Physician - Transplant Surgery

Other

Duties

This is an open continuous announcement. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis and qualified candidates will be considered as vacancies become available. Applications will remain on file until September 30, 2026. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized 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 Preferred Experience: Program Development and Leadership - Experience in building, launching, or leading a kidney transplant program, including OPTN certification activities, protocol development, and regulatory compliance. - Demonstrated leadership in multidisciplinary transplant programs, including collaboration with nephrology, transplant coordinators, anesthesiology, and hospital administration. - Prior service as OPTN-designated Primary Surgeon or in a transplant program director/leadership role. -Experience with UNOS/OPTN data reporting, quality metrics, and outcomes monitoring. The following Selective Placement Factor (SPF) is a prerequisite for this position. Applicants who do not meet this requirement will be found ineligible and will not be referred for further consideration, regardless of other qualifications. SPF: Candidates must: (1) be board eligible or board certified in General Surgery by the American Board of Surgery (ABS); (2) have completed a fellowship in abdominal organ transplantation from a program accredited by the American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS) or equivalent, with primary training in kidney transplantation: AND (3) be eligible to serve as OPTN- designated Primary Surgeon for a kidney transplant program in accordance with current OPTN Bylaws. Applicants must provide documentation of ABS board eligibility or certification, transplant fellowship completion, and current status or eligibility for OPTN Primary Surgeon designation with their application materials. QRF1: Knowledge of OPTN /UNOS Regulatory Framework and Transplant Program Compliance -Demonstrated knowledge of OPTN Bylaws, UNOS policies, and CMS Conditions of participation as they relate to kidney transplant problem operations. This includes experience with OPTN membership requirement, Primary Surgeon designation criteria, data submission obligations, and program certification or recertification activities. QRF2: Skill in Surgical Leadership and Multidisciplinary Program Development -Ability to provide strategic and operational leadership for a kidney transplant program, including clinical protocol development, quality improvement initiatives, and coordination across nephrology, transplant coordinators, anesthesiology, and hospital administration. Experience building or growing a transplant program from early-stage development through operational maturity is highly valued. QRF3: Ability to Perform the Full Spectrum of Kidney Transplant Surgical Procedures -Proficiency in decease donor and living donor kidney transplantation as primary surgeon, including complex recipient operations, vascular anastomosis techniques, re-transplantation, and management of surgical complications. Experience with minimally invasive living donor nephrectomy techniques (laparoscopic or robotic-assisted) is preferred. QRF4: Ability to Collaborate Within a Federal Healthcare Environment Demonstrated - Ability to work effectively within a large, complex health care systems, particularly VA, DoD, or other federal healthcare settings, including familiarity with federal administrative structures, academic affiliation agreements, and health professions training programs. Experience or familiarity with VA-specific quality and safety frameworks (e.g., NSQIP, VASQIP) is a plus. QRF 5: Skill in Communication, Teaching, and Scholarly Contribution Ability -Ability to communicate effectively with patients, families, multidisciplinary care teams and hospital leadership. Evidence of contributions to transplant surgery education, training of residents and fellows, and scholarly activity (publications, presentations, quality improvement projects) in field of transplantation. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:30am - 4:00pm (subject to change based upon agency needs).

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.

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 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. Additional Requirement: Transplant Surgery Expertise - Fellowship training in abdominal organ transplantation from an ASTS-accredited program, with a primary focus on kidney transplantation -Demonstrated experience performing deceased donor and living donor kidney transplants as primary surgeon. -Experience with complex transplant recipient operations, including vascular reconstruction, re-transplantation, and management of sensitized recipients. - Familiarity with donor nephrectomy techniques, including laparoscopic/robotic-assisted living donor nephrectomy. -Experience in the evaluation and management of transplant recipients and living donor candidates across the transplant continuum. Academic and VA Affiliation -Experience working in academic medical center, teaching hospital, or VA healthcare system. - Prior experience with VA or federal healthcare system administrative and regulatory frameworks. - Record of scholarly activity, including peer- reviewed publications, presentations, or teaching in transplant surgery. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: he physical demands of this position involve primarily walking, sitting, talking, driving, use of the telephone, etc. Strenuous physical activity is not required although the incumbent is expected to withstand pressure and stress as part of their day-to-day activities. Light lifting, under 15 pounds, Light carrying, under 15 pounds, Hearing (aid permitted).

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: 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.

Other 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.