Physician - Pulmonologist

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Wilmington (DE); On-site; USD 260,000 - 300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid Time Off (50-55 days per year)

Comprehensive health insurance

Retirement plan with federal pension

Job summary

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs seeks an experienced Pulmonologist for the Wilmington VAMC. You will manage patients in outpatient clinics and inpatient wards, attend the MICU, and perform procedures. Responsibilities include improving treatment options for severe lung diseases and teaching trainees. The position offers competitive salary, comprehensive benefits including substantial paid time off, retirement plans, and malpractice protection, within standard daylight hours. Night and weekend duties may be required during critical situations.

Qualifications

• Must be a U.S. citizen or satisfy VA recruitment policies.
• Current full and unrestricted license to practice medicine.
• Minimum 3-5 years of experience working as a Pulmonologist.

Responsibilities

• Attend pulmonary clinics and consult on inpatient wards.
• Lead the MICU team for critically ill veterans.
• Develop programs to improve treatment options for severe lung diseases.

Skills

Proficiency in spoken and written English

Experience working as Pulmonologist

Education

Doctor of Medicine or equivalent degree

Completed residency training in a core specialty

Job description

Summary

At the Wilmington VAMC - Pulmonologists see patients in the outpatient clinic and in the hospital wards for consultation for short/intermediate and long-term management. Hospital responsibilities also often include consultation in the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) and attending the Medical Intensive Care Unit as needed.

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
• 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: Minimum 3-5 years experience working as Pulmonologist
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard – please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical demands include repetitive body movements including the following: frequent reaching – standing – walking – and lifting of equipment and/or patients to provide patient care.
• This position requires extension of the hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction including above or below shoulder level – during the provision of patient care – including retrieval of needed equipment – supplies and to make contact with the patient.
• This position requires the maintenance of an upright position to perform duties associated with patient care.
• This position is typically non-sedentary – and frequently involves being in the standing position.
• This position requires moving about to accomplish tasks – such as assisting with patient ambulation and moving one patient area to the next.
• This position requires the raising of objects from a lower position to a higher position or the movement of objects horizontally position to position.
• Lifting may be done to move a patient from one location to the next – i.e. from the exam table to the chair – and in the movement of equipment or supplies.

Duties

• This position includes several important clinical responsibilities.
• The most important are attending in the pulmonary clinics (seeing both initial visit and follow-up patients) – attending on inpatient wards providing inpatient pulmonary consultation – attending in the MICU (leading the MICU team caring for critically ill veterans) – and performing invasive procedures – including bronchoscopy as needed during "on-service" time.
• Additional duties include development of a comprehensive program to improve treatment options for patients with severe lung diseases (such as pulmonary rehabilitation) – and an important administrative role in improving respiratory therapy education and care.
• Standard staff duties are also required such as hospital committee membership – timely completion of medical records and mandated training modules.
• The Pulmonary Section is an important educational resource for various trainees including medical students – medicine residents – and other healthcare professionals.
• Teaching is an important component of the position – with frequent interactions with other physicians and health care providers at the Wilmington VA Medical Center many of whom are on rotation from other institutions.
• Research and scholarly activities are an integral component of the career of an academic pulmonologist.
• No specific research area is assigned – but all members of the pulmonary section are encouraged to engage in scholarly activities.
• VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards: 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: Tour of duty is standard daylight hours – Monday through Friday. However – weekend and evening hours and holidays may occur when Veteran needs arise.