Primary care physicians enjoy unparalleled prospects at VA

Whether you’re fresh out of school or looking to change your surroundings, VA offers unparalleled benefits for primary care physicians that can give you career satisfaction that you won’t find anywhere else.

Patient-centric care

For any physician, time to spend with your patients is a priority, but one that might be considered a luxury in other systems. At VA, our physicians find that they’re able to deliver the highest quality health care in a time frame that works for Veterans and providers.

“There’s an appeal in what we offer in that we treat patients, not numbers,” explained James Marfield, associate director of VA’s National Recruitment Service. “Our work is about what the patient needs, not about the bottom line or what insurance will reimburse. That’s liberating for the people who come to work here.”

One license, nationwide

Whether it’s by choice or because of a personal commitment, sometimes you want to move to another city or even another state. When those circumstances arise, there’s no need to leave your VA career (or the benefits you’ve earned) behind.

As a VA physician, you’ll be provided with an active, unrestricted license that allows you to work with Veterans at any of our more than 1,300 facilities across all 50 states, the District of Columbia and even some U.S territories. That’s a flexibility you can’t find anywhere else.

A network of support

As our Veterans know, you’re never alone when you’re a part of VA. Whether partnering with your fellow health care providers as part of a Patient Aligned Care Teams (PACT) or getting input from clinicians around the country, your VA career offers you valuable partnerships.

“If you’re a physician, you’ve got a limitless number of physicians and other clinicians out there you can lean on for advice or input, fellow civil servants who are all here for the same reasons you are. You can’t get that kind of support anywhere else,” Marfield said.

Personal protections

We offer the choice of a variety of health plans to all VA employees, and all of our plans cover preexisting conditions. As part of the package, we pay up to 75% of health premiums, a benefit that can continue into retirement, making our insurance some of the best you’ll find in health care.

Additionally, our physicians are covered under federal tort laws, offering relief from the burden of professional liability insurance, a savings of thousands of dollars each year.

Relief from student debt

VA values the commitment you’ve made to serve Veterans and finds ways to reward the service you’ve chosen to provide. One way that we do so is by offering access to student loan repayment options that can help significantly reduce the weight of your student debt.

If you’re interested in becoming a primary care physician at VA, our Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) is available to assist you in repaying your student loans. For physicians, EDRP provides up to $40,000 a year—or $200,000 over a five-year period.

There’s also the Specialty Education Loan Repayment Program (SELRP), which offers qualifying physicians a loan repayment offer of $40,000 each year, up to a maximum of $160,000 over four years.

With our help carrying that financial burden, you’ll be better able to focus on what matters—our Veterans.

The best patients—Veterans!

Speaking of Veterans, every day, you’ll have the privilege of spending time with those who have served our country. It’s a chance to develop genuine bonds and an understanding that helps you better serve their unique needs.

At VA, you will serve and support the most diverse group of Veterans in history and help them overcome a variety of health challenges. This is your chance to give back to America’s heroes and help improve life for them and their families.

Work at VA

For primary care physicians, VA has all the benefits you need. Join our team.

• LEARN what VA has to offer physicians.
• EXPLORE the benefits of a VA career.
• FIND a VA physician recruiter.
• SEARCH for your opportunity at VACareers.VA.gov.