Dentist

Summary

The Lt. Col. Luke Weathers, Jr., VAMC in Memphis, TN is recruiting for a General Practice Dentist. The position is accountable to the Chief of Dentistry, for assuring the most effective delivery of state-of-the-art care by meeting or exceeding compliance standards. The General Dentist provides a wide range of clinical dental procedures for both inpatient and outpatient eligible Veterans, as assigned by the Chief of Dental Service or designee.

Duties

Duties include, but are not limited to: Demonstrate proficient diagnosis and treatment skills, including emergency care and procedures in preventive, restorative, surgical, implant, endodontic, periodontic, and prosthodontic dentistry. Provide dental care that will restore, prevent, or remedy dental disease and injuries of the teeth, jaws, and related structures of veterans according to generally accepted standards of dental practice and scope of services based upon statutory eligibility. Provide a broad range of routine and complex procedures including restorative, implant, endodontic, prosthetic, periodontic, and oral surgery. Facilitate and manage community care referrals. Educate Veterans on proper oral hygiene techniques and the importance of regular dental visits, encouraging effective oral health practices to prevent diseases and decay. Communicate effectively with Veterans regarding their treatment options, procedures, and outcomes Maintain accurate and up-to-date patient records, including treatment plans and progress notes. Complete monthly Clinical Point of Care Reviews and semiannual Ongoing Professional Practice Evaluations. Maintain regular attendance at service level meetings, such as staff meetings, case presentation and implant board, and Facility Medical Staff Meetings. Participate in interdisciplinary care discussions and contribute to the development of comprehensive care plans. When assigned by the Chief of Dental Service, attend and present as needed to Facility meetings and workgroups (CPRC, IPRC, RSM, PMC, etc.). The provider will perform only those privileges for which approval has been granted by the Medical Center Director prospectively and in writing. Privileges will be renewed semiannually or when additional/new training qualifies the dentist to perform other procedures not already approved. Provide direct patient care in a hospital or outpatient setting to adults with or without acute and chronic medical conditions and serves as a consultant to other healthcare providers. Experienced in interpretation of dental radiographs and in delivery of diagnostic consultations and clinical dental treatment as outlined in their individual approved privileges. Provide up to 49% administrative duties when requested. Maintains own professional qualifications, participates in customer service training, computer training, attends mandated medical center training activities as required and provides resident supervision as directed. Individuals with specialized training in a particular specialty may be assigned section chief responsibilities for that subspecialty and may function as the primary clinician or subject matter expert responsible for formulating policy, procedures, education and training affecting the daily clinical operations of the subspecialty. May provide education and training to members of the medical staff through various conferences, committees and lecture series. As a Staff Dentist, Dental personnel must be able to upon request from the service chief to act as the service chief regarding integrated community Veteran care record review and documentation submission review and processing of IVC information to and from the computerized record system or Veteran record. Understand the CDT coding, CPT, and ICD10 coding requirements. Additional duties encompass administrative responsibilities, educational contributions, and pursuing departmental goals and metrics, as well as other duties as assigned by the Chief of Dental Service or designee. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. Work Schedule: 7:30am-4:00pm, Monday-Friday Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply. Learn more. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized

Requirements

All qualified candidates encouraged to apply. Open to U.S. Citizens but non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens. 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 identification 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.

Qualifications and evaluation

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or 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. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment. Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

Education

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

How to apply

All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 08/31/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13044077. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package. NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

Required documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes: Resume Special Note for Applications: To complete your application, please use the following link https://vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Resume.docx to download the standard Clinical Resume Document. This one-page document does not need to be modified and must be uploaded into the two-page restricted 'Resume' document upload field. Your full resume/CV may be uploaded without page limitation into the 'Other' document upload field. The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc. Cover Letter DD-214/ Statement of Service Disability Letter (VA) License Other (1) Performance Appraisal Professional Certification Resume Separation Notice (RIF) SF-15 SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action Transcript 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.

Additional information

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.