Find your physician fit with VA’s variety of patient care settings

We’ve often shared information about the benefits of being a physician at VA, and explored what it means to be a primary care physician who works with Veterans, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

When it comes to physician jobs at VA, there are numerous specialists who better the lives of Veterans, applying their expertise to different groups of patients in many different settings. Looking for a unique path forward as a physician? Look no further than VA.

Emergency medicine

When Veterans’ lives hang in the balance, emergency medicine physicians are on the front lines.

This is the epitome of direct patient care: prescribing treatments, initiating work to determine diagnoses, admitting or discharging patients based on evaluation, and ordering consultations as needed for care.

If you want to provide life-saving care in a fast-paced environment, this is the field for you.

Compensation and pension service

Working under the guidelines of the Office of Disability and Medical Assessment, compensation and pension physicians step in when more information about a Veteran’s condition and their service is required to decide a benefits claim.

In this role, you’ll be tasked with asking questions, observing and performing limited physical exams on Veterans to determine if a service-connected disability is present, and helping establish the rating that provides compensation to Veterans following their service.

If your goal is to make sure Veterans receive the benefits and support they’ve earned with their service, this is how you can serve them in return.

Geriatrics and extended care

With VA planning to expand several programs that allow aging Veterans to stay in their homes or live in home-like settings, positions with our geriatrics and extended care teams have more value than ever.

Geriatrics and extended care physicians often work with Veterans in community living centers, home-like settings designed for those Veterans who need more support. However, you can also work with Veterans of any age with medical issues that impede their daily routines.

If your interest is in helping Veterans live fuller lives in spite of complex medical conditions, this is a great specialization to consider.

At-home primary care

Home Based Primary Care (HBPC) is a unique VA program that provides comprehensive, interdisciplinary, primary care in the homes of Veterans. The program is for Veterans who need team-based in-home support for ongoing diseases and illnesses that affect their health and daily activities.

As a HBPC physician, you would supervise the health care team that provides the services. Often, you would be the first to make a home-based visit to a new patient. After this, you would then build a team suited to the Veteran’s health care needs, whether those are physical, mental or some combination.

If you are comfortable in a leadership role and designing treatment plans, this is a perfect role for you.

Telehealth

Telehealth technology helps us improve health for Veterans anywhere by connecting them with qualified care providers. Continued investment in our telehealth services allows us to maintain the broad spectrum of clinical care we’ve developed with our Veterans.

As more and more of our patients choose to take advantage of telehealth assistance, physicians primarily provide consultative care to Veterans via remote access technology, including telephone, video and clinical video telehealth. Some intermittent travel needs do arise, though, when more hands-on care is needed.

If you’re comfortable with technology and want to address a wide variety of medical issues across great distances, this is an excellent place to start.

Work at VA

Find the perfect fit for your medical expertise with a job as a physician at VA.

• 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.