Optometrist

The Optometrist will work under the Surgical Care Clinical Center within the VA Maryland Health Care System. This position is located in Baltimore, Maryland.

Qualifications:

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. To qualify for appointment to this position, all applicants must possess the following basic requirements: Citizenship . Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.) in accordance with section7402(c) to title 38, United States Code (U.S.C). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens according to 38 U.S.C. §7407(a). English Language Proficiency. Optometrists appointed to direct patient-care positions must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38U.S.C. § 7402(d) and 7407(d). 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 (VA) 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 Accreditation Council on Optometric Education (ACOE), in the list published for the year in which the course of study was completed Licensure and Registration . Optometrists must possess a current, full and unrestricted license to practice optometry, and maintain a current registration in a state, territory, or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia that requires successful passage of all parts of National Board of Examiners in Optometry intended for basic licensure. The Optometrist must maintain current registration in the state of licensure if this is a requirement for continuing active, current licensure. Residency Training or Comparable Experience. Optometrists must have successfully completed residency training, approved by the Secretary of VA in an accredited post-graduate training program, or have comparable experience, as described below:(1)Approved residencies are those with accredited or within pre-accredited status by the ACOE, in the list published for the year the residency was completed. OR (2)Two years of licensed clinical optometric practice in the United States consisting of active involvement in the management of medically complex patients.

Preferred Experience:

Preferred concentration in Ocular Disease.

Grade Determinations :

Staff Optometrist . None beyond the basic requirements. The individual must possess the experience to perform general optometry duties, including clinical oversight of trainees as needed, and some specialized functions and procedures without supervision. Attending Optometrist . An Attending Optometrist teaches and supervises students, residents, and, or fellows in the delivery of optometric care to Veterans. The Attending Optometrist accepts full responsibility for adherence to the current care standards of directly assigned patients and for those assigned under the care of the supervised trainee(s). An Attending Optometrist may also serve as a Student Coordinator overseeing the clinical care, and facilitating the coordination of scheduling, periodic reviews, and didactic component for the students. In addition to meeting the basic requirements, and possessing privileges to perform all procedures being supervised, Attending Optometrists must demonstrate the following: (1)

Board Certification:

Attending Optometrists must be board certified by The American Board of Certification in Medical Optometry (ABCMO) or The American Board of Optometry (ABO); and (2) Meets one of the following criteria: (a) Faculty appointment(s) at a school or college of optometry, medicine, or other health care profession; or (b) Fellowship in the American Academy of Optometry (AAO).

Reference:

For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/ . The full performance level of this vacancy is VM-15. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is VM-15.