Physician Assistant

Who May Apply: US Citizens

In order to qualify, you must meet the education and experience requirements described below. 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; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document.

Basic Requirements for Physician Assistant:

Education: Graduation from a physician assistant educational program, accredited by the Accreditation Review Committee on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) or its predecessors, at a college, university, or educational institution that is accredited by an accrediting body or organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained.

Certification: Successful completion of the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) examination; must maintain status as a certified physician assistant, including completion of all requirements for Continuing Medical Education (CME) and re-certification.

Licensure: Applicants must possess a current, active, full, and unrestricted license or registration as a Physician Assistant from a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States.

Exemption: You are exempt from the license requirements above if you are a current federal employee occupying a position in the 0603 occupational series and have been continuously employed in this occupational series since September 27, 2017 or before. Note: You will be required to provide appropriate documentation to the respective Human Resources Office to validate your status.

In addition to meeting the basic requirements above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below:

GS-13 Experience: A minimum of one full year of work experience serve as primary health care provider in the capacity of a credentialed Physician Assistant; Independently perform direct health care within the field of Primary Care for pediatric, adult and geriatric patients; Assess, plan, evaluate and initiate/modify health plans of acute and chronically ill patients; Perform physical examinations, special physicals, and other related physical examinations on assigned patients; Order laboratory tests, x-rays and other procedures; perform outpatient surgical and non-surgical procedures; write prescriptions; Arrange for Physician consultation when required.




Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this job, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone--no substitution of education for experience is permitted.