In part one of this series we introduced the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to include its history and their prominent programs. This article features the historian occupation (GS-0170) and its unique role within the FWS.

This series includes positions the duties of which are to advise on, administer, supervise, or perform research or other work in the field of history when such work requires a professional knowledge of established methods and techniques of historical research in the collection, evaluation, analysis, or presentation of historical facts.

The federal government employs 765 historians of which 30 work overseas. The Department of the Air Force is the largest employer with 197 civilians followed by the Department of the Interior with 171 and the Department of the Army employs 158. All but two cabinet level agencies employ workers in this group including a few large independent agencies.

Historians in the Federal Government are engaged in one or more of the following major areas:

• Planning and conducting special historical studies relating to current problems for use by agency officials and others in developing or modifying policies and programs.
• Planning and conducting continuing or long-range historical studies to record the policies, programs, and operations of their particular agencies.
• Planning and preparing scholarly narrative or documentary histories for publication.
• Planning and conducting historical studies in connection with the establishment, conservation, restoration, reconstruction, and interpretation to the public of sites of major significance in the military, political, economic, and cultural history of the United States.

Regardless of the area of endeavor involved, historian positions at full performance levels typically include responsibility for project planning and research and presentation functions

Q&A with Mark Madison

Mark Madison is an historian, (GS-0170) for the FWS and works at the National Conservation Training Center, Shepherdstown, WV.

 

Why did you want to become a historian?

My father was a historian so I was genetically predisposed. History was my favorite reading material as a child and adult. I actually started as a biologist but got lured back to history through the history of science.

What are the top three most interesting aspects of your job?

1. We get new historical objects almost every day we just got a 5200-pound printing press.
2. I have just started social media with a Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram feeds. It is new and keeps me humble as to my tech abilities.
3. The FWS has the most interesting history in the federal government ranging from Rachel Carson to Red Wolves.

What is the most interesting historical find you ever came across?

A little mammal and we have a taxidermy black-footed that was rediscovered in 1981 after the species had been declared extinct in 1979. That little ferret helped save a species.

Would you recommend the historian occupation as a good career path?

Any subject you are passionate about is a good career path. I was passionate about history and conservation so being a historian for the FWS was a great choice.

Job Requirements

• Must be a U.S. citizen to apply.
• Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor’s or higher degree in History; or related field that included at least 18 semester hours in history.
• Professional experience that reflects knowledge of history concepts and techniques and available sources.
• Methods and techniques of historical research in the collection, evaluation, analysis, and presentation of historical facts.
• Research and write historical materials, and conducting special studies and creating other historical products such as oral histories.
• Perform research, analysis, evaluates and produces written historical reports about origins, or evolution.
• Prepare analytical studies of complex program issues, administrative summaries.
• Provide training publications to employees and the public with a general understanding of the history of an agency and its activities.
• Plan and execute a historical research program that documents of an agency’s history.
• Provides guidance and advice to regional offices, divisions, and field stations on completing historical research, studies, and oral histories involving an agency’s history.
• Plans, reviews, and evaluates projects initiated by other offices.
• Knowledge of requirements and procedures required to initiate, and monitor contracts for historical research and studies.

In part 3 we will meet Valerie Fellows a public affairs specialist, (GS-1035) for the FWS.

Credits

• Anita Noguera, Manager, BPHC Marketing Communications, Falls Church, VA
• Photos were provided by the Fish and Wildlife Service

Other Career Information

• Human Resources site at http://www.fws.gov/humancapital/.
• Employment: http://www.doi.gov/public/findajob.cfm
• Job Listings by Occupation
• USA Jobs (OPM)

Helpful Career Planning Tools 

Electrical engineers with the United States Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) are in the GS-0850 job series. They must know and understand electrical engineering concepts, theories, principles, and practices applicable to the design and efficient operation and maintenance of power plants, pumping plants, electrical systems, transmission systems, and associated USBR equipment.

According to the Department of Labor’s Occupational Outlook Handbook there are 306,100 electrical engineers working in America and their average median salary is $89,630 a year or $43.09 per hour. The federal government employs 4,858 electrical engineers of which 67 work overseas. The Department of the Navy and Army are the largest employers with 3,015 civilians followed by the Department of Energy with 533. The Department of Transportation employs 116 in the GS-0850 job series. All cabinet level agencies except for the Department of Education and some large independent agencies employ electrical  engineers.

Electronics engineers working with the federal government develop, research, and often evaluate electronic devices that are used in a number of areas and applications including computing, aviation, manufacturing, and transportation. They work on federal electronic systems and devices such as radar, navigation, communications, satellites, flight systems, sonar and other related  systems.

Part 1 of this series titled Working for the Bureau of Reclamation will familiarize you with this diverse and essential organization.  There are many engineering job opportunities available in the private sector and federal government if you take the time to seek them out. If you are looking for a federal government job seek out job announcements for the GS-0850 job series and apply for all vacancies in your area.  You can explore careers with agencies in your area by conducting informational interviews that can get your foot in the door if handled properly.

Q&A with Alejandro Buitrago

 

Alejandro Buitrago is an Electrical Engineer (GS-0850), Department of Interior/Bureau of Reclamation/ Power System Analysis & Control Group.

Why did you choose to become an Electrical Engineer?

After 5 years of service in the Navy as an electrician, I discovered a passion for troubleshooting electrical circuits and a need to improve the operation of electrical equipment.

Are there any parts of job that are considered dangerous?

My team collects performance data from generators during operation, which requires extreme caution because of the potential danger. Reclamation’s main concern is safety.

What is the most interesting part of your job as an Electrical Engineer?

Solving difficult problems. There’s nothing more rewarding than being able to correct malfunctioning equipment and knowing that when you leave the facility the units will be performing correctly at their full capability.

What is the most demanding or challenging part of being an Electrical Engineer?

Keeping up with technology. Technology is evolving every day and as a group we need to keep up with technology to guarantee optimal operation of our plants and consequently efficient delivery of power and water to the American people.

Would you recommend the Electrical Engineering career path?

I recommend choosing a career in which you will be happy, and if that is to become an engineer, be aware that it is a challenging and rewarding field.

Electrical Engineer (GS-0850) Job Occupation

Duties

–       Provide electrical engineering expertise on maintenance of electrical equipment and installation of new electrical equipment for the power plants, switchyards, dams and associated facilities

–       Prepare design modifications and specifications to modify, replace, or repair diverse and often complex systems, or components of such systems.

–       Provide electrical engineering expertise in modernizing powerplants, switchyards, dams, or associated facilities.

–       Provide technical support and project engineering support to a wide variety of engineering projects that includes planning, design, and installation.

Qualifications and Education Requirements

–       Must be a U.S. citizen to apply

–       Pay range for a GS-7/11 is from $45,057.00 to $91,255.00 / Per Year

–       Degree: professional engineering. To be acceptable, the curriculum must: (1) be in a school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) as a professional engineering curriculum; or (2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics.

–       Combination of education and experience — college-level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying professional engineering, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the engineering sciences and techniques and their applications to one of the branches of engineering. The adequacy of such back

–       Professional registration — Current registration as a professional engineer by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico.

–       Written Test– Evidence of having successfully passed the Engineer-in-Training (EIT) examination, or the written test required for professional registration, which is administered by the Boards of Engineering Examiners in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico.

–       Specified academic courses — Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and in engineering that included the courses specified in the basic requirements. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of a professional engineering curriculum.

–       Related curriculum — Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor’s degree in engineering technology or in an appropriate professional field, e.g., physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a degree in engineering, provided the applicant has had at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. Ordinarily there should be either an established plan of intensive training to develop professional engineering competence, or several years of prior professional engineering-type experience, e.g., in interdisciplinary positions. (The above examples of related curricula are not all-inclusive.)

Specialized Experience Requirements

In addition to the basic education requirement, you must meet the specialized experience requirement as delineated below:

–       For GS-07: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level GS-05 in the federal service. Specialized experience at this level is defined as experience with Electrical Engineering theories, principles, and practices working with electrical power, communication, and control drawings. Experience that included industrial systems and electrical work on large facilities.

–       For GS-09: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level GS-07 in the federal service. Specialized experience at this level is defined as experience with Electrical Engineering theories, principles, and practices working with electrical power, communication, and control drawings. Experience with the evaluation of alternative plans, assisting with the determination of engineering feasibility of potential plans and features, and assisting with the preparation of designs and cost estimates for electrical systems. Examples of electrical systems may range from communications to industrial systems and electrical transmission facilities.

–       For GS-11: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level GS-09 in the federal service. Specialized experience at this level is defined as experience with Electrical Engineering theories, principles, and practices applicable to the formulation and evaluation of alternative plans, determination of engineering feasibility of potential plans and features, and preparation of designs and cost estimates for a wide variety of electrical systems. Examples of electrical systems range from communications, to circuit breakers and transformers, and include control and protective sub-systems. Experience in the repair, testing, or modification of electrical equipment and systems typical in most power generation facilities.

–       For GS-12: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level GS-11 in the federal service. Specialized experience at this level is defined as experience with Electrical Engineering theories, principles, and practices applicable to the formulation and evaluation of alternative plans, determination of engineering feasibility of potential plans and features, and preparation of designs and cost estimates for a wide variety of electrical systems. Examples of electrical systems range from communications, to large generators, 500-kV circuit breakers and transformers, and include control and protective sub-systems. Experience in the repair, testing, or modification of electrical equipment and systems typical in most power generation facilities.
The USBR job occupations explored in this series are just the beginning of what great opportunities that await you at this unique agency.

Credits

• Peter Soeth, Public Affairs, Commissioner’s Office, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, CO
• Matt Mishkind PhD, SPHR,Team Lead for Training, Systems, and Human Capital Strategy, Human Resources Policy and Programs Division Policy and Administration, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, CO
• Photos were provided by the Bureau of Reclamation

Other Career Information

• Bureau of Reclamation web site
• Job Listings by Occupation
• USA Jobs (OPM)

Helpful Career Planning Tools 

The USBR’s motto is “Managing Water in the West”. The USBR was established in 1902 and is best known for their dams, power plants, and canals that are dispersed throughout 17 western states. Over 600 dams and reservoirs have been constructed by the USBR since its inception including the iconic Hoover Dam on the Colorado River and the Grand Coulee on the Columbia River. These projects later led to homesteading and promoted economic development in the West.

 

The Bureau is within the Department of Interior. There are 5,107 employed in this agency in a cross section of diverse career fields according to OPM’s FEDSCOPE March 2015 database. Engineers comprise the largest occupational group with a total of 1100 employed.

The largest occupations within the USBR follow:

• Civil Engineering – 561 employees
• Industrial Equipment Mechanic – 249 employees
• Misc Admin and Program Management – 208 employees
• Information Technology Management – 200 employees
• High Voltage Electrician – 172 employees
• General Natural Resources Management – 163 employees
• Electric Power Controlling – 140 employees
• Engineering Technical – 137 employees
• Electrical Engineering – 136 employees

Mission

The USBR’s  mission is to assist in meeting the increasing water demands of the West while protecting the environment and the public’s investment in these structures. We place great emphasis on fulfilling our water delivery obligations, water conservation, water recycling, and reuse, and developing partnerships with our customers, states, and Native American Tribes, and in finding ways to bring together the variety of interests to address the competing needs for our limited water.

Additionally, they are the largest wholesaler of water in the country. Reclamation brings water to more that 31 million people, and provides one out of every five Western famers (140,000) with irrigation water for 10 millions acres of farmland that produces 60% of this nation’s vegetables and 25% of its fruits and nuts.

USBR is also the second largest producer of hydroelectric power in the United States. 53 power plants annually provide more than 40 billion kilowatt hours generating nearly a billion dollars in power revenues and produce enough electricity to serve 3.5 million homes.

History

The Bureau of Reclamation was started due to the need for a stable water supply in the semi-arid American West.

Demand for water increased and settlers wanted to store “wasted” runoff from rains and snows for later use to make water more plentiful in drier seasons. Additionally, this stored runoff would limit damage from flooding that occurred along rivers and streams. Both private and state run water projects were done in earnest but often failed due to limited financial resources.

Congress passed the Reclamation Act of June 17, 1902. This Act required that water users repay construction costs from which they received benefits. The United States Reclamation Service began as part of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The name Reclamation stuck because the purpose was to reclaim arid lands (by irrigation) to make them suitable for settlement. The new Reclamation Service studied potential water development projects in western states and began development-using revenue from sale of Federal lands as the initial source of the funding.

In 1907, the Reclamation Service was separated from the USGS and became an independent bureau within the Department of the Interior. In its inception, reclamation projects were single-purpose projects that were designed to store and deliver irrigation water. Additional benefits included flood control, municipal water, hydropower, and fish and wildlife habitat became secondary to irrigation. The federal government did the construction of these single use projects. Farmers had a repayment agreement at the beginning of each project in a form of an interest-free loan.

There was a constant demand to meet the ever-growing changes in the Great Plains. Thus, reclamation multipurpose projects evolved. Private and state sponsored took over irrigation projects. The more costly and complex projects were now being done by the USBR. Costs were than shared by the federal government being responsible for flood control and electric power generation shared in the repayment by an assessment on the electricity that was passed onto the customers.

Similarly, the Great Plains Region organization has repeatedly adapted to meet the changing needs of the American West. Initially Reclamation projects were administered by local offices managing their construction and settlement. The 17 Reclamation states were then divided into regions for administrative support. The nine state Great Plains area was served by three Reclamation regions: the Southwest, Lower Missouri, and the Upper Missouri regions. The last two regions were merged in 1985 to form the Missouri River Basin Region. This allowed for better planning and administration of projects (especially the Pick-Sloan Missouri River Basin Program). In 1988, declining Reclamation budgets and fewer demands for construction activities led to the Southwest Region and the Missouri River Basin merging to create the Great Plains Region. Further organizational refinements included the creation of area offices (Montana, Wyoming, Oklahoma-Texas, Nebraska-Kansas, Dakotas, and Eastern Colorado) to effectively administer Reclamation Activities.

Interesting USBR Facts

• Manages, develops, and protects water and related resources in an environmentally and economically sound manner in the interest of the American public.
• Is the nation’s largest wholesale water supplier, operating 337 reservoirs with a total storage capacity of 245 million acre-feet (an acre-foot, 325,851 gallons of water, supplies enough water for a family of four for one year).
• Provides 1 out of 5 (or, 140,000) Western farmers with irrigation water for 10 million farmland acres that produce 60 percent of the nation’s vegetables and one quarter of its fresh fruit and nut crops.
• Is the second largest producer of hydropower in the United States and operates 53 hydroelectric power plants that annually produced, on average, 40 billion kilowatt-hours for the last 10 years.
• Delivers 10 trillion gallons of water to more than 31 million people each year.
• Manages, with partners, 289 recreation sites that have 90 million visits annually.
• Reclamation’s management and recreation activities contribute $46 billion in economic output, and support about 312,000 jobs.

The Bureau of Reclamation priorities are to:

• Ensure the continued delivery of water and power benefits in conformity with contracts, statutes, and agreements.
• Operate and maintain projects in a safe and reliable manner, protecting the health and safety of the public and Reclamation employees and improve financial accountability and transparency to our contractors.
• Honor State water rights, interstate compacts, contracts with Reclamation users, further the Secretary of the Interior’s Indian Trust responsibilities, and comply with all environmental statutes.
• Plan for the future using programs that focus Reclamation’s financial and technical resources on areas in the West where conflict over water either currently exists or is likely to occur in the coming years.
• Enhance the business operations of Reclamation in accord with the Managing for Excellence initiative.
• Provide for the implementation of the newly authorized Loan Guarantee Program that can assist districts with large operation and maintenance/replacement projects on Reclamation facilities and facilities used to deliver Reclamation supplies.

The Bureau of Reclamation is:

• Developing strategies to manage and deliver water more efficiently and effectively to our customers in order to help satisfy the many needs of irrigation, municipalities, power, and the environment and serving as a technical resource for water users and planners.
• Working in partnership with states, Tribes, water and power customers, and others to seek creative and collaborative solutions to Western water issues.
• Ensuring our dams do not create unacceptable risk to the public by monitoring, evaluating, and when appropriate, performing risk reduction modifications.

If you are interested in a career with the Bureau of Reclamation there are opportunities for employment throughout their 6 Western Regions and at their Washington DC Headquarters. Explore employment opportunities at Bureau of Reclamation locations throughout their system.

In this continuing series on the USBR, we will take look at the job occupations of the civil engineer, (GS-0810), and the electrical engineer, GS-0850.

Credits

• Peter Soeth, Public Affairs ,Commissioner’s Office, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, CO
• Matt Mishkind PhD, SPHR, Team Lead for Training, Systems, and Human Capital Strategy, Human Resources Policy and Programs Division Policy and Administration, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, CO
• Photos were provided by the Bureau of Reclamation

Other Career Information

• Bureau of Reclamation web site: www.usbr.gov
• Overseas Jobs

Helpful Career Planning Tools 

In our continuing VA series we will be exploring the occupation of psychiatry (GP-0602). Psychiatry is a specialized field that helps our veterans who have often served multiple tours of duty in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Many veterans experience Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and require the help and care that only a psychiatrist can provide.

We will be interviewing a psychiatrist from a residential treatment center at the Des Moines VA campus.

Veterans Affairs Central Iowa Health Care System

The Veterans Affairs Central Iowa Health Care System is a general medical and surgical hospital in Des Moines, IA with 255 beds. It is also accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). Survey data for the latest year available shows that 11,697 patients visited the hospital’s emergency room. The hospital had a total of 2,895 admissions. Its physicians performed 500 inpatient and 2,100 outpatient surgeries.

Q&A with Dr. Kelly Weiss-Krep

Dr. Kelly Weiss-Kreps is a Doctor of Osteopathy, Psychiatrist at the Des Moines, Iowa Hospital.

 

What is your specialty as a Psychiatrist?

I serve as a domiciliary psychiatrist – providing psychiatric care.  Our team works with Veterans that have PTSD, are homeless, fresh out of prison, substance treatment issues or in some way, life has unraveled.  Many feel like they have hit rock bottom. I get to work with a highly skilled group of professionals to help our Veteran get stabilized. It is really amazing to watch a Veteran blossom and regain their self-confidence with learning cognitive behavior therapy, getting a job and a securing a place to live.

I completed a fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry, have trained as a death investigator and have a special interest in family trauma.  I am starting additional training in treating chronic pain.

In residency we did therapy in a one-way mirror setting with a bug in our ear, it was a great opportunity.  My training in therapy has been most useful and tremendously rewarding.

Why did you become a Psychiatrist?

Since very young, I have sought out opportunities to hear the story of people’s lives and to understand behaviors.

Growing up in a rural area population 12 in South Dakota and attending a two-room country school, we rarely went to the doctor, much less encountered psychiatrists.  However, I enjoyed Sherlock Holmes and Marcus Welby, MD and was fascinated by problem solving and learning how the mind works.

When I worked in Japan, two young colleagues had their first psychotic episodes and I got to help out and felt pretty helpless.  Seeing the devastation of untreated mental illness made me want to learn more.

In residency I took extra rotations working with the homeless, prison, Native American, sex offenders, and residential treatment center populations. I got to witness their complicated issues and their resilience. Some of my attendings were absolutely brilliant and would ask what I called golden questions that could draw out incredible insights with precision like a surgeon’s scalpel

What is the most rewarding part of your job as a Psychiatrist?

I feel like I won the lottery by having such great patients – Veterans are very appreciative and lots of fun to work with.   They continue to be my best teachers.

What is the most demanding or challenging part of being a Psychiatrist?

The (student loan) debt likely over $250,000 and the toll on the family.

Would you recommend being a Psychiatrist as a good career path?

Absolutely. I love my working with my patients. Competition can be fierce – the path is more of a marathon than a race.  Going to medical school and residency is a long and very expensive experience.

I would highly recommend spending time in all sorts of fields before making a decision. Try to shadow and interview people in all sorts of occupations that you think may interest you. I worked in investment banking, politics and overseas, so no matter what your background is, it can enrich what you bring to your patients.

At the end of the day, it is a tremendous privilege to have patients give you such trust. Psychiatry is an art and a science.  Watching patients get better is a great gift that unfolds sometimes because of a drug and sometimes without a drug.  Often being kind and a good listener is like the balm of Gilead.  I believe the most powerful Walgreen’s is between their ears, my role is to ask good questions, listen, and show them I care.

Psychiatrist (GP-0602)

Education: Must be a U.S. citizen to apply.

Degree: Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathy from a school in the United States or Canada approved by a recognized accrediting body in the year of the applicant’s graduation.

Licensure/Certification: Candidates must have a permanent, full, and unrestricted license to practice medicine in a State, District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States.

Experience Required: The required Psychiatry experience/training includes skills such as, but not limited to, a wide range of extremely difficult and responsible dealings with inpatient service, partial hospitalization service, intensive outpatient services, routine outpatient services, consultation liaison services and must be well versed to transition to any area as required.

DUTIES:

• This specialty examines, diagnoses, treats diseases affecting mental health including the brain, nervous system, substance abuse of drugs or chemicals and personality disturbances.
• Psychiatrists are medical doctors who specialize in treating mental illness using the biomedical approach to mental disorders, including psychotherapies.
• A psychiatrist specializes in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of mental, additive, and emotional disorders such as schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, substance-related disorders, sexual and gender identity disorders, and adjustment disorders.
• A psychiatrist is able to understand the biologic, psychological, and social components of illness, and therefore is uniquely prepared to treat the whole person.
• A psychiatrist is qualified to order diagnostic laboratory tests and to prescribe medications, evaluate, and treat psychological and interpersonal problems, and to intervene with families who are coping with stress, crises, and other problems in living.

In part 9 will we be discussing the psychologist (GS-0180) job occupation and they are instrumental in helping our veterans.

Credits

• Michele Hammonds, Communications Specialist, US Department of Veterans Affairs, VHA Office of Public Communications (10B2B)
• Photos were provided by the residential treatment center at the Des Moines VA campus.

Other career information

• VA Web Site: www.va.gov
• OOH Summary for physicians and surgeons
• Physician Job Listings
• Overseas Jobs

Helpful Career Planning Tools 

The physicians featured in this week’s article are from the Martinsburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center. See part 6 for a further discussion about the physician career path.

Martinsburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center

Martinsburg VA Medical Center is a general medical and surgical hospital in Martinsburg, WV, with 246 beds. It has service area that covers more than 126,000 veterans in West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. It offers a comprehensive range of services including internal medicine, ambulatory surgery, audiology, and speech pathology, dental, nursing home, nutrition, podiatry, prosthetics, women’s health, mental health, and rehabilitation medicine.

Physician (GS-0602) Career Path

Dr. Deborah Bennett, is a GS-15 physician at Martinsburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center specializing in Family Medicine.

 

Q&A With Dr. Deborah Bennett

Why did you become a Physician?

This career path allowed me to utilize my passion for science and desire to help others. It is an honor to be trusted with another human being’s health. It encourages vital communication and trust between two people. It has enabled me to educate my patients, encourage their engagement/ participation in their own health care. It is a way to contribute beyond the family level to the community as a whole. Leaving a small area a little better off because you were there is my goal.

Each day, as I walk through the hallways of Martinsburg VA Hospital I am reminded of the true cost we bear as a nation in sending our service members off to defend our country. Knowing that I have served our veterans, aided in providing them quality care and comforted them and their loved ones during a difficult time is reward enough.

What is the most rewarding part of your job as a Physician?

I had been welcomed into the world of Academic Medicine and teaching. Working with young physicians as they develop into their chosen profession is rewarding. Being a role model, encouraging the human side of medicine, dealing with families, educating patients and families gives satisfaction and gratification at the end of the day.
Feeling that you have contributed to your community by working with your patients, taking their needs and concepts further up the administrative ladder. Finding that working on committees to advocate for those who may not be able to advocate for themselves is the highest form of satisfaction. Feeling that you have left the world a little better for being here is reward enough.

What is the most demanding or challenging part of being a Physician?

Most physicians go into medicine with a well-defined spirit, enthusiasm and a sense of fairness. Often illnesses or diseases are not “fair”. Seeing patients and families suffer is often difficult to justify. Often you would wish for that magic wand to make our patient’s world a little better right away.

Would you recommend being a Physician as a good career path?

I believe that this is a personal and serious consideration. With this said, anyone choosing to practice in medicine should be able to be flexible, be able to place other’s needs before your own, be able to do without sleep while keeping a good sense of humor and deliver high quality health care. It is an honor bestowed on you by your patients and their families. This combination of requirements is not easily maintained. Often a physician is reflective of their family support. Over the years, my patients became familiar with my family, knew my children and often interviewed me about my personal life. Fair trade off, isn’t it. I knew most of their personal information. After all trust goes both ways.

At Martinsburg VA Hospital we have a “second set of family”. This family works together with bonds formed, sometimes over decades, with hospital staff. We work together, placing our veteran’s needs above all else. A few months ago our nursing staff felt that one of our patients needed to go outside.

He had been confined to his hospital room due to specific needs. They made arrangements to accommodate his needs while outside. This veteran was in tears with his trip. I encountered him in the elevator and asked how he liked it. He responded that he got to see a dog and tears ran down his face with joy. This is the Martinsburg way. Everyone binds together to accomplish both medical and social needs. I cannot think of any other career that allows for this expanse of dedication, delivery of high-level medical care while not minimizing the social effects on our patients.

Physician (GS-0602) Family Medicine Requirements

Basic Requirements

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply.
• Degree of doctor of medicine or an equivalent degree resulting from a course of education in medicine or osteopathic medicine.
• Applicant must possess a 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.
• Candidate must have completed a first-year residency, or its equivalent, approved by the Secretary of VA for the year in which it was completed.

Duties of a Physician of Family Medicine

• Manages chronic conditions, evaluates and treats other medical conditions.
• Performs a variety of disease prevention related activities including gender and age specific screenings (e.g. breast and colo-rectal cancer), mental health screenings (e.g. depression, substance use & abuse, military sexual trauma and PTSD) and health promotion activities including immunizations, weight management and exercise counseling.
• Screens for, evaluates, and treats uncomplicated common mental health disorders, including depression and common addictions, with referrals made to mental health providers for further evaluation and treatment as appropriate.
• Performs common outpatient & office-based procedures.
• Performs preliminary interpretation of common diagnostic tests including EKG and plain x-ray films.

Dr. Elisabeth Sethi is a GS-15 physician at the Martinsburg VA Medical Center and her specialty is Internal Medicine, Geriatrics, Hospice, and Palliative Medicine.

 

Sethi became a physician to contribute to society in a meaningful way and supports patients and their families through illness, disability and at the end of life. Time restraints and working long hours are the most demanding part of her job and she recommends the occupation to anyone interested in the field.

Physician GS-0602 Internal Medicine Requirements

Basic Requirements

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply.
• Degree of doctor of medicine or an equivalent degree resulting from a course of education in medicine or osteopathic medicine.
• Board certification in Internal Medicine/Family Medicine.
• 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.

Duties of a Physician of Internal Medicine

• Manages chronic conditions, evaluates, and treats other medical conditions.
• Performs a variety of disease prevention related activities including gender and age specific screenings (e.g. breast and colo-rectal cancer), mental health screenings (e.g. depression, substance use& abuse, military sexual trauma and PTSD) and health promotion activities including immunizations, weight management, and exercise counseling.
• Performs common outpatient & office-based procedures.
• Performs preliminary interpretation of common diagnostic tests including EKG and plain x-ray films.

Physician (GS-0602) (Geriatrician) Requirements

Basic Requirements

• Must be a U.S. citizen to apply.
• Degree of doctor of medicine or an equivalent degree resulting from a course of education in medicine or osteopathic medicine.
• 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.

Duties of a Geriatrician Physician

• Function as an integral part of a Geriatric Primary Care multi-disciplinary team to coordinate, facilitate, and provide, patient care and services.
• Document health appraisal information, clinical assessment, treatment decisions, plan of care, ongoing management and therapeutic outcomes, order medications, diagnostic tests and referral consultations where needed for every patient encounter.
• Order and evaluate diagnostic tests as appropriate.

Physician (GS-0602) Hospice/Palliative Care Requirement

Basic Requirements

• U.S. citizenship is required.
• Degree of doctor of medicine or an equivalent degree resulting from a course of education in medicine or osteopathic medicine.
• Board Eligible/Board Certified and possess a 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.
• Duties of a Hospice/Palliative Care Physician
• Provide inpatient and outpatient consultation services in palliative care
• Be an active participant and facilitate clarification and the development of patient and family goals of care.
• Facilitate access to appropriate supportive care services.
• Be involved in analysis of data leading to the development of hospital policies and protocols for the improvement of quality of care.

In part 8 of this continuing series, we will explore the Psychiatrist (GP-0602) and Psychologist (GS-0180) occupational series.

Credits

• Michele Hammonds, Communications Specialist, US Department of Veterans Affairs, VHA Office of Public Communications (10B2B)
• Photos were provided by the Martinsburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center

Other career information

• VA Web Site: www.va.gov
• OOH Summary for physicians and surgeons
• Physician Job Listings

Helpful Career Planning Tools 

 

There are 32,468 medical doctors in all specialties employed throughout the federal government with positions available in many agencies. Physicians are in the (GS-0602) job series. The Veterans Administration and HHS employ the largest numbers in this group however smaller number are employed by the Department of Justice which employs 277 doctors for their prison systems and the Department of Transportation employs 47 while the Department of State employs 27.

 

This series includes all classes of positions the duties of which are to advise on, administer, supervise, or perform professional and scientific work in one or more fields of medicine. Positions are classifiable to this series when the nature of duties and responsibilities is such that the degree of Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathy is a fundamental requirement. Most positions in this series require a current license to practice medicine and surgery in a State or territory of the United States or in the District of Columbia.

Although there is overlapping in the subject-matter of certain specializations, the criterion for the establishment of these specializations is based on the differences in the requirements for filling the positions. In the main, the specializations represent those of approved American specialty boards. An approved American specialty board is one which has been approved for the particular specialty by the Council on Medical Education and Hospitals of the American Medical Association or by the Bureau of Professional Education, Advisory Board for Osteopathic Specialists of the American Osteopathic Association.

VA physicians enjoy being part of a team that is recognized and respected for significant contributions to medicine. Ranging from clinical practice to research and academics, VA physicians provide leadership within the medical profession that extends into the communities where they live. To ensure that VA physicians are able to meet their professional and personal goals, a broad range of practice options are available that include general medicine and primary care, along with specialties and subspecialties such as:

• Anesthesiology
• Ambulatory Care
• Long Term Care
• Cardiology
• Geriatrics
• Internal Medicine
• Neurology
• Ophthalmology
• Otolaryngology
• Pathology
• Spinal Cord Injury
• Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery
• General Surgery
• Neurosurgery
• Orthopedic Surgery
• Plastic Surgery
• Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
• Physiatry
• Psychiatry
• Radiology (Nuclear Medicine, Diagnostic, and Therapeutic)
• Urology

In addition to the above, the VA offers state-of-the-art equipment and facilities for basic and clinical research to further advance the frontiers of medicine and health care. Time is made available for VA physicians to pursue this critical aspect of their profession within an environment that promotes writing, editing, and publishing.

Physician (GS-0602) Career Path General Requirements

Special pay rates are utilized for this profession and are in a separate pay band. Physicians typically earn 6 figure salaries including supplemental income.

Here are some general requirements of the physician occupation:

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply.
• Degree of doctor of medicine or an equivalent degree resulting from a course of education in medicine or osteopathic medicine.
• Background in ongoing outpatient primary care clinics.
• Board certification in Internal Medicine/Family Medicine.

• 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.

Physical Requirements:

• The physical requirements of this position include occasional lifting, prolonged standing and sitting, frequent bending, walking (distance), climbing, reaching (overhead, extensive/repetitive), repetitive motion, and stooping.
• 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, sometimes intense customer interactions, and the ability to adapt to frequent changes in a sometimes noisy environment.
• There may be an occasional need to use personal protective equipment to prevent exposure to disease, illness, and hazardous materials.

In part 7 of this series, we will be interviewing physicians from specific specialties within the physician occupation.

Credits

• Michele Hammonds, Communications Specialist, US Department of Veterans Affairs, VHA Office of Public Communications (10B2B)

Other career information

• VA Web Site: www.va.gov
• OOH Summary for physicians and surgeons
• Physician Job Listings

Helpful Career Planning Tools