Department of Veterans Affairs

Physician-General Surgeon-Surgical Critical Care Intensivist

Houston, Texas Full time

Physician-General Surgeon-Surgical Critical Care Intensivist

Department: Department of Veterans Affairs

Location(s): Houston, Texas

Salary Range: $330000 - $350000 Per Year

Job Summary: The Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affair Medical Center (MED VAMC) in Houston, Texas is seeking a full­ time surgeon to work at the MED VAMC. This position will have an academic appointment at the Michael E DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine.

Major Duties:

  • VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. 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 The Michael E. DeBakey Veteran Affairs Medical Center in Houston, Texas is seeking a board certified, full-time general surgeon who is fellowship trained in Surgical Critical Care. A strong interest in teaching and research is preferred, and selected candidates will be committed to research and training of residents and fellows in critical care at Baylor College of Medicine. The general surgeon should be able to care for both elective and acute care patients and well versed on at least basic robotic procedures. Teamwork and the ability to interact with a multitude of specialists and subspecialists are an essential component of the position as we care for advanced, comprehensive surgical critical care including liver and cardiac transplant patients. Our group prides itself on excellence of care delivering expert and timely treatments to our veterans. Opportunities for academic growth and development of leadership skills are encouraged and ubiquitous. A successful candidate should be able to lead our complex general surgery program, which includes multidisciplinary clinics, conferences. Therefore, evidence of leadership skills and strong interest in academic medicine should be shown in CV. The candidate should have the ability to develop a research program in related fields to improve clinical outcomes for the Veterans' health care system and have the potential to contribute to the established research program in the General Surgery section. Furthermore, active interest and passion in the education of medical students and residents is expected. Duties include but aren't limited to: Skills and trainings in Special diagnostic or therapeutic procedures Interpretation of electrocardiogram, x-rays, lumbar puncture (with supervision) Incision and drainage of simple abscesses Suturing lacerations Closed cardiac massage and endotracheal intubation Aspiration or injection of joints (with supervision) Needle aspiration of tension pneumothorax Uses fluoroscopy procedures (with supervision) Work Schedule: TBD (variable due to call schedule coverage)

Qualifications: To qualify for this position, you must meet the basic requirements as well as any additional requirements (if applicable) listed in the job announcement. Applicants pending the completion of training or license requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Currently employed physician(s) in VA who met the requirements for appointment under the previous qualification standard at the time of their initial appointment are deemed to have met the basic requirements of the occupation. 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. Degree of doctor of medicine or an equivalent degree resulting from a course of education in medicine or osteopathic medicine. The degree must have been obtained from one of the schools approved by the Department of Veterans Affairs for the year in which the course of study was completed. Current, full and unrestricted license to practice medicine or surgery in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia. Residency Training: Physicians must have completed residency training, approved by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in an accredited core specialty training program leading to eligibility for board certification. (NOTE: VA physicians involved in academic training programs may be required to be board certified for faculty status.) Approved residencies are: (1) Those approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), b) OR [(2) Those approved by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA),OR (3) Other residencies (non-US residency training programs followed by a minimum of five years of verified practice in the United States), which the local Medical Staff Executive Committee deems to have provided the applicant with appropriate professional training and believes has exposed the physician to an appropriate range of patient care experiences. Residents currently enrolled in ACGME/AOA accredited residency training programs and who would otherwise meet the basic requirements for appointment are eligible to be appointed as "Physician Resident Providers" (PRPs). PRPs must be fully licensed physicians (i.e., not a training license) and may only be appointed on an intermittent or fee-basis. PRPs are not considered independent practitioners and will not be privileged; rather, they are to have a "scope of practice" that allows them to perform certain restricted duties under supervision. Additionally, surgery residents in gap years may also be appointed as PRPs. Proficiency in spoken and written English. Additional Requirement: The candidate must be board-certified in General Surgery/Critical Care. Preferred Experience: Must have critical care experience in an SICU unit. A minimum of 3 years or more experience post fellowship training. Fellowship trained. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: Functional Requirements Light lifting, under 15 pounds Light carrying, under 15 pounds Reaching above shoulder Use of fingers Walking 2 hours Standing 4 hours Both legs required Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously Both eyes required Depth perception Ability to distinguish basic colors Ability to distinguish shades of colors Environmental Factors Outside and inside Electrical energy Working around machinery with moving parts Working around moving objects or vehicles Working closely with others Protracted or irregular hours of work

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 11/25/2025 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 CBST-12816410-26-JR 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.

Application Deadline: 2025-11-25