About This Position
Fort Harrison VAMC is hiring a Chiropractic Physician who will provide examinations, diagnosis, treatment, and management of non-operative musculoskeletal and neuromuscular conditions.
Qualifications
Basic Requirements: Citizenship: Citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g, this part.) English Language Proficiency: Doctors of chiropractic appointed to direct patient-care positionsmust be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d) and 7407(d). Education: Degree of doctor of chiropractic, or its equivalent, resulting from a course of education in chiropractic. The degree must have been obtained from one of the schools or colleges approved by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for the year in which the course of study was completed.
Approved schools are: United States schools or colleges of chiropractic listed as accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education, at http://www.cce-usa.org/, or equivalent agency, in the list published for the year in which the course of study was completed. Schools (including foreign schools) accepted by the licensing body of a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States (i.e., Puerto Rico), or in the District of Columbia as qualifying for full or unrestricted licensure. Licensure or Registration (1) Doctor of Chiropractic (Except Residents).
Current, full and unrestricted license to practice chiropractic in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia. The facility Director may waive this requirement if the doctor of chiropractic is to serve in a country other than the United States and the doctor of chiropractic has licensure in that country. (2) Residents. Licensure in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia before completion of the first year of a VA residency.
Unlicensed residents must meet any registration or other equivalent requirements established for chiropractic residents of non-VA facilities or chiropractic clinics with which the VA facility is affiliated for training purposes during the first year of VA residency. Grade Determinations: Associate Grade (11): None beyond the basic requirements Full Grade (12) Two years of full-time chiropractic practice or its equivalent. One year of fulltime post-graduate residency specialty training from a chiropractic school or college by the Council on Chiropractic Education, or equivalent agency approved by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, is acceptable in lieu of the 2 years of practice.
Candidate must have demonstrated the professional competence and performance necessary to provide independently the full range of clinical diagnosis and chiropractic treatment for the most prevalent neuro-musculoskeletal conditions including subluxation complex. Intermediate Grade (13) A doctor of chiropractic at the Intermediate grade meets the requirements for Full grade and the requirements in subparagraphs 3c(1) and (2): (1) A total of 4 years of chiropractic practice or its equivalent. Acceptable in lieu of 4 years of practice is completion of a 3-year full-time post-graduate residency program from an accredited U.S. chiropractic college, as evidenced by documentation of completion (e.g., transcript), which renders the doctor of chiropractic eligible for certification by a specialty board recognized by the American Chiropractic Association, the International Chiropractors' Association, or the American Board of Chiropractic Specialties to obtain Diplomate status. (2) Demonstrates a high level of professional attainment.
Examples of such attainment are: (a) Is a recognized expert in dealing with a variety of unusually difficult chiropractic cases which are referred by other facilities for resolution and recommended courses of action to provide for maximum rehabilitation. Typically, in this capacity serves as a consultant to doctors of chiropractic or other professionals in other health care facilities. (b) Has assumed responsibility for a multi-faceted chiropractic program including clinical research and/or training requiring a high degree of competence and skill in developing innovative, new and advanced diagnostic and treatment techniques. Typically, the program is in an educationally affiliated health care facility having a chiropractic training program of moderate scope involving liaison with other medical services and affiliated schools. (c) Played a significant part in the conduct of research in a problem area of considerable scope and complexity that required novel approaches and which resulted in answers to important questions or important changes in existing methods and techniques.
Publications authored by the doctor of chiropractic are of considerable value to others in the individual's field. Typically, overall contributions are recognized by serving on important committees or other bodies in the profession. (d) Has full responsibility for carrying out a chiropractic training program of significant size in which the doctor of chiropractic is responsible for maintaining liaison with the affiliated school and other educational institutions and professional or scientific organizations. The individual has displayed innovative approaches in development of curriculum and course content and in expanding and improving the educational program.
Physical Requirements: Long periods of continued sitting, standing, walking, reaching, bending, climbing, lifting (45 pounds or more). Possible exposure to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders. Must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations and able to shift priorities based on patient needs.
Must be able to assist with positioning of patients.
Major Duties
Functions as a Chiropractic Physician within the PM&RS Department in the Montana VA Healthcare System (MTVAHCS). Responsible for providing medical care in an outpatient setting. Will provide care using face to face appointments.
Assures that Veterans receive compassionate, efficient, and safe patient care in their respective care line. Assures that clinical care provided meets all timelines and documentation as required by VHA policy. Providers must review alerts daily and have no more than 200 alerts at any given time.
Works collaboratively with various other providers within MTVAHCS. Ensures practice-based learning and improvement by being able to use scientific evidence and methods to investigate, evaluate, and improve patient care. Ensures patients are appropriately closed-out including a disposition that clearly indicates the next steps of care.
Works collaboratively within interdisciplinary teams. Assists with administrative consult management. Complies with local and national performance standars for Chiropractic care. Assures that all policies and procedures are in compliance with VHA regulations and directives, VISN guidelines, Facility policy, professional guidelines, and all accrediting and regulatory agencies.
Skill in handling crisis situations, effectively calming involved parties and resolving conflicts. Ability to promote good public relations with patient care and associated services for patients. Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8am-4:30pm
Conditions of Employment
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.
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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html. Degree of doctor of chiropractic, or its equivalent, resulting from a course of education in chiropractic.
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: United States schools or colleges of chiropractic listed as accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education, at http://www.cce-usa.org/, or equivalent agency, in the list published for the year in which the course of study was completed. Schools (including foreign schools) accepted by the licensing body of a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States (i.e., Puerto Rico), or in the District of Columbia as qualifying for full or unrestricted licensure.
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 You Will Be Evaluated
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.
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.
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 07/06/2026 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 CBSU-12993566-26-APL 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.