This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application.

Duties

The Medical Technologist (Microbiology) position is located in the VA Temple, Texas within the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service. This position is for the microbiology section of the laboratory. Duties may include but are not limited to: -Routine testing, quality control, routine maintenance of instrumentation and trouble shooting. -Develops, performs, evaluations interprets, correlates, and validates the accuracy of laboratory procedures and results ensuring all laboratory regulatory procedures are met. -Identifies unusual results and discrepancies, correlates test results with other laboratory or patient data, evaluates the validity of data in relation to the test system employed and type of specimen, determines if additional data is required before reporting test results, solves problems, and presents solutions with immediate or general supervision. -In collaboration with more senior technologists, interprets results and suggests follow-up test selection or procedures. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 2:00pm to 10:30pm; May include some nights, weekends and holidays. EDRP Authorized: Contact [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Education and/or Experience Combination: (1) A bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university in medical laboratory science, medical technology, clinical laboratory science or in a related science (e.g., laboratory sciences such as chemistry, biochemistry, biology, microbiology, immunology, etc.). AND completion of a medical technology clinical practice program. Clinical practice programs completed after 1974 must have been accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP, formerly CAHEA), or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). The professional curriculum may have consisted of a post-baccalaureate certificate program or be integrated into a four-year program of study that culminated in a baccalaureate degree. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) OR, (2) A bachelor's degree from an accredited college/university, including 16 semester hours of biological science (with one course in microbiology), 16 semester hours of chemistry (with one course in organic or biochemistry) and one course in mathematics, AND two years of post-certification clinical laboratory experience (e.g., blood banking, chemistry, hematology, microbiology, immunology, clinical microscopy, etc.) within the last ten years as a certified Medical Laboratory Technician by the American Society for Clinical Pathology Board of Certification (ASCP-BOC), American Society of Clinical Pathology Board of Registry (ASCP-BOR) or American Medical Technologists (AMT). This experience must include performing moderate and/or high complexity testing in blood banking, chemistry, hematology, microbiology immunology and clinical microscopy (or categorical experience which matches categorical certification) in a clinical laboratory. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) OR, (3) A bachelor's degree from an accredited college/university, including 16 semester hours of biological science (with one course in microbiology), 16 semester hours of chemistry (with one course in organic or biochemistry) and one course in mathematics, AND five years of clinical laboratory experience within the last ten years performing moderate and/or high complexity testing in blood banking, chemistry, hematology, microbiology, immunology and clinical microscopy (or categorical experience which matches categorical certification) in a clinical laboratory. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) Foreign Graduates. Graduates of foreign baccalaureate degree programs meet the educational and/or experience requirements if the degree is found to be equivalent to degree programs recognized by the NAACLS or clinical laboratory experience as described in paragraph 2b(2) or (3) above. This finding may be based on either of the following: (1) A letter from a college or university with a baccalaureate program recognized by the NAACLS stating that the individual's foreign degree has been evaluated and been found to be equivalent to its bachelor of medical technology degree. (2) A letter from ASCP-BOC or AMT stating that the individual is eligible for the certification examination. Certification. Candidates must have either (1) or (2) below: (1) Candidates must currently possess the appropriate certification as a MT, MLS, or CLS given by the ASCP-BOC, ASCP-BOR, or AMT. (CERTIFICATION REQUIRED) (2) For positions up to the full performance level, candidates must currently possess the categorical or specialist technologist level certification from the certification agencies listed above, such as, but not limited to, chemistry (C/SC), hematology (H/SH), microbiology (M/SM), molecular biology (MB/SMB) and blood bank (BB/SBB). Technologists with categorical or specialist certifications may only perform duties within the area of the laboratory specific to their categorical certification (e. g., an individual with a chemistry (C) certification can only perform duties in chemistry). (CERTIFICATION REQUIRED) Exception. Non-certified applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements for certification may be given a temporary appointment up to the full performance level not to exceed one year as a graduate medical technologist under the authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405(c)(2)(B). This appointment may not be extended. For grade levels above the full performance level, the candidate must be certified in accordance with paragraph 2d(1) above. Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Services. English Language Proficiency. Medical Technologist's must be proficient in spoken and written English. Grandfathering Provision. May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). Grade Determinations: GS-7 (Entry Level) Experience. None beyond the basic requirements. GS-9 (Full Performance Level) Experience. Must have 1 year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, which is directly related to the position to be filled. OR, Education. Must have Master's degree or 2 academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education in medical technology or directly related field. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 1. Comprehensive knowledge of professional MT principles, practices, concepts and theories providing for sound independent work. 2. Comprehensive knowledge of laboratory quality control and assurance procedures and principles of performance improvement in order to manage reagent and supply inventories and document control systems. 3. Knowledge of laboratory equipment and ability to maintain, troubleshoot and repair instrumentation. 4. Ability to plan, organize, set priorities, work as a team member and effectively complete assignments. 5. Ability to use independent technical judgment to analyze and interpret laboratory results. 6. Ability to read, interpret and apply complex written instructions. 7. Skilled in informatics, laboratory data flow and the understanding of laboratory processes. 8. Ability to communicate, consult and interact with other members of the healthcare team, external relations, customer service and patient education. Preferred Experience: Microbiology specific experience 1yr minimum Molecular testing /PCR (polymerase chain reaction) 1 yr minimum Automated serology/ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) 1 yr minimum Ability to work independently in a diverse environment Advanced communication skills References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/72 PART II APPENDIX G24 MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIST QUALIFICATION STANDARD GS-644 Veterans Health Administration MAY 12, 2014 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-09. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-07 to GS-09. Physical Requirements: Moderate lifting, 15-44 pounds; Moderate carrying, 15-44 pounds; Straight pulling (0.5 hours); Pushing (0.5 hours); Reaching above shoulder; Use of fingers (8 hours); Both hands required; Walking (4 hours); Standing (4 hours); Repeated bending (0.25 hours); Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4; Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other; Both eyes required; Depth perception; Ability to distinguish basic colors; Ability to distinguish shades of colors; Hearing (aid may be permitted); Sitting (4 hours); Mental and Emotional Stability

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

NOTE: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application.

Graduate Education. Graduate education and graduate degrees may be substituted as specified at each grade level. Education must have been from an accredited college or university in a field related to MT (e.g., biochemistry, chemistry, microbiology, immunology, hematology, immunohematology, biological science, physiology, allied health education, health systems administration, infection control and preventive medicine), which was accredited at the time the candidate completed the program.

Clinical practice programs completed after 1974 must have been accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP, formerly CAHEA), or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). The professional curriculum may have consisted of a post-baccalaureate certificate program or be integrated into a four-year program of study that culminated in a baccalaureate degree.

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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address VA Central Texas Health Care System 1901 Veterans Memorial Drive Temple, TX 76504 US
• Name: VISN 17 SSU USAS Group
• Email: [email protected]