Clarification from the agency

The IHS is required by law to give absolute preference to qualified applicants who meet the Secretary of the Interior's definition of Indian for appointment to vacancies within the IHS in accordance with established IHS policy as outlined in the Indian Health Manual Part 7, Chapter 3.

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There MAY NOT be immediate vacancies at all locations.

Primary duties and responsibilities for all Physician Assistants include, but are not limited to:

• Provides comprehensive therapeutic and preventative health services to individual patients, family members and patient groups in an outpatient setting.
• Identifies and manages specific illnesses. Identifies and manages preventive aspects of these same illnesses.
• Familiarizes self with the social, political, geographic, demographic, economic and epidemiological characteristics of the assigned communities. Available to orient staff, tribal members, health board and tribal leaders on relevant health care issues.
• Serves in a teaching capacity in the development of other health care workers and precepting students.

Total Compensation Package - Check out IHS's outstanding total compensation package for this job:
Physician Assistant Total Compensation | Pay (ihs.gov)

Conditions of employment

Selectee may be subject to a probationary period
ESEP appointees typically serve a two year trial period
U.S. Citizenship is required
Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959

This is a designated position covered by Public Law 101-630, requiring contact or control over Indian children. Due to this requirement, the agency must ensure that persons hired for these positions have not been found guilty of or pleaded nolo contendere or guilty to certain crimes.

The selected individual is required to obtain and maintain medical staff clinical privileges, including any licensure requirements. If privileges are not obtained or maintained during employment, the employee will be subject to adverse actions, up to and including removal from Federal service.

IHS Selectees whose duties and responsibilities require them to work permanently, temporarily, or occasionally in an IHS healthcare facility must comply with the IHS Employee Immunization Policy related to vaccine-preventable diseases, consistent with recommendations for healthcare workers. Vaccine exemption requests may be available, as outlined in the IHS Employee Immunization Policy and facility guidance.

On-call hours or standby duty may be required. Position may be subject to rotating shifts: days, evenings, nights, weekends and holidays.

Physical Demands: The work requires standing, bending, and walking primarily within the hospital. Lifting and carrying is necessary to assist disabled patients.

Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify/.


Background Investigation Requirement:

This position requires the successful completion of a federal background investigation as a condition of employment.

A background investigation is a standard process used by the Federal Government to verify an individual's identity, employment history, education, and other relevant information to determine suitability for Federal service.

Upon receipt of instructions, applicants must complete all required background investigation forms within five (5) calendar days of issuance. Timely completion is critical to avoid delays in processing or a determination of unsuitability.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to prioritize this requirement and to maintain regular communication with their assigned Personnel Security Specialist throughout the process.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, your resume must state sufficient experience and/or education, to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are applying.

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; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer and part time experience. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week.


BASIC REQUIREMENT(S):
All applicants must meet the following basic requirements for all grade levels:

• Graduation from a physician assistant educational program, accredited by the Accreditation Review Committee on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) or its predecessors, at a college, university, or educational institution that is accredited by an accrediting body or organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained.
• Successful completion of the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) examination; must maintain status as a certified physician assistant, including completion of all requirements for Continuing Medical Education (CME) and re-certification.

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

Basic Requirement(s) for the GS-12 (or equivalent) and above Grade Level:
A minimum of one full year of work experience as a certified physician assistant equivalent to the next lower grade level and completion of an accredited physician assistant educational program is required.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following type of work and/or tasks: Experience includes providing comprehensive preventive and therapeutic healthcare services to all age groups that includes assessment, diagnosis and treatment of various illnesses, formulate and implement treatment plans, order and interpret diagnostic tests, instruct, educate and counsel patients about prescribed medications/therapeutic regimens, normal growth and development, family planning, emotional problems of daily living, and health maintenance, provide health wellness advice, and collaborate with physicians concerning patient care and management.

Click on the following link to view occupational requirements for this position: Physician Assistant Series 0603

NOTE: Employees currently assigned to positions in this occupational series as of September 2017 will be considered to have met the basic requirements for the position occupied.

Time In Grade
Federal employees in the competitive service are also subject to the Time-In-Grade Requirements: Merit Promotion (status) candidates must have completed one year of service at the next lower grade level. Time-In-Grade provisions do not apply under the Excepted Service Examining Plan (ESEP).

You must meet all qualification requirements by the respective cut-off day of rating to be eligible for consideration.

How you will be evaluated

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

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

Once the application process is complete, the first two pages of your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications.

Structured Resume Review: Subject matter experts (SMEs) will review your resume to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the required competencies. SMEs will review ONLY the first two (2) pages of your resume. SMEs will not review additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letter, links embedded in your resume).

Once the announcement closes, we will conduct a review of your application package to verify your eligibility and qualifications. If you are found qualified, your application will move forward to additional phases of the review process.

To ensure a fair and consistent hiring process, IHS uses a multi-hurdle assessment process. Each "hurdle" must be passed before moving to the next step. This helps us evaluate applicants based on job-related qualifications, competencies, and experience.

Below is what applicants can expect:
1. Minimum Qualifications Review - Hurdle 1
HR reviews your resume to confirm you meet the eligibility and minimum qualifications for the position (education and/or licensure (if applicable), listed above).
Note: the first two pages of your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the minimum qualifications. If you meet eligibility and minimum qualifications, you move to the next hurdle.

2. Technical Assessment (Subject Matter Expert Resume Review) - Hurdle 2
A panel of subject matter experts (SME) will review your resume to determine whether you clearly show the required specialized experience listed below.
Note: SMEs will review ONLY the first two (2) pages of your resume. SMEs will not review additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letter, links embedded in your resume).

This assessment is Pass/Fail.
Applicants who demonstrate the required experience will advance.

• Providing immediate care and services to individuals in a trauma, anxiety, or psychotic crisis state.
• Providing crisis intervention services in a wide variety of situations, including suicide intervention, drug & alcohol abuse and dependency, domestic violence.
• Conducting psychological tests/objective measures as a source of information for psychological diagnosis such as psychosis, Major Depressive Disorder, Bipolar, etc.

Demonstration of these specialized experience statements ascertain your competency in the following:

• Medical Reasoning
• Oral Communication
• Technical Competence

Click here to view vacancy questions: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12866460.

This is an Open Continuous Announcement. There MAY NOT be immediate vacancies at all locations. You will be limited to selecting no more than 5 locations during the application process, and will only be considered for the locations you select. Interested applicants should contact the Human Resources point of contact concerning immediate employment needs.

The first cutoff date will be February 9, 2026, at 11:59 pm EST. Future cutoff dates will be each Wenesday thereafter at 11:59 pm EST until the closing date.
Your application will remain active for 90 days from the submission of application.