Summary This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (1-5 years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply. Responsibilities VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact VISN9HREDRP@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance Work Schedule: Monday - Friday | 7:00 AM - 3:30 PM CST Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not 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 The general practice dental officer serves as a practicing dentist who performs a full range of professional dental procedures in connection with the treatment of commonly encountered dental diseases or dental health problems requiring standard corrective, restorative, or preventive measures. The General Dentistry dental officer shall be proficient in all aspects of general dentistry including the ability to perform selected specialty services. Specifically, the provider should possess the expertise and competency to perform the following: Make oral and radiographic examinations of the oral cavity. Diagnose pathological or irregular oral conditions. Administer local anesthesia. Perform routine and complex restoration of teeth. Perform simple and complex extractions of teeth. Perform alveoloplasty and other routine surgical procedures. Perform prosthetic dentistry to include immediate dentures, full dentures, partial dentures, crowns and fixed bridge work. Perform routine endodontic procedures on single and multi-canal teeth. Perform routine and surgical periodontal procedures. Perform basic dental implant restorations including single crowns and overdentures. The scope of practice that a specific provider may perform is defined through the medical center credentialing and privileging process. Requirements Conditions of Employment 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 dentification 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. DENTIST BASIC REQUIREMENTS a. Citizenship. Citizen of the United States. (Noncitizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with section A, chapter 3, paragraph 3g, this part.) b. Education. Degree of doctor of dental surgery or dental medicine resulting from a course of education in dentistry. The degree must have been obtained from one of the schools approved by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for the year in which the course of study was completed. Approved schools are: (1) United States and Canadian schools of dentistry listed by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA), in the list published for the year in which the course of study was completed. (2) Schools (including foreign schools) accepted by the licensing body of a State, Territory, or Commonwealth (i.e., Puerto Rico), or the District of Columbia as qualifying for full and unrestricted licensure provided the licensure requirements include a written examination measuring science achievement and a performance examination measuring clinical competence. NOTE: The Under Secretary for Health or designee in Central Office may approve the appointment under authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405 of a graduate of a school of dentistry not covered above if the candidate is to be assigned to a research or academic 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. (Also see paragraph 2d(4) below on waiver of licensure provisions.) The Under Secretary for Health or designee may also approve the appointment of a graduate of a school of dentistry not covered above as a resident under 38 U.S.C. 7406. c. Residency or Comparable Experience. Completion of an approved residency program in general practice or specialty, or comparable experience as a dentist actively involved in treating medically compromised patients. d. Licensure and Registration (1) Dentists (Except Residents). Current, full, and unrestricted license to practice dentistry in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States (i.e., Puerto Rico), or in NOTE: The appointing official may approve, under unusual circumstances, a waiver of Residency or Comparable Experience. the District of Columbia. The dentist must maintain current registration in the State of licensure if this is a requirement for continuing active, current licensure. (2) Residents (Independent and Integrated Programs). Graduates of approved United States and Canadian schools of dentistry must have a current, full and unrestricted license to practice dentistry in a State, Territory or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia before the second year of VA residency, or, for integrated programs, meet any licensure, registration or other equivalent requirements established for residents of non-VA hospitals with which the VA facility is affiliated for training purposes. The resident must maintain current registration in the State of licensure if this is a requirement for continuing active current licensure. (3) Impaired Licensure. A dentist who has, or has ever had, any license(s) revoked, suspended, denied, restricted, limited, or issued/placed in a probationary status may be appointed only in accordance with the provisions of section B, chapter 3, paragraphs 14 and 17c, of this part. (4) Waiver of Licensure. Licensure may be waived by the Under Secretary for Health or designee in Central Office for individuals in research or academic assignments involving no direct patient care responsibilities in accordance with current regulations. e. Physical Requirements. The work is largely office based and in a sedentary setting. No manual labor is required above ordinary situations. Incumbent must be capable of using a computer given that all clinical charting is electronic. f. English Language Proficiency. Dentists, including residents, appointed to direct patient-care positions must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d) and 7407(d). Leadership/Manager Positions. Dentist leadership and management positions may be Section Chiefs, Assistant Chiefs, Service Chiefs, VISN Lead Dentists, Service Line Managers, Central Office Program Positions, Chiefs of Staff, or Directors (i.e., medical center and Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN)). Dentists in leadership positions must demonstrate outstanding professional ability in the practice of dentistry or a dental specialty, and healthcare administration, as well as the ability to guide the development and implementation of programs within their respective domain. These would include, but are not limited to dental practice, professional standards, personnel issues, quality and performance improvement. (a) Service Chief/Service Line Manager/Lead Dentist. In addition to the above, Dentists in these roles must demonstrate effectiveness coordinating and managing interdisciplinary collaboration with both internal and external stakeholders to optimize the care of patients under their purview. It is expected individuals in these roles serve on a full-time basis. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Education Degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery or dental 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: United States and Canadian schools of dentistry listed by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA), in the list published for the year in which the course of study was completed. Schools (including foreign schools) accepted by the licensing body of a State, Territory, or Commonwealth (i.e., Puerto Rico), or the District of Columbia as qualifying for full and unrestricted licensure provided the licensure requirements include a written examination measuring science achievement and a performance examination measuring clinical competence. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional 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.
