A different way to care for Veterans: Explore medical support positions at VA

A recent question posted to VA’s Linkedin page asked if our hospitals need and hire for medical support positions. Namely, are there health care careers out there for people other than physicians and nurses?

The answer is a resounding, “Yes!”

While physicians and nurses are always in demand here at VA, there are many positions that are just as important to our mission to care for Veterans. Here are just a few of the jobs where you can help our Veterans as part of VA’s medical support team.

Dental assistants

A dental assistant assists our dentistry teams with many aspects of direct patient care. Primarily, you’ll be responsible for receiving and preparing patients for dental treatment, though you also aid the dentist with chairside, bedside or operating room duties.

Optometry health technicians

Optometry health technicians support optometrists and other eye clinic staff in diagnosis, treatment, prevention and follow-up care. In the eye clinic, you may be the first person a patient interacts with, helping them get situated in the clinic and preparing them for a visit with the doctor. And you may be the last person they see as they head out the door with their vision restored.

Medical support assistants

Providing medical administrative support, medical support assistants serve as key members of the clinic team, allowing us to effectively carry out daily administrative operations. You’ll manage appointments and coordinate administrative information among the professional staff, patient, patient caregiver and their representatives.

Pharmacy technicians

Pharmacy technicians assist the pharmacy department in many ways. Whether handling inventory issues in the pharmacy itself, inputting data to ensure proper tracking of prescriptions, or helping patients with their prescriptions or claims, you’ll help keep this critical department running smoothly.

Recreation therapist

As a recreation therapist, you can provide therapy and diversional activities for the residents of our Community Living Centers. That begins with a general understanding of the leisure needs of a variety of patient populations but continues with work evaluating patients’ capabilities.

Vocational rehabilitation counselor

Providing a variety of rehabilitation counseling services and case coordination, vocational rehabilitation counselors aid Veterans with severe disabilities in achieving competitive employment and educational goals around work, housing or finances. You’ll also provide crisis intervention and counseling for both patients and their families.

Supporting you in your career

Just as you work for our Veterans, VA offers benefits that will work for you.

• Competitive starting salaries. We offer our employees strong starting salaries based on education, training and experience. We also offer steady growth, with periodic pay raises that address inflation and local market changes.
• Flexible schedules. Our employees receive 13 to 26 paid vacation/personal days, as well as 13 sick days a year with no limit on accumulation. We also celebrate 11 paid federal holidays each year.
• Robust insurance options. You can choose from a number of health plans that fit your needs and cover all preexisting conditions. We pay up to 75% of health premiums, a benefit that can continue into retirement.

Work at VA

Roles like these – and many others, both clinical and nonclinical – are all important to our mission to serve Veterans. Browse these careers and more as your first step toward a career at VA.

• HEAR from current employees.
• LEARN how to navigate the hiring process.
• ATTEND a hiring event.
• SEARCH for open positions.

NOTE: Positions listed in this post were open at the time of publication. All current available positions are listed at USAJobs.gov.