Optometrist

<p>We are seeking a Optometrist to join our team in Poplar Bluff, MO. At the VA, your work will carry purpose as you provide care to Veterans while enjoying strong federal benefits and stability. Poplar Bluff, the "Gateway to the Ozarks," combines affordability with abundant outdoor recreation. The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.</p><h3>Major Duties</h3><p>We are seeking a Optometrist to join our team in Poplar Bluff, MO. At the VA, your work will carry purpose as you provide care to Veterans while enjoying strong federal benefits and stability. Poplar Bluff, the "Gateway to the Ozarks," combines affordability with abundant outdoor recreation. Nearby Mark Twain National Forest and Ozark rivers offer hiking, fishing, and camping opportunities. Families enjoy good schools, healthcare access, and a strong sense of community. Poplar Bluff's central location provides small-town living with natural beauty all around. VA physicians enjoy competitive pay, generous benefits, CME reimbursement, malpractice coverage, retirement plans, and loan repayment opportunities. Predictable schedules and paid leave support your work-life balance. 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) 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 Malpractice: Free liability protection with tail coverage provided Contract: No Physician Employment Contract and no significant restriction on moonlighting Optometrist Duties will include, but are not limited to: - Document and maintain records pertaining to patients.- Examine, diagnose, and perform specific optometric treatments for conditions of the vision system. - Exercise independent professional judgment in diagnosing the full range of complex optometric conditions as well as planning and executing the necessary treatment programs to meet complex and frequent changes in the treatment objective. - Utilize various examination techniques of vision, eye and related structures to determine the presence of vision anomalies, diseases, and/or other abnormalities; treating eye conditions by prescribing and adapting spectacle lenses, optical aids., etc.; referring patients to other health professionals for further diagnosis and treatments. - Provide emotional support and comfort to patients and their families during treatment interventions. - Manage patient workload within available staffing, which may include support of health technicians. - Coordinate care with VA's tertiary care facilities and VA sharing partners. - Perform the usual administrative components of patient care management, such as: documentation of progress notes and consultation findings in an electronic medical record, electronic entry, and signature of all orders for inpatients and outpatients, etc. - Performs other directly related duties as required. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30 pm</p><h3>Requirements</h3>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). Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 2-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 period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.<h3>Education</h3>Education. Degree of doctor of optometry resulting from a course of education in optometry. The degree must have been obtained from one of the schools or colleges approved by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for the year in which the course of study was completed. Approved schools are: United States and Canadian schools or colleges of optometry listed as accredited by the Council on Optometric Education of the American Optometric Association, 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 of the United States, or in the District of Columbia as qualifying for full or unrestricted licensure. Licensure or Registration. Optometrist (Except Residents). Licensed to practice optometry in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia. Optometrists are required to possess full and unrestricted licensure and to maintain a current registration in their State of licensure if this is a requirement of the particular State. The facility Director may waive this requirement if the optometrist is to serve in a country other than the United States and the optometrist has licensure in that country. Residents. Licensure in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia before completion of the first year of VA residency. Unlicensed residents must meet any registration or other equivalent requirements established for optometric residents of non-VA facilities or optometry clinics with which the VA facility is affiliated for training purposes during the first year of VA residency. Impaired Licensure. An optometrist who has, or has ever had, any license(s) revoked, suspended, denied, restricted, limited, or issued/placed on a probationary status may be appointed only in accordance with the provisions of chapter 3, section B, paragraph 14, this part. Note: 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 in accordance with current regulationsNote: 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/.