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Physician (Aviation Medicine)

Department of Transportation
Federal Aviation Administration
Aviation Safety, Office of Aerospace Medicine, CAMI, Case Review & Appeals Branch, AAM-320

Summary

Serves as a Physician (Aviation Medicine) within the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Aviation Safety (AVS), Office of Aerospace Medicine (AAM), Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI), Aerospace Medical Certification Division (AAM-300), Case Review and Appeals Branch (AAM-320). The Office of Aerospace Medicine develops and manages medical programs in support of Aviation Safety.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
03/05/2026 to 03/18/2026
Salary
$134,118 to - $207,931 per year

Salary does not include locality pay. Locality will be determined at selection.

Pay scale & grade
FV L
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
May be filled in various FAA duty locations
1 vacancy
Telework eligible
Yes—Situational telework may be permitted in accordance with agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - The job may require travel from time-to-time, but not on a regular basis. The travel may be for training or other work-related duties.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes— - Fixed Rate PCS - Permanent Change of Station (U.S. Citizens) - In accordance with applicable FAA Travel regulations, a fixed relocation payment of $10,000 will be paid to new hires to Federal service, former Federal employees (reinstatements), and student trainees. A fixed relocation payment of $27,000 will be paid to current Federal employees. Relocation expenses paid are subject to applicable taxes.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
NA
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
Yes
Announcement number
AAC-AAM-26-AAM320-97532
Control number
859903200

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Also open to former permanent excepted service federal employees eligible under an interchange agreement. Current or former permanent federal employees must have met a one-year probationary period or trial period in the competitive or excepted service. Applications will be accepted from preference eligibles and veterans who are honorably discharged from the Armed Forces after completing at least 3 years of continuous active duty service.

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Duties

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The primary responsibility of the Medical Officer is to review and provide quality aeromedical dispositions of airmen and contract air traffic controller medical certification applications. This requires an in-depth aeromedical review to determine eligibility of holding a medical certificate under 14 CFR Part 67 regulations. Following criteria approved by the Federal Air Surgeon, the Medical Officer determines the disposition of requests for Special Issuance, both new and renewals, granting and denying medical certification, withdrawing Special Issuances, authorizing Medical Flight Tests (MFT), affirming validity of certificates issued by designated Aviation Medical Examiners or requesting additional information to substantiate the issuance or denial of medical certificates.

Independently applies professional experience, clinical knowledge, skills and expertise in the principles and practice of aerospace medical certification and provides clinical notes that support and validate risk-based aeromedical dispositions.

Serves as the Physician-of-the-Day during the Aerospace Medical Certification Division’s Call Center hours of operation, a weekly rotation within Case Review & Appeals Branch (AAM-320). Responsibilities include responding to calls from designated Aviation Medical Examiners (AMEs) from around the world addressing questions and assistance with aeromedical certification requirements, established standards, policies and guidance, medications, Special Issuances, verbal authorizations, and clearance of psychiatric and psychological evaluations and treatment records consistent with policies and procedures of the Office of Aerospace Medicine.

Internal to the FAA, Medical Officers provide aerospace medical certification guidance to Division Managers, Flight Surgeons, Regional Flight Surgeons, other Medical Officers, Legal Instruments Examiners and Program Analysts, Flight Standards District Offices, Certification Maintenance Offices, Aviation Safety Inspectors, accident investigation and toxicology teams, research physicians and scientists. Externally, this may involve designated AMEs, non-governmental medical groups, pilot advocacy groups and professional organizations.

Medical Officers are required to keep abreast with clinical updates for a wide variety of general medical conditions and medications and collaborate with the Aeromedical Standards & Policy Branch (AAM-220) to update and develop new certification guidance and policies and improve quality and effectiveness of the medical certification program.

Actively participates and collaborates at the weekly internal Aerospace Medical Certification Division (AAM-300) physician review panels and monthly Office of Aviation Medicine certification conferences involving presentation and discussion of complex cases.

Teaches, mentors, trains, and coaches other physicians both internal and external to the Agency, Legal Instruments Examiners, other employees in the Division, Aerospace Medicine Residents, Civil Aerospace Medicine Institute (CAMI) visitors and other aviation personnel whenever assigned, requested, or invited to do so. They provide training of AMEs at Basic and Refresher seminars.

As assigned, serves as the Team Leader/Deputy Team Leader for specific medical certification workflows to include Federal Air Surgeon Cardiology and Neurology panels and Cardiology consultant visits.

May be called upon to serve as an Expert Witness at National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) hearings while collaborating with the FAA Office of General Counsel.

Whenever assigned, effectively represent FAA and organizational positions when engaging stakeholders.

Shares responsibility for the physical custody and maintenance of the legal and medical confidentiality of millions of hard copies, microfilmed, and electronic medical records. These records include various pathological entities of medicine and represent the largest collection of medical data concerning civil airmen.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • US Citizenship is required.
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
  • Must submit an SF50 (See Required Documents).
  • Designated or Random Drug Testing required.
  • This position has a positive education requirement. Transcript(s) required.
  • Successful completion of a security investigation may be required.
  • A one-year probationary period may be required.
  • Medical licenses & certificates required; copies must be submitted.
  • Please review Required Documents & Additional Information.

Qualifications

BASIC REQUIREMENTS:

Degree: Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine or equivalent from a school in the United States or Canada. This degree must have been accredited by the Council on Medical Education of the American Medical Association (external link); Association of American Medical Colleges (external link); Liaison Committee on Medical Education (external link); Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation of the American Osteopathic Association (external link), or an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (external link) at the time the degree was obtained. (copies of transcripts must be uploaded)

Degree from Foreign Medical School: A Doctor of Medicine or equivalent degree from a foreign medical school must provide education and medical knowledge equivalent to accredited schools in the United States. Evidence of equivalency to accredited schools in the United States is demonstrated by permanent certification by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (external link), a fifth pathway certificate for Americans who completed premedical education in the United States and graduate education in a foreign country, or successful completion of the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination.

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

Note: An agency may waive the licensure requirement for research positions not involving direct patient care.

Graduate Training: Subsequent to obtaining a Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree, a candidate must have had at least 1 year of supervised experience providing direct service in a clinical setting, i.e., a 1-year internship or the first year of a residency program in a hospital or an institution accredited for such training. For purposes of this standard, graduate training programs include only those internship, residency, and fellowship programs that are approved by accrediting bodies recognized within the United States or Canada. Descriptions of such programs are described below.

An internship program involves broadly based clinical practice in which physicians acquire experience in treating a variety of medical problems under supervision (e.g., internal medicine, surgery, general practice, obstetrics-gynecology, and pediatrics). Such programs are in hospitals or other institutions accredited for internship training by a recognized body of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) (external link).

A residency program involves training in a specialized field of medicine in a hospital or an institution accredited for training in the specialty by a recognized body of the American Medical Association (external link), (AMA) or Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) (external link).

A fellowship program involves advanced training (beyond residency training) in a given medical specialty in either a clinical or research setting in a hospital or an institution accredited in the United States for such training.

AND

EXPERIENCE: All successful applicants must have three (3) years of graduate training in the specialty of the position to be filled (Aviation Medicine) or equivalent experience and training that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) to perform successfully the duties of the position and is typically in or related to the position being filled. For instance, applicants will demonstrate experience in determining the disposition of medical certification requests for special issuance and referred appeals case.

AND

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: includes practice of clinical aerospace, aviation, or space medicine; civilian or military flight experience, regulatory medicine with federal or other government agencies. Graduate level training in preventive medicine to include aerospace medicine, occupational medicine and/or public health.

AND

QUALITY RANKING FACTOR (QRF): Well-qualified applicants will demonstrate board certification in Aerospace Medicine by the American Board of Preventative Medicine within their application.

Applicants should provide examples of specialized experience in their work history. Qualifications must be met by the closing date of this vacancy announcement.

Education

This position has a positive education requirement: Applicants must submit a copy of their college or university transcripts(s) and certificates by the closing date of announcement to verify qualifications. If selected, an official transcript will be required prior to appointment. You may upload these documents with your application in USAJOBS or fax it to fax number provided in the announcement (please include announcement number on each page).

Failure to do so will result in loss of consideration.

Schools must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Accreditation may be verified at the following website: www.ed.gov/accreditation.

Foreign education must be evaluated by a private professional organization specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials or an accredited U.S. educational institution in terms of equivalence to a degree acquired at an American college or university. A copy of the evaluation results must be included, otherwise your foreign education will not be considered.

KSA INFORMATION:

As a part of the Federal-Wide Hiring Reform Initiative (streamlining the hiring process), the FAA is committed to eliminating the use of the Knowledge, Skills and Ability (KSA) narratives from the initial application in the hiring process for all announcements. Therefore, as an applicant for this announcement, you are NOT required to provide a narrative response in the text box listed below each KSA.

In lieu of providing a KSA narrative response, in your work history, please include information that provides specific examples of how you meet the response level or answer you chose for each KSA. Your work history examples should be specific and clearly reflect the highest level of ability. Your KSA answers will be evaluated further to validate whether the level that you selected is appropriate based on the work history and experience you provided. Your answers may be adjusted by a Human Resource Specialist as appropriate.

Preview job questionnaire

Make sure your resume includes detailed information to support your qualifications and answers to the job questionnaire.

Additional information

We may use this vacancy to fill other similar vacant positions.
Position may be subject to a background investigation.
A one-year probationary period may be required.

The person selected for this position may be required to file a financial disclosure statement within 30 days of entry on duty. FAA policy limits certain outside employment and financial investments in aviation-related companies. www.faa.gov/jobs/workinghere/financial-disclosure-requirements

Leave Enhancement: FAA organizations may offer enhanced annual leave accrual to newly appointed or reappointed employees. In order to receive consideration for such a benefit, applicants' prior non-Federal service or active duty uniformed service must directly relate to the duties of the position to which appointed. Granting enhanced annual leave is at the sole discretion of the hiring organization, and granting such benefit is not an entitlement nor guaranteed to any newly hired employee.

This position is covered by the Department of Transportation's Drug and Alcohol Testing Program. Any applicant tentatively selected for this position will be subject to pre-employment or pre-appointment drug screening. Persons occupying a "testing designated position (TDP)" will be subject to random drug and/or alcohol testing.

NOTES:

1. Some, all or none of the applicants may be interviewed.

2. This position is covered by the FAA Core Compensation plan. Additional information about core compensation is available on the following website: https://www.faa.gov/jobs/working_here/benefits

3. Applicants must apply online to receive consideration for this vacancy announcement. Faxed, mailed or e-mailed applications cannot be accepted. Please ensure you answer all questions and follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may impact your rating or may result in you not being considered for the job.

4. Additional information regarding living in Oklahoma can be found at www.abetterlifeokc.com

5. Newly hired FAA Physicians must successfully complete all required training at the Aerospace Medical Certification Division located in Oklahoma City, OK.

6. CV/Resumes are limited to 2 pages. When describing work experience in your CV/resume, be specific as it pertains to the duties and responsibilities; specialized experience; and knowledge, skills, and abilities according to this job announcement.

7. If eligible, Permanent Change of Station (PCS) will be paid in accordance with the Federal Aviation Administration Travel Policy (FAATP).

8. Position may be filled in various FAA duty locations. Location will be determined at selection.

9. Pay rates including locality pay are capped by law at $228,000 - the rate for level II of the Executive Schedule per P.L. 104-264 paragraph 40122c.

10. To confirm receipt of documents, contact Ryan.Cappadony@faa.gov.

This is not a bargaining unit position.

Links to Important Information: Locality Pay, COLA

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

How you will be evaluated

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



IMPORTANT: Applicants may be rated on the extent and quality of experience, education, and training relevant to the duties of the position(s). All answers provided in the on-line process must be substantiated. Ensure that your application package/resume supports your responses.

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