accredited core specialty program.
• Physical examination prior to placement is required.

Responsibilities

• Provide high-quality clinical examination and diagnosis.
• Serve as an attending physician in team-based care.
• Negotiate assignments to clinical responsibilities.

Skills

Proficiency in spoken and written English

Previous experience as a psychiatrist

Education

Doctor of medicine or an equivalent degree

Full and unrestricted license to practice medicine

Job description

Job Summary

The primary role of the Psychiatrist on the Mental Health Care Line is to provide direct care for Veterans who present with complex psychiatric and substance abuse issues. The 2‑page resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information, refer to the required documents below.

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 completion of training or license requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Current VA physicians 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 Qualifications

• United States citizenship: Non‑citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA policy.
• Doctor of medicine or an equivalent degree in medicine or osteopathic medicine.
• Degree obtained from a school 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 U.S. state, territory, or commonwealth, 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 that leads to eligibility for board certification.
• VA physicians involved in academic training programs may be required to be board certified for faculty status. Approved residencies include: those approved by the ACGME, the AOA, or other residencies consisting of non‑U.S. training followed by a minimum of five years of verified practice in the United States.
• Residency‑level physicians currently enrolled in an ACGME or AOA accredited program and who otherwise meet the basic requirements are eligible to be appointed as Physician‑Resident Providers (PRPs).
• PRPs must be fully licensed physicians (not a training license) and may only be appointed on an intermittent or fee‑basis.
• PRPs are not independent practitioners and will not be privileged; rather they will have a scope of practice allowing them to perform certain restricted duties under supervision.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• Preferred experience: Previous experience as a psychiatrist fulfilling patient‑care responsibilities in a multidisciplinary team.
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.
• Physical requirements: Per VA Directive and Handbook 5019, a physical examination will be conducted based on the position’s physical requirements. A physical examination prior to placement is required.
• Long periods of standing or walking in the operating room setting and outpatient clinic will be encountered.
• The mental/sensory requirements include recall, reasoning, problem‑solving, hearing, speaking clearly, writing legibly, reading, and logical thinking.
• The environment’s pace can vary from steady to a sometimes‑fast pace requiring handling of multiple priorities, frequent or intense customer interactions, and the ability to adapt to frequent changes in a sometimes‑noisy environment.

Duties

• Participate in the ongoing professional practice evaluation program to assure sustained quality of clinical activities.
• Provide high‑quality clinical examination, diagnosis, crisis intervention, patient management, consultation, and appropriate documentation in clinical records.
• Serve as an attending physician in multidisciplinary, team‑based care, including teaching medical students, residents, and/or fellows.
• Negotiate assignments to clinical responsibilities in the appropriate care line programs, including emergency psychiatric evaluation and treatment, acute inpatient psychiatric care, detoxification, outpatient mental health evaluation and treatment, substance abuse evaluation and treatment, residential rehabilitation treatment programs for substance abuse, posttraumatic stress disorder, and chronic homelessness.
• Execute administrative responsibilities, including program planning and making administrative decisions affecting the care line program assigned.
• Identify and define significant research and development issues in mental health, plan and execute research, and generate reports worthy of publication.

Work Schedule

Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (alternate tours can be discussed with the hiring service).

Benefits

• Competitive salary with annual performance bonus and regular salary increases.
• Paid time off: 50‑55 days per year (26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid federal holidays, and a possible 5‑day paid absence for CME).
• Traditional federal pension (5‑year vesting) and federal 401(k) with up to 5% contributions by VA.
• Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long‑term care insurance (many federal programs can be carried into retirement).
• One full and unrestricted license from any U.S. state or territory.
• Possible $1,000 per year CME reimbursement (must be full‑time with board certification).
• Free liability protection with tail coverage provided.
• No physician employment contract and no significant restriction on moonlighting.
• Recruitment/relocation incentive (sign‑on bonus) offered to well‑qualified candidates.