Clarification from the agency

This is a "Direct Hire" solicitation. Veterans’ Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants do not apply to positions filled under this. The Smithsonian will continue to make employment offers to qualified candidates with veterans preference whenever possible. This position is open to all U.S. Citizens or U.S. Nationals. Foreign nationals or legal permanent residents are not eligible for consideration. Excepted Service employees may also apply to this announcement.

The Veterinary Pathologist independently and collaboratively conducts complete gross necropsies and histopathologic examinations on all species of animals (invertebrates, mammals, reptiles, fish, birds etc) originating from the Zoo’s collection or wildlife on zoo grounds to identify and evaluate significant diseases or health trends.

In this position you will:

• Coordinate routine activities of the zoo necropsy service through scheduling and supervising prosecutors during necropsies while assuring timely reporting of necropsy and biopsy results.

• Conduct and participate in in-house seminars and routine information sessions, (e.g., Keeper Pathology rounds, Clinical rounds, animal management meetings), and attend professional conferences where appropriate.

• Mentoring of student and resident scholarly pursuits as well as responsible for participating in outreach, educational, and fundraising projects and events of the zoo and Smithsonian.

• Assist with the maintenance and disposition of pathology records, digital records, slides, tissues, photographs and materials generated from the clinical or anatomical pathology laboratories.

Conditions of employment

• Pass Pre-employment Background Investigation.
• May need to complete a Probationary Period.
• Maintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit/Electronic Transfer.
• Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered with Selective Service.

Medical Requirements:

Individuals must be physically and mentally able to safely and efficiently perform the full range of duties of the position without creating hazards to themselves or others.

Physical Requirements:

Lifting and hauling (minimum 40 lbs.) when large animals are necropsied or containers are moved are required. Use of respirators is required for some activities. Hand and finger dexterity is required with the usage of sharp instruments and dangerous tools. Long periods of standing (particularly in necropsy), sitting, and microscope usage will be required. Frequent outside movement between buildings is required.

Qualification requirements must be met within 30 days of the job announcement closing date.

For information on qualification requirements, see Qualification Standards Handbook for General Schedule Positions on OPM website.

Qualifications

Basic Education Requirements:

1. Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) or equivalent degree, i.e., Veterinary Medical Doctor (VMD), obtained at a school or college of veterinary medicine accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education (AVMA).  The AVMA website, http://www.avma.org (external link), has a listing of all AVMA-accredited veterinary medical schools.

   or

2. Graduates of foreign veterinary medical schools that are not accredited by the AVMA Council on Education (Refer to AVMA website, http://www.avma.org (external link)for information about schools in this category) must meet one of the following requirements.
   • Proof of certification of their final transcript by the Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates (ECFVG)
   • Possession of a permanent, full, and unrestricted license to practice veterinary medicine in a State, District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States that includes successful completion of the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE) or its predecessors, the National Board Examination (NBE) and the Clinical Competency Test (CCT).
   • Proof that the education obtained in a foreign veterinary medical program is equivalent to that gained in a veterinary medical program that is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education.  Under this provision, equivalency is established only if an AVMA-accredited veterinary medical school or college accepts the graduate's final transcript from the foreign veterinary medical school at full value for placement into an advanced degree, postgraduate educational program, or training program (e.g. residency or graduate program).

   Graduates of foreign veterinary medical programs must also provide proof of proficiency in the English language by successfully completing one of the nationally and internationally recognized examinations that incorporate assessments of reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills.  Examples of examinations that assess mastery of the English language are shown below:

   • Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) - Minimum scores for the TOEFL are 560 for the paper-based version; 220 for the computer-based version; or overall score of 83 for the internet-based version (including 26 or higher in speaking, 26 or higher in listening, and 17 or higher in writing).  For the computer-based and paper-based test versions, applicants must also complete the Test of Spoken English (TSE) and the Test of Written English (TWE).  Minimum required scores are 55 for the TSE and 5.5 for the TWE;
   • Academic tests (listening, writing, and speaking) offered by the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).  Applicants must achieve a minimum overall band score of 7.0, with at least 7.0 in speaking, 6.5 in listening, and 6.0 in writing;

     or

   • Canadian Academic English Language Assessment (CAEL).  Applicants must achieve a minimum overall band score of 70, with at least 60 in speaking, 60 in listening, and 50 in writing.

In addition to the basic education requirement above:

Experience: 

You qualify for this position if you have one year of progressively responsible professional veterinary experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal Service or comparable pay band system. For this position, specialized experience is defined as experience including activities such as independently researching, investigating, inspecting, and dealing with matters related to the pathology of captive and free-ranging wildlife. Such experience should include identifying the illness and injury of animals, performing necropsies, performing histological analysis and other related procedures, generation of pathology reports and summaries, and training veterinary students and/or postgraduate students.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experiences, including volunteer experience.

Education:

To qualify at the GS-13 grade levels on the basis of education, applicants must successfully complete relevant graduate study or a dual DVM/graduate degree as described below at an accredited college or school, in addition to completing the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine or an equivalent degree:

GS-13: Ph.D. degree in an area of specialization, including but not limited to, animal science, avian medicine, food safety, infectious diseases, veterinary clinical sciences, pathobiology, biomedical sciences, veterinary anatomy, veterinary preventive medicine, comparative biological sciences, epidemiology, veterinary parasitology, molecular veterinary biosciences, public health, microbiology, pathology, immunology, laboratory animal medicine, toxicology, wildlife, zoological animal medicine, or sciences related to the work of a veterinary medical officer position.

OR

Residency/Post-Graduate Training Programs:

Residency or post-graduate training programs require two to five years of study in a specific discipline or specialty.  Successful completion of such training qualifies the job applicant for the following grade levels:

GS-13:   Successful completion of three years of an internship, residency program, or fellowship training program in a discipline related to the position.

Part-time and/or unpaid experience related to this position will be considered to determine the total number of years and months of experience. Be sure to note the number of paid or unpaid hours worked each week.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Applicants who meet or exceed minimum qualifications will be assigned to one of three category groups based on job-related criteria:

• Best Category - Meets the minimum qualification requirements and excels in most of the job-related competencies above.
• Better Category - Meets the minimum qualification requirements and satisfies most of the job-related competencies above.
• Good Category - Meets the minimum qualification requirements, but does not satisfy most of the job-related competencies above to a substantive degree.

This category rating process does not add veterans' preference points or apply the "rule of three", but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. A selecting official may make selections from the highest quality category (Best Category) provided no preference eligible in that category is passed over to select a non-preference eligible in that category unless the requirements of 5 U.S.C. 3317(b) or 3318(b) are satisfied. Preference eligibles who meet minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent must be listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-9 grade level or higher. Applicants who have not submitted a resume in the USAjobs system and/or have not answered all of the vacancy questions will not be considered for this position.

Important Note:

Your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses to the occupational questionnaire or another assessment tool for consistency. If a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than is supported by your resume, you will be assigned a rating commensurate to your described experience. Your resume should provide sufficient information regarding how your education and experience relate to this position, including the major duties and qualifications criteria listed.