mikeSpa Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 Anyone have any experience working at a VA hospital? Besides the the obvious lower salary and great benefits, what are the other adv/disadv of working in a VA hospital as a PA? thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeSpa Posted April 14, 2011 Author Share Posted April 14, 2011 Anyone know ANYTHING? couldn't find much info online. thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffhud Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 I just interviewed at a VA hospital this week and the salary may be somewhat lower, but benefits are amazing. The other factor is the VA is paying you to work 40 hours per week and anything over that is overtime pay. Not many salaries out there for a job in the medical field are for 40 hours but more like 50-60 hours per week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeSpa Posted April 15, 2011 Author Share Posted April 15, 2011 Yea the only thing I heard about VA is lower salary approximately 10k less vs great benefits. My friends told me that work in a VA only if you're planning to work there for at least 20+ years (benefits, retirement plan and pension) otherwise it is pointless to work there. Hence, not to work there if you are fairly young pa. Anyone have any thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VAPA Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 I've been in the VA for over a decade. I have seen the nursing adminstration in DC trying to cripple the PA profession in every way it can. Although it is true, that we VA Physican Assistants have some good benefits, like 8 hours Annual Leave and 4 hours sick leave accrued for every 80 worked, a fairly steady institution that is likely to be around for a few more years, and a fairly good retirement TSP plan, there are lots of drawbacks. Nurse Practitioners are far ahead as far as VA prescriptive authority. They advance in salary much faster than PAs. They have a guaranteed nursing salary survey each year that PAs don't have. VA PAs have had poor leadership and representation in Washington DC for many years and we are paying for it. Many VA facilities are operating without PA Professional Standards Boards, as mandated by law. NPs try to represent themselves as totally Independent Practitioners - which I do not feel they are, since they are required to have a collaboration agreement. PAs can only prescribe in the VA system according to your STATE prescriptive authority. WV rates in the bottom of the barrel thanks to neglect from AAPA and the WVAPA. So, we cannot prescribe any controlled substances. In general, PAs were once greatly valued at the VA, but that is rapidly declining due to powerful nursing lobby and representation on the National level. But, I see that happening in the private sector as well. As for salary -- Im making 10K a year LESS than a NP with the exact experience. And I work in a specialty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas_PA Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 My dad works as a physician at the VA and loves it. Yes, there is bureaucracy and government red tape, but he has worked there for 20+ years and prefers it so much over private practice. He hires PAs all the time because there is such a shortage of doctors and relies on them for a LOT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeSpa Posted April 16, 2011 Author Share Posted April 16, 2011 I have an interview coming up for a surgical position in VA. Just don't know what to expect. I just heard the hours are very flexible, which is what i want. thanks for the info. I'll update more about it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeSpa Posted April 19, 2011 Author Share Posted April 19, 2011 The interview went well. They told me I'd be the first PA in the gen surg/plastic group. Therefore, they are still testing out on the schedule (couldn't definitively tell me my hours but they are looking at 40 hours per week -I'm hoping 3-4 days work week). However, there are rotating residents involved. So I will not get first dibs for cases. Clinic, OR, and floor work duties. I would be expected to do calls (not sure if that is compensated or not). Didn't discuss about salary yet. It seems interesting but I hope to get second interview to discuss further about salary, benefits, more definitive duties. Are va hospitals negotiable on salary and call compensations? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffhud Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 Typically no. I just interviewed and how they do it is they send off your qualifications ( BS. or MS, and years experience) to a payroll board who apply you to a GS Scale and a step within that scale. That gives you your salary. There are alterations to the scale like how many people applied and how hard it is to recruit to the particular area that help. Secondly there is tuition reimbursement available up to 50-60K over 5 or 6 years that may also be available. For call you get a small hourly rate and then if you have to go in it is like time and a half. There may be some small play in the salary, I am negotiating on mine currently, but with the govt there is not much wiggle room. Hope this helps from my recent experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffhud Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 Also for call, if you are called in, you get paid for a minimum of 2 hours each time you go in to the hospital. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VAPA Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 The board that determines your Grade is a Professional Standards Board comprised by a majority of PAs at the VA. Other members could be physicians, but again the majority MUST be PAs for a PA PSB. The board will determine Grade which is based on written qualification standards. The board may make a recommendation to the Facility Director on STEP, but that is only a recommendation. The Director makes the final decision on STEP. HR only plays a technical adviser role. They do not determine pay. I have attached the VHA Qualification Standards for various PA Grades. PA QUAL STANDARDS.doc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator ventana Posted April 20, 2011 Moderator Share Posted April 20, 2011 do these standard go with any grade and step?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Contrarian Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 Also... Be prepared for a Loooooooong hiring process. 6-9 months from interview to first day on the job is typical... so don't run off and quit your day job just yet...:wink: YMMV Contrarian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeSpa Posted April 20, 2011 Author Share Posted April 20, 2011 This grading system is quite unattractive. I saw the posting salary range for this position $63,723 - 102,798. I did a surgical residency and practicing in gen surg currently, totaling 2 years of experience. I would guess the offer would be probably be high 70k. This sucks. There better be good benefits, loan repayment, incentives and extra call money or else 75k is going to be hard to swallow for someone with two years of experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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