The VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend Health Care System is seeking a Gastroenterologist to provide comprehensive care for patients who have illnesses within the scope of Gastroenterology, with an additional focus on patients with hepatitis. This position will be located at the Health Care Center, Ambulatory Surgery Center in Harlingen, TX. A Recruitment/Relocation Incentive may be authorized to a highly qualified candidate. This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) The Gastroenterology staff physician should be skilled in providing patient care and in coordinating the activities of other health care providers. He/she should be an effective teacher for fellow staff members, house staff medical students and in allied health care disciplines. It is desirable that the physician have demonstrated research abilities. Duties include the following: The Gastroenterology staff physician is responsible for providing primary, secondary, and tertiary care in both hospitalized and outpatient settings, identifying patients' health problems and designing diagnostic and therapeutic plans to meet these needs. He/she is responsible for coordinating activities of other health service personnel, resolving problems affecting patient care and providing appropriate education for the patient/family members regarding the patient's care, patient's illness and its management. A major percentage of the physician's time will be devoted to patient care. Depending on other activities, sufficient time will be allotted to administrative duties. Procedures - The Gastroenterology staff physician will be responsible to perform diagnostic and therapeutic upper and lower gastrointestinal endoscopy and colonoscopy procedures. Liver Biopsy Small Bowel Biopsy Dilation of the esophagus (bouginage) Esophageal motility Upper Gl endoscopy Colonoscopy & Flex Sigmoid Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography Polypectomy Laparoscopy (Peritoneoscopy) Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy Laser: Photocoagulation of vessels Laser: Tumor Ablation Gastric lavage & cytology Sclerotherapy of esophageal varices Esophageal ligation or banding of varices Endoscopic ultrasonography with or without fine needle aspiration biopsy Placement of esophageal stent The incumbent must demonstrate the knowledge and skill necessary to provide patient care appropriate to the age of the patients served. The incumbent provides patient care which is appropriate to the cognitive, emotional, and chronological maturation needs of the young adult (age 18-40), middle adult (age 41-65), and older adult (age 66-older) patient. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday (8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.) VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Learn more. EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact vhaedrpprogramsupport@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Pay: Competitive salary, annual performance bonus, regular salary increases Paid Time Off: 50-55 days of paid time off per year (26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year and possible 5 day paid absence for CME) Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Licensure: 1 full and unrestricted license from any US State or territory CME: Possible $1,000 per year reimbursement (must be full-time with board certification) Malpractice: Free liability protection with tail coverage provided Contract: No Physician Employment Contract and no significant restriction on moonlighting U.S. Citizenship; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Must pass pre-employment physical examination. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). You may be required to serve a probationary period. Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or other supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment. NOTE: A formal pay-setting process will be used to determine your salary. The salary may be at any point in the range listed for this vacancy. 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; religions; 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 experience, including volunteer experience. The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position. Veterans' Preference Note: Preference eligible candidates and other Veterans will be given preference when qualification of candidates are approximately equal for Title 38 positions in VHA. When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference.