Physician Series, 0602

Individual Occupational Requirements

Basic Requirements

Degree: Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine or equivalent from a school in the United States or Canada.  This degree must have been accredited by the Council on Medical Education of the American Medical Association; Association of American Medical Colleges; Liaison Committee on Medical Education; Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation of the American Osteopathic Association, or an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained.

Degree from Foreign Medical School: A Doctor of Medicine or equivalent degree from a foreign medical school must provide education and medical knowledge equivalent to accredited schools in the United States.  Evidence of equivalency to accredited schools in the United States is demonstrated by permanent certification by the  Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates, a fifth pathway certificate for Americans who completed premedical education in the United States and graduate education in a foreign country, or successful completion of the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination.

Licensure

For all grade levels and positions, applicants must possess a current, active, full, and unrestricted license or registration as a Physician from a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States.

Graduate Training

Subsequent to obtaining a Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree, a candidate must have had at least 1 year of supervised experience providing direct service in a clinical setting, i.e., a 1-year internship or the first year of a residency program in a hospital or an institution accredited for such training.  For purposes of this standard, graduate training programs include only those internship, residency, and fellowship programs that are approved by accrediting bodies recognized within the United States or Canada.  Descriptions of such programs are described below.

An internship program involves broadly based clinical practice in which physicians acquire experience in treating a variety of medical problems under supervision (e.g., internal medicine, surgery, general practice, obstetrics-gynecology, and pediatrics). Such programs are in hospitals or other institutions accredited for internship training by a recognized body of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).

A residency program involves training in a specialized field of medicine in a hospital or an institution accredited for training in the specialty by a recognized body of the American Medical Association, (AMA) or Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).

A fellowship program involves advanced training (beyond residency training) in a given medical specialty in either a clinical or research setting in a hospital or an institution accredited in the United States for such training.

Applicants who meet the above Basic Requirements qualify for GS-11 (or equivalent) positions.

Additional Requirements for Grades GS-12 and Above

For GS-12 -- 2 years of graduate training in the specialty of the position to be filled or equivalent experience and training.

For GS-13 -- 3 years of graduate training in the specialty of the position to be filled or equivalent experience and training.

For GS-14 -- 4 years of graduate training in the specialty of the position to be filled or equivalent experience and training.

For GS-15 -- 5 years of graduate training in the specialty of the position to be filled or equivalent experience and training.

Evaluation of Candidates

1. Interviews: Applicants may be interviewed to assure that they possess the degree of skill in interpersonal relationships required for satisfactory performance of the duties of the position to be filled.
2. Substitution of Experience for Residency Training: Experience may not be substituted for residency training that is essential for the performance of specialized duties. For example, specialists such as psychiatrists and surgeons must complete the number of years of accredited residency training required in their respective specialties. An exception may be made when a peer panel of physicians (subject-matter experts) determines and documents that the knowledge, skills, and abilities acquired in professional medical practice are equivalent to those acquired during the same period of time in a graduate training program.
3. Teaching Experience: Graduate teaching experience as a member of the faculty in a school of medicine or school of public health may be credited for training positions or as appropriate for specialist positions. (Teaching undertaken as a part of a residency or fellowship training does not satisfy this requirement.)