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The U.S. Department of State is developing a rank-ordered list of eligible hires for a limited number of Family Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants, Foreign Service Medical Provider (MP) positions. Learn more about Foreign Service medical careers.
There is more to joining the Foreign Service than just salary. Refer to the Benefits section for more information on total compensation.
Learn more about this agency01/08/2025 to 01/21/2025
$113,389 - $120,655 per year
FP 03
No
No
Occasional travel - Foreign Service Specialists generally spend the majority of their careers assigned to overseas posts and, may, at times, live away from family and/or in difficult or isolated conditions.
Yes—Upon completing orientation and initial training in Washington, D.C., employees are assigned to two sequential tours, typically two-years each, directed by the Department. These entry-level assignments may be overseas or in the United States. After the initial two tours, employees have greater choice as to the location, length, and substantive nature of assignments.
Permanent - Permanent after tenure granted by a Foreign Service Specialist (FSS) Tenure Board.
Full-time
Excepted
MC
Yes
Yes
MP-2025-0001
826479500
Must be a U.S. citizen. Candidates should read the entire announcement to ensure they meet all requirements. Candidates may reapply one year after their most recent date of application submission for the same position. Candidates may not apply if a State Department Suitability Review Panel denied suitability in the last two years for any position, (except if the denial was for a DS Special Agent (SA) candidate whose denial was based solely on the unique requirements for SAs).
The Bureau of Medical Services (MED) maintains and promotes the health of employees and their eligible family members who represent U.S. government agencies abroad. The Department assigns Family Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants, Foreign Service Medical Providers (MPs), to posts overseas. Many of these posts have significant health risks and local medical care that is inadequate by U.S. standards.
A Family Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant, Foreign Service Medical Provider works either independently or as a member of a team of Medical Specialists to provide medical support. A Foreign Service Medical Provider is considered essential personnel and is expected to be available on-call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. MP’s duties may include, but are not limited to:
Providing Primary Health Care Services
Managing Occupational Health and Preventive Medicine Programs
Administering Health Unit Functions
Coordinating Emergency Medical Response
Embassy or State Department Specific Responsibilities
Essential Physical Requirements
Basic physical ability requirements are vision, hearing, speaking, mental endurance, dexterity, and mobility. In addition, MPs may need to perform other physical essential functions effectively with or without reasonable accommodation, in environments that pose physical or other occupational challenges. These duties may include:
Licensure and Certification
The candidate must be currently licensed as Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) or Physician Assistant/Physician Associate (PA) in a state, a territory of the U.S., Puerto Rico, or the District of Columbia and must have current national certification as a FNP or the PA-equivalent from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, American Association of Nurse Practitioners or the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants. Applications will not be accepted from Nurse Practitioners or Physician Assistants who are not currently licensed and certified. Licenses and national board certification and re-certification as a Family Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant must be maintained during employment with the Department’s Bureau of Medical Services. Once hired, the candidate will be required to obtain and maintain a District of Columbia license. Attach all required licenses and certifications to application.
Continuing Medical Education (CME)
MPs receive at least 25 hours of Category 1 CME credit through an annual State Department-sponsored Continuing Medical Education conference.
Specialized Experience
The candidate must have a minimum of five (5) years of full-time clinical experience within the past seven (7) years, post NP or PA family practice certification. Full time is defined as a minimum of 40 hours/week with at least 75% of the time involved in direct primary care or 30 hours/week with 100% of time involved in direct primary care. Otherwise qualified clinicians who have practiced primarily emergency medicine, hospital-based practice or other non-ambulatory settings must demonstrate thorough understanding of primary care practice fundamentals as defined in the next paragraph.
"Primary care” encompasses adult and pediatric diagnosis and treatment of acute illness and management of chronic diseases, routine gynecologic care, prenatal care, adult health maintenance and preventive health care, well child-care and immunization management. It embraces the total family unit across the lifespan, including emotional and physical aspects that impact overall well-being. The Medical Provider utilizes and coordinates sub-specialty professional consultations when needed.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA)
The Department has conducted extensive job analysis research to determine Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) and other attributes conducive to successful performance in this position. A candidate’s education level, work experience, and other qualifications will be considered as part of the hiring decision-making process based on these KSA criteria.
The candidate must have demonstrated a high degree of clinical and management expertise. The patient population covered is unique because of background and lifestyle as part of a diplomatic community overseas. This population also differs in terms of clinical and administrative needs and the national security concerns inherent in their employment. Previous experience working in similar occupational settings and/or in an overseas setting is advantageous.
The candidate must demonstrate the ability to manage administrative aspects of a HU as well as the ability to cope with extraordinary medical crises, often in remote and isolated settings. Education and experience must demonstrate that the candidate can function as a public/community health provider.
The candidate must be a skilled and experienced primary health care practitioner with excellent interpersonal skills. The candidate must be able to function well within a complex organization and have experience working in a high stress environment. Also be able to recognize and understand the problems of delivering healthcare to Americans posted in locations where local medical resources are limited or non-existent. The ability to logically and objectively analyze patient problems, and apply sound clinical judgment is required. Experience in providing long distance triage and care via electronic communications such as telephone, telemedicine, radio, and e-mail is preferred.
The candidate must have the capacity to gain the cooperation and confidence of patients, co-workers, supervisors, and subordinates. Individuals must have experience working in a multidisciplinary practice as well as experience in team building, leadership and management. Effective written and oral communication skills are essential, as well as the ability to present medical findings in a clear and concise manner to medical and non-medical personnel. Demonstrated ability to teach or lecture to groups on medical issues is preferred.
The candidate must be able to develop, coordinate, and administer healthcare delivery programs. These include but are not limited to individual and community health promotion and disease prevention programs to include teaching health topics to small and large groups.
The candidate must be able to organize and supervise a diverse group of health care providers with varying degrees of expertise, education, and command of English. The candidate must understand the unique cultural differences related to healthcare delivery in varied countries and address these differences in a positive manner. The candidate must be able to assess, diagnose, and treat infectious diseases.
The candidate must possess a high degree of integrity, decisiveness and fairness in order to equitably apply regulations and policies of the medical program to all eligible persons.
Knowledge and hands-on familiarity with computer systems are preferred.
Specific medical knowledge areas required by the job include: family practice, pediatrics, women’s health issues, obstetrics, infectious disease, orthopedics, dermatology, gastroenterology, neurology, urology, laboratory/radiology/other diagnostic testing, pharmacology, general surgery, mental health conditions, alcoholism and drug abuse, nutrition, emergency medical techniques, immunizations, health-related environmental factors, food and water safety, occupational safety and health, and quality assurance procedures.
Specific medical skills required by the job include: family practice, clinical interviewing, physical assessment, performing medical clearance examinations, performing medical procedures, operating medical equipment, planning of evaluation and treatment, triage, data interpretation, and research techniques. Candidates must provide comprehensive health assessments and medical care to individuals and families across the lifespan.
Management skills required by the job include: supervision, leadership, teaching others, managing personnel and financial resources, contingency planning and crisis management, organizing and managing events/programs/projects, time management, collaborating, working with limited resources, acclimating to different cultures, and computer use.
Personal skills required by the job include: reading comprehension, active listening, oral and written communication, public speaking, active learning, complex problem identification, critical thinking, judgment and decision making, math, social perceptiveness, interpersonal skills, persuasion, service orientation, monitoring, coordination, and process operation and control.
Other attributes required by the job include: compassionate, resilient, self-confident, firm convictions, independent but integrated with the department, interest in continuous learning and change, interest in foreign service work, tolerance of on-call and emergency demands, tolerance of travel, worldwide available, and tolerance of living away from family.
Superior oral and written communication skills: The candidate must demonstrate a strong command of the English language to include grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Foreign Service Specialists must consistently meet a high standard for English, both written (overall structure as well as grammar, spelling, and punctuation) and spoken (overall structure as well as delivery, clarity, and succinctness).
At the time of application, the candidate must possess:
And
Or
Education from a program or institution within the United States must be accredited at the time of program completion by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Foreign Education
Foreign education acquired outside of any state of the U.S., the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, or any territory or possession of the U.S. must be evaluated by a member organization of one of the two national associations of credential evaluation services (NACES or AICE) in order to be given credit towards qualification.
For further information on the evaluation of foreign education, please refer to the Office of Personnel Management, Foreign Education section, and the U.S. Department of Education. The U.S. Department of State neither endorses nor recommends any individual evaluation service.
*EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION PROGRAM (E-Verify) – Verification of employment eligibility in the United States is required.
U.S. law requires companies to employ only individuals who may legally work in the U.S. – either U.S. citizens, or foreign citizens who have the necessary authorization. This agency utilizes E-Verify to compare information from the Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration (SSA) records to confirm employment eligibility. If the employee’s information does not match DHS and/or SSA records, the employee is given an opportunity to resolve the problem. If eligibility cannot be verified, employment will be terminated.
**The U.S. Department of State Suitability Review Panel and standards are defined in Chapter 3 of the Foreign Affairs Manual. For more information, please visit the Foreign Affairs Manual.
***For more information about Veteran’s Preference and how it is applied in the selection process, please visit the FAQs.
No candidate will be considered who has previously been separated from the Foreign Service under sections §607, §608, §610 or §611 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980, as amended, or who resigned or retired in lieu of separation under these provisions. In addition, no candidate will be considered who has previously been separated for failure to receive a career appointment under section §306 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980, as amended, or who resigned or retired in lieu thereof.
A Foreign Service Specialist separated for failure to receive a career appointment under section 306 may not re-apply to be a Foreign Service Specialist in the same skill code but may apply for another skill code or to be a Foreign Service Generalist.
Executive Branch agencies are barred by 5 US Code 3303 as amended from accepting or considering prohibited political recommendations and are required to return any prohibited political recommendations to sender. In addition, as mandated by 5 US Code 3110, relatives of federal employees cannot be granted preference in competing for these employment opportunities.
It is the policy of the Federal Government to treat all employees with dignity and respect and to provide a workplace that is free from discrimination whether discrimination is based on race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity or pregnancy), national origin, disability, political affiliation, marital status, membership in an employee organization, age, sexual orientation, or other non-merit factors.
The U.S. Department of State provides reasonable accommodation to candidates with disabilities. Procedures vary by test type, and all candidates must request reasonable accommodations in advance. For more information visit Requesting Reasonable Accommodations - Careers (state.gov). Decisions for granting reasonable accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Candidates will be evaluated on their total background including experience, education, awards, training, and self-development as it relates to the position. Selection for this position will be made only from among candidates possessing the best qualifications. Part-time work experience will be prorated.
The Department of State prohibits candidates from plagiarizing any portion of their employment application materials to include responses to questions in which candidates must provide a narrative response. Candidates must create their own responses originally and not copy or adapt them from other sources. The Department analyzes candidate submissions for plagiarism and will discontinue any individual’s candidacy if found to have violated this plagiarism policy.
While the Department of State encourages candidates to create their narratives with great care, including correct use of grammar and style, candidates are prohibited from using any artificial intelligence (AI) tool, to include but not limited to ChatGPT, to aid in their written responses. The Department will discontinue any individual’s candidacy if found to have violated this prohibition on use of AI tools in the application process.
Medical Credential Verification and Indemnification
The candidate is subject to a credential verification process conducted by the Quality Management Staff Unit of the Bureau of Medical Services.
This process includes query of the National Practitioner Data Bank and independent verification of state licenses and national certifications. Once hired, medical personnel are indemnified for official duties only through the U.S. Federal Tort Claims Act, so long as they are acting within their scope of work.
Active Bureau of Medical Services clinical privileges, specific to the position, are a condition of employment for all Foreign Service Medical Specialists.
It is the responsibility of the candidate to ensure all required documents are uploaded and the application is complete before the closing deadline of this announcement.
PDF documents are required. The candidacy will be terminated if the required documents do not meet the requirements below or if the application is incomplete.
1. Resume from USAJobs Resume Builder, the only resume format accepted for this Vacancy Announcement.
2. The candidate must answer all self-assessment questions, include 10-years of work history, and complete the Accomplishments Questionnaire, including Clinical Experience, and Statement of Interest. Applications missing any responses will be terminated. Information in cover letters, resumes, or CVs, but not included in the application, will not be accepted/reviewed.
3. Education Documents
The candidate must submit university transcripts and verification of highest level of medical training to demonstrate that they possess the educational level required for this position or the candidacy will be terminated. University diplomas are not accepted in lieu of transcripts.
The transcripts must comply with the following requirements to be accepted:
4. Certifications and Licenses
Attach the required certifications listed in the Qualifications: Licensure and Certification Section.
5. Veteran’s Preference documentation for candidates aged 60 to 64. If claiming Veteran’s Preference, submit a copy of the candidate’s DD-214 "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty" that must include the candidate’s Character of Service must be submitted with the application. If claiming a 10-point Veteran’s Preference, the candidate’s VA letter and SF-15 must be submitted in addition to the DD-214. A certification from the armed forces is required only if a veteran has not yet received their DD-214. It must confirm that the service member is expected to be discharged under honorable conditions within 120 days and include service dates, expected discharge date, character of service, and any applicable disability rating.
The application submission deadline is 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date of this announcement. It is the candidate’s responsibility to complete application and submit all required documents before the closing deadline. There are no exceptions.
1. From this Vacancy Announcement, click on “Apply.” Go to USAJobs Login screen and log in to your USAJobs account or follow the link and instructions to create an account.
2. Follow the USAJobs Application Process and provide your required USAJobs federal online resume.
3. USAJobs will transfer you to the U.S. State Department agency online application site, Monster Government Service (MGS). Follow instructions to answer online questions. The Accomplishments Questionnaire and Statement of Interest responses must be completed in the online application. You may save your work and return to the application from USAJobs any time prior to the deadline.
Accomplishments Questionnaire
These required questions provide an opportunity to describe examples and accomplishments from candidate’s education, work, and/or life experience that demonstrate qualifications for becoming a Foreign Service Specialist. Examples can be drawn from any part of candidate’s professional or personal experience. Each response is limited to 300 words or fewer for each item. Compose carefully, as one of the skills necessary to succeed as a Foreign Service Specialist is the ability to write clearly and concisely.
Clinical Experience:
Organizational Skills: Describe your participation in a project that demonstrates your planning, communication, time management, and organizational skills. Describe how your written and oral communication skills contributed to a positive result.
Leadership and Teamwork Skills: Discuss your abilities to lead as well as participate on a multidisciplinary team working toward a common goal. Describe the strengths and skills you drew upon to influence the team. Include examples of successfully supervising and managing staff.
Interpersonal Skills: Provide an example of dealing with a difficult supervisor or colleague. How did you approach the situation and what resources did you use to help resolve the conflict?
Crisis Management Skills: Describe an example in which your skills, clinical and/or other, significantly contributed to a positive outcome of a complex crisis event, including what you learned from the recent COVID pandemic.
Work flexibility: Describe examples illustrating your willingness to change, learn, and take on new assignments despite challenging work setting and work demands.
Statement of Interest
Required narrative Statement of Interest which discusses your:
4. Submit required documentation using one of the three methods the application system allows:
a. Transfer documents from a USAJOBS portfolio;
b. Upload documents from your computer; or,
c. Resubmit documents from a previous application.
5. After attaching all required supporting documentation, answering all required application questions, and completing the application steps, review the entire application packet, including the submitted documents. Multiple transcripts can be scanned into one pdf document.
6. Confirm and submit your application package, which will be used to evaluate your qualifications for this position.
Candidates experiencing technical difficulties with the application must contact the Monster Help Desk by calling 1-866-656-6830 or by emailing mgshelp@monster.com. The Monster Help Desk is available Monday to Friday 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
For more information on Foreign Service Specialist hiring processes, please visit our FAQs.
After the close of the announcement, the application status in USAJobs will say "Reviewing Applications." This status on USAJobs will not be updated further. You can click on "Track this application" for more information.
Candidates should use a personal email address to which they will have regular, long-term access throughout the hiring process. Candidates who are current U.S. government employees may not use their U.S. government email addresses for the Foreign Service application, testing, and assessment process.
Candidates will be notified by e-mail from the U.S. Department of State about the outcome of the initial application review and if they will be further considered for this Foreign Service position. Candidates should add the U.S. Department of State domain (@state.gov) as an approved sender.
Due to the high volume of applications, we ask all candidates to remain patient and await communication. It is not uncommon for several months to pass before candidates are informed of the application results.
The Department of State will invite candidates who pass the qualifications review process to participate in the Virtual Foreign Service Specialist Assessment (VFSSA). For more information, please visit our FAQs.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/826479500. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
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