Urgent Care/MOD - Fee Basis

Summary

Practice Medicine with Purpose. The John J. Pershing VA Medical Center is seeking a compassionate Urgent Care Physician to join our team in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. This intermittent Fee Basis opportunity offers exceptional flexibility while providing the privilege of caring for our nation's Veterans in a collaborative, mission-focused environment. Note: The utilization of Fee Basis appointments is centered on the service needs rather than a specified tour of duty.

Duties

Serve Those Who Served. Practice with Purpose. The John J. Pershing VA Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, is seeking a Fee Basis Urgent Care Physician to provide high-quality care for our nation's Veterans. This intermittent opportunity is ideal for physicians seeking meaningful clinical practice with the flexibility to maintain an existing career, private practice, retirement lifestyle, or other professional commitments. The physician will evaluate and treat a broad range of acute illnesses and injuries, perform minor procedures such as suturing, splinting, and incision and drainage, interpret laboratory and radiographic studies, and collaborate with an experienced interdisciplinary team. The position will include after-hours inpatient and Community Living Center coverage, weekend and holiday rounding, inter-facility transfers, and occasional weekday urgent care coverage during physician leave. The limited, intermittent schedule gives physicians the ability to remain clinically active, supplement their income, and contribute their expertise without assuming the demands of a traditional full-time practice. It is a strong fit for semi-retired physicians, private-practice physicians, hospitalists, emergency medicine physicians, and family or internal medicine physicians seeking purposeful, flexible work. Why Consider This Opportunity? Flexible, intermittent scheduling with rotating coverage needs. Meaningful work without responsibility for managing a private practice or maintaining a long-term patient panel. The honor of caring for Veterans who have served our country. A mission-driven role where every shift directly supports access, safety, and continuity of Veteran care. Why Poplar Bluff? Poplar Bluff is surrounded by rivers, lakes, forests, and outdoor recreation, including fishing, boating, hiking, camping, and hunting. It provides a relaxed pace of life while remaining within driving distance of larger regional destinations such as St. Louis, Memphis, and Springfield. Whether you are seeking supplemental income, a rewarding part-time opportunity, or a way to continue practicing medicine after retirement, this position offers flexibility, purpose, and the chance to make a lasting difference. Honor a lifetime of service by caring for those who have served ours. Malpractice: Free liability protection with tail coverage provided Contract: No Physician Employment Contract and no significant restriction on moonlighting Clinical Duties (100%): As an urgent care physician, the provider is responsible for delivering immediate, patient-centered medical care for a wide range of acute and urgent conditions. The role requires proficiency in performing minor procedures, including suturing, splinting, and incision and drainage. The physician is expected to stay current with all VHA required trainings, medical practices, and procedures, adhere to evidence-based practices and guidelines, and contribute to the continuous improvement of service quality and patient safety within the urgent care setting. Collaboration with the Veteran's Patient-Aligned Care Team to ensure comprehensive patient care, along with the ability to provide guidance and supervision to ancillary staff, is essential. Primary duties include: Conducting medical examinations, diagnosing illnesses and injuries, and formulating effective treatment plans. Managing a diverse range of cases in a timely manner, from common infections and minor injuries to more complex conditions such as fractures or acute exacerbations of chronic diseases. Interpreting diagnostic tests, including laboratory results and radiographic imaging. Providing general Internal Medicine care for inpatient services and the Community Living Center in keeping with good clinical practice and standards after regular business hours, on weekends, and on holidays. Collaborating with physicians, physician extenders, and nursing care providers throughout the hospital. Following Medical Staff bylaws and completing all medical records in a timely manner through CPRS (Computerized Patient Record System) in accordance with VA policies and regulations. Participating in inter-hospital transfers of patients as needed. Providing medical diagnostic evaluation and initial assessment of patients, including at minimum a focused history, physical examination, and pertinent laboratory investigations for patients admitted during the tour. Completing inpatient rounding on weekends and holidays. Providing occasional weekday coverage of urgent care services during periods of physician leave. All other related duties as assigned. Core duty hours: Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday 1600-0000 0000-0800 0000-0800 0000-0800 0000-0800 0000-0800 0000-0800 0000-0800 1600-0000 1600-0000 1600-0000 1600-0000 1600-0000 1600-0000

Requirements

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 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

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.

Education

Degree of Doctor of Medicine or an equivalent degree resulting from a course of education in allopathic medicine or osteopathic medicine. The degree must have been obtained from an institution whose accreditation was in place for the year in which the course of study was completed. Approved schools are: Schools of medicine accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) for the year in which the degree was granted. Schools of osteopathic medicine approved by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) for the year in which the degree was granted. For foreign medical graduates not covered in (1) or (2) above, confirmation must be made that the medical school meets (or met) Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) eligibility requirement for year graduated. NOTE: The Under Secretary of Health or designee in the VHA Central Office may approve the appointment under authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405 of a physician graduate of a school of medicine not covered above if the candidate is to be assigned to a research, academic, or administrative position with no patient care responsibilities. The appointment will be made only in exceptional circumstances where the candidate's credentials clearly demonstrate high professional attainment or expertise in the specialty area.

How to apply

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. To apply for this position online, complete steps 1 and 2 above by 11:59 PM (ET) on 10/16/2026 to receive consideration. Please note, this announcement may close prior to the closing date indicated if the position is filled through other means. If you are unable to apply online before the closing date click here and include the CBSS-13006943-26-TS in the Notes field. 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. 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.

Required documents

To apply for this position, you must submit a C.V. and/or resume. Other documents may be requested later in the process if needed. 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.

Additional information

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment. 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.