Summary This position functions as an assistant to an anatomic pathologist at the Nashville VA Medical Center in Nashville, TN. Responsibilities THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION Duties include but may not be limited to: Assisting with evaluation and implementation of new equipment and ordering supplies when needed. Embedding, cutting, staining and labeling of routine histology as needed including performing aspirate smears and clot sections for bone marrow biopsies. Preparing tissues and slides for intraoperative assessment by frozen sections. Photographing gross specimens. Investigating and resolving problems including quality control assurances activities related to surgical pathology. Assisting in the goals of Anatomic Pathology by performing any other duties that are in the best interest of patient care and deemed necessary by the supervisor. Plays a central roll in the education and training of residents in pathology, other medical specialties and medical students, regarding the practice of Surgical pathology and Autopsy. Evaluates new procedures for incorporation into the lab and assesses the effectiveness of the procedures once in place. Assists in the collection and interpretation of data for Anatomic Pathology Quality Assurance (QA) programs. Performs other administrative duties for the laboratory on an as needed basis. Performs other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Full time, Monday-Friday, 9:30am - 6:00pm Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Physical Requirements: The work requires long periods of standing while performing gross examinations and teaching others to do so, recurring bending over when performing frozen sections and autopsies, occasional lifting of heavy items (nota bene although a mechanized lift is used to moved deceased patients, adjusting the bodies on the table, lifting on bloc organ resections and containers and pushing carts may require the application of 80-100 lbs. of force), and above average dexterity in dissecting specimens and cutting frozen sections. 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. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Required Documents" below for details. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications To apply for this position, you must have the following qualifications: This position requires a Bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree: major study in an academic field related to the medical field, health sciences or allied sciences appropriate to the work of the position. This degree must be from an educational program from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education(external link) at the time the degree was obtained. AND SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: One (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS 7) in Federal Service that includes performing the following duties: performs all elements of gross examination and sectioning of all @types of surgical pathology specimens; performs or requests specialized tests including histochemical and immunohistochemical stains and flow cytometry as well as performing quality control (QC) on the samples; insures all procedures and protocols are maintained up to date with regulatory criteria; performs orientation and training of new employees and residents as needed; assists with evaluation and implementation of new equipment and ordering of supplies; assists in the performance of the autopsy after review of the medical record, correlation of the gross pathology with the patient's clinical presentation, preparation of external and internal descriptions, sectioning, preparation and release of the body for pickup by a funeral home, orders special studies (e.g., cultures, histochemical and immunohistochemical stains, electron microscopy); maintains the autopsy suite in clean, working order including equipment and instrument maintenance, disposal of organs, basic cleaning. (Resume(s) must clearly support the duties and experience required for this position. We will not make assumptions regarding experience.) -OR- SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED): Successfully completed 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree. -OR- COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED): Equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate-level education (beyond 18 semester hours) and specialized experience, as described above, which meet the total experience requirements for this grade level. The education portion must include graduate courses directly related to the work of this position. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. Education IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. 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 Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. 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. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 80 or more before any Veterans preference points) for this vacancy. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.
