Medical and Public Health Jobs in the Federal Government
There are numerous federal employment opportunities in the field of medicine — including many clinical, research, public health and health policy positions.
Clinical Job Profiles
Here are examples of recent job openings. Explore more and apply now at USA Jobs.
Physician's Assistant
- Salary Range: $52,468 - $82,135 per year
- Duty Locations: Multiple locations
- Summary: Join the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery at the Department of the Navy as a Physician’s Assistant and provide high quality health care to active duty Navy and Marine Corps members, as well as retired naval officers and their family members.
- Major Duties: Supervise, lead, or perform duties that involve assisting physicians with diagnostic and therapeutic medical care and services under their guidance. Assist in the examination and observation of patients by performing such duties as taking case histories, conducting physical examinations, and ordering laboratory studies during hospital rounds and clinic visits.
Clinical Nurse
- Salary Range: $49,850 - $61,064 per year
- Duty Locations: Multiple locations
- Summary: At the Department of Health and Human Services a Clinical Nurse will provide regular professional nursing duties and care for general medical-surgical, obstetrical, pediatric and behavioral patients.
- Major Duties: Take initial patient complaint, assess patient, and plan visit. Provide emergency care on an as needed basis; perform triage for surgery. Assess and provide appropriate support and treatment to those patients with common chronic illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, and tuberculosis. Initiate and/or follow up on patient needs for continuing care.
Dental Hygienist
- Salary Range: $29,821 - $63,629 per year
- Duty Locations: Multiple locations
- Summary: At the Department of the Navy’s field offices, you may supervise, lead, or perform dental hygiene work that requires knowledge of the concepts, techniques and procedures of dental hygiene.
- Major Duties: Provide oral prophylaxis, preliminary periodontal examinations using diagnostic tests and x-rays. Provide oral health education. Prepare treatment plans for plaque control, and apply topical fluorides and desensitizing agents to the teeth. Plan, conduct and evaluate preventative dental health programs for communities such as military installations and public health program areas.
Physical Therapist
- Salary Range: $51,271 - $65,704 per year
- Duty Locations: Washington, D.C.
- Summary: U.S., and assist in providing the best possible care for the Nation's veterans.
- Major Duties: Administer a full range of physical therapy procedures at the Department of Veterans Affairs to meet complex treatment objectives for patients whose illnesses are acute, critical or chronic in nature in conjunction with a combination of severe physical and/or mental disabilities, requiring expertise in highly specialized skills, knowledge, and experience; evaluate each assigned patient as well as execute special testing procedures.
Psychologist
- Salary Range: $60,576-$93,643 per year
- Duty Locations: Syracuse, NY
- Summary: The Department of Veterans Affairs seeks a Psychologist to serve in the Behavioral Health Outpatient Center and Chemical Dependency Center at the Syracuse VA Medical Center.
- Major Duties: Responsibilities include the following: direct assessment, treatment, and educational programs that take place in the center, and work closely with the lead psychologist to develop treatment programs and training opportunities that improve care at the center. In addition the Psychologist will carry a limited caseload of individuals with substance abuse disorders.
Research Job Profiles
Here are examples of recent job openings. Explore more and apply now at USA Jobs.
Clinical Trials Monitoring Specialist
- Salary Range: $52,468 - $81,747 per year
- Duty Locations: Rockville, MD
- Summary: The Clinical Trials Monitoring Specialist will work at the National Cancer Institute, the Federal Government’s principal agency for cancer research and training.
- Major Duties: Oversee, monitor the compliance, and ensure the integrity of National Cancer Institute-sponsored clinical trials. Evaluate and review protocols and informed consents for submitted clinical trials and participate as a member of the Protocol Review Committee.
Nurse Specialist (Research)
- Salary Range: $54,272 - $84,559 per year
- Duty Locations: Bethesda, MD
- Summary: Work for the Department of Health and Human Services in the Vaccine Research Center at the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).
- Major Duties: The Nurse Specialist will conduct clinical research on HIV preventive and therapeutic vaccines. Responsibilities include: recruiting and monitoring of patients for research studies, conducting seminars and informal counseling sessions with patients and their families, interpreting laboratory tests and their results, maintaining computer database and conducting additional research on HIV/AIDS.
Research Assistant
- Salary Range: $35,116 - $45,648 per year
- Duty Locations: El Paso and Ft Bliss, TX
- Summary: The Army Medical Command is seeking a civilian employee to provide a vital role in supporting Navy operations.
- Major Duties: Responsible for maintenance and submission of all research and medical treatment protocols through the Department of Clinical Investigation. Ensure that the researchers adhere to the necessary documentation as directed by federal regulations. Keep up with records including renewal or extension of current studies, and provide annual progress reports.
Public Health and Health Policy Job Profiles
Here are examples of recent job openings. Explore more and apply now at USA Jobs.
Program Analyst
- Salary Range: $43,365 - $97,213 per year
- Duty Locations: Washington, D.C.
- Summary: The Program Analyst will work at the Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. government's principal agency responsible for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves.
- Major Duties: Provide technical assistance related to planning and response to all hazardous emergency incidents, develop quality programs to improve the effectiveness of public health and medical emergency management programs, analyze emergency preparedness programs, and deploy with an Emergency Response team when directed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Epidemiologist
- Salary Range: $76,193 - $99,053 per year
- Duty Locations: Cairo, Egypt
- Summary: Working for the National Center for Infectious Diseases the Epidemiologist will join a team in working to prevent illness, disability, and death caused by infectious diseases in the United States and around the world. NCID staff members work in partnership with local and state public health officials, other federal agencies, medical and public health professional associations and international and public service organizations.
- Major Duties: Design, oversee, conduct, and participate in epidemiological studies, surveys, or investigations of emerging infections. Identify and analyze public health issues and their impact on public policies or scientific studies or surveys. Provide scientific and technical guidance to international, national, state and local governments, universities, health-related organizations and private and public foundations.
Health Education Specialist
- Salary Range: $61,741 - $80,260 per year
- Duty Locations: Atlanta, GA
- Summary: The Health Education Specialist will work with the National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention, part of the Centers for Disease Control. This Center is responsible for public health surveillance, prevention research, and programs to prevent and control HIV infection and AIDS, other sexually transmitted diseases and tuberculosis.
- Major Duties: Serve as an authoritative technical expert for tuberculosis public health education, training, public awareness activities, and Web sites. Assess and evaluate the quality and effectiveness of current training activities and materials. Plan, direct, conduct and evaluate training courses, conferences, and workshops regarding tuberculosis prevention, control, and treatment.
Internship, Fellowship and Scholarship Programs for Undergraduate and Graduate Students
Clinical
Department of Veterans Affairs’ Learning Opportunities Residency (VALOR): This VA program offers clinical training for nursing students who have completed their junior year. The program lasts anywhere between three and twelve months.
http://www.vacareers.com/l2_assistance.html
Indian Health Services Pharmacy Residency Program: Graduate students in Pharmaceuticals can spend a year working on a reservation in one of twelve community-based health programs.
http://
www.ihs.gov/medicalprograms/pharmacy/Resident/resprgm.asp
Bureau of the Prisons: Candidates with a bachelor’s degree in medical technology, physical therapy, nursing or another related health care occupation can serve as a physician’s assistant. Physicians’ assistants provide diagnostic and therapeutic medical care and services to inmates in federal prisons.
http://
www.bop.gov/
Research
NIH Undergraduate Scholarship Program: Each year 15 recipients are provided up to $20,000 over four years. Recipients must agree to accept a full-time position at the NIH after graduation. Students from disadvantaged backgrounds interested in biomedical or behavioral research are eligible to apply.
http://ugsp.info.nih.gov
National Institute of Health’s Summer Internship Program in Biomedical Research: One thousand high school, college and graduate students are selected each year (and paid a stipend). Most interns work for one of the NIH’s centers at its headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland, but there are also laboratory positions available in Arizona, Montana and North Carolina. Past researchers have worked on issues such as hearing loss and childhood disease.
http://www.training.nih.gov/student/internship/internship.asp
HHMI-NIH Research Scholars Program: This program, also known as the Cloister Program, provides outstanding medical and dental students with the opportunity to receive training at the National Institute of Health. Research Scholars work directly under the mentorship of a senior NIH research scientist conducting basic, translational, or applied biomedical research.
http://www.asph.org
Department of Homeland Security Scholars and Fellows Program: The program provides 100 award recipients with stipends and tuition for either a 2-year undergraduate scholarship or a 3-year graduate student fellowship. The program also includes internship opportunities and is open to students studying issues related to the United States’ defense against terrorism, including psychology and science.
http://www.orau.gov/dhsed
Public Health and Health Policy
Center for Disease Control’s Public Health Fellowship Program: This eight-week program allows students to learn about public health practices and attend seminars on pressing public health issues. The program is open to junior or senior undergraduates of African American, Hispanic or Native American descent.
http://www.cdc.gov/hrmo/train.htm
Public Health Reports (PHR) Internship: This internship program offers students the opportunity to work for the official journal of the United States Public Health Service. The student intern will assist the Editor of PHR on most aspects of producing the Journal including reading and reviewing new manuscripts, conducting research and monitoring public health news. Interns may also conduct interviews and develop new editorial content for the Journal.
http://www.asph.org/
Internship, Fellowship and Scholarship Programs for Graduates, POST- DOCS and Professionals
Clinical
Oncology Nursing Fellowship at the National Institutes of Health: Registered nurses with medical or surgical experience interested in oncology nursing can participate in this fellowship program. Nurses attend classes on topics such as chemotherapy and work directly with patients at the NIH Clinical Center.
http://www.cc.nih.gov/nursing/profopp/educationtraining.html
JRCOSTEP: This paid summer program introduces students to the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, which provides highly-trained and mobile health professionals in times of national or international emergencies. Students enrolled full-time in a professionally-accredited baccalaureate health related field such as dietetics, physician assistant training, nursing, pharmacology, therapy, as well as those in medical, dental or veterinary school may be eligible for JRCOSTEP. JRCOSTEP participants work in the health agencies of the Department of Heath and Human Services or other federal agencies utilizing these health backgrounds.
http://www.usphs.gov/html/jrcostep.html
Research
Intramural Research Training Award Fellowship: The Fellowship allows recent graduates to take one year off between college and medical school to conduct research with leading NIH scientists. Fellows must have already been accepted to a graduate or medical school and must have the ability to defer their enrollment.
http://www.training.nih.gov/student/Pre-IRTA/irtamanualinterim.asp
Department of Veterans Affairs’ Research Experience Program: The Program encourages undergraduates, graduate students, post-docs and faculty from Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, and Native American-Serving Colleges to participate in ongoing VA health services research.
http://www.hsrd.research.va.gov/for_researchers/funding/programs/
Howard Hughes Medical Institute/National Institutes of Health (NIH) Research Scholars Program: Every year 42 students from medical and dental school participate in this program and spend nine months to a year conducting biomedical research with senior NIH scientists. Scholars are also eligible for a scholarship financing their remaining year or two of medical or dental school. http://www.hhmi.org/research/cloister/index.html
Public Health and Health Policy
Emerging Leaders Program at the Department of Health and Human Services: This program offers graduating students with a two-year opportunity to work with government executives, researchers and policy makers. Applicants must be pursuing a career in science, public health, social sciences, information technology or administration.
http://www.hhs.gov/jobs/elp/
Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH)/Centers for Disease Control (CDC)/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) Internship Program: This internship program is part of a cooperative agreement between the ASPH, ATSDR and CDC. It provides students who are currently enrolled in a masters or doctoral level degree program in an ASPH member school of public health with the opportunity to apply their academic knowledge in the field and gain real life public health experience. http://www.asph.org
Emerging Infectious Disease Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship Program: This two year training program, sponsored by the Association of Public Health Laboratories, provides doctoral-level (Ph.D., M.D., D.V.M.) scientists with an emphasis on research or development in infectious diseases. Fellows will conduct applied research or development in areas relevant to public health including, but not limited to the following: development and evaluation of diagnostic and sub typing techniques, antimicrobial sensitivity and assessment of mechanisms of resistance, principles and practices of vector or animal control, improved methodologies for environmental sampling, testing, and evaluation. http://www.aphl.org/training_and_fellowships/fellowships/index.cfm?FellowshipID=1
American Society for Microbiology ASM/National Center for Infectious Diseases (NCID) Postdoctoral Research Associates Program in Infectious Diseases and Public Health Microbiology: This two year program provides postdoctoral scientists with opportunities to conduct research with the objective of developing applications for microbiology, immunology, and epidemiology to diagnose and prevent infectious diseases. Results will be published and Associate will present findings at national meetings. For study purposes Associates are required to maintain contact with the ASM for a minimum of ten years. http://www.asm.org/Education/index.asp?bid=15497
Federal Jobs by the Numbers
Average Salaries for Medical and Public Health Positions by Field
Field |
Federal Health Workers' Average Salaries |
All Health Workers' Average Salaries |
|---|---|---|
Practical Nurses |
$32,070 | $31,490 |
Medical and Clinical Laboratory |
$47,330 | $43,060 |
Dieticians and Nutritionists |
$52,090 | $41,070 |
Occupational Therapists |
$52,470 | $52,210 |
Registered Nurses |
$56,350 | $48,240 |
Physicians Assistants |
$63,690 | $62,410 |
Pharmacists |
$72,830 | $71,890 |
Family and General Practitioners |
$91,680 | $110,020 |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2001
Number of Medical and Public Health Positions by Agency
Agency |
FTP Medical and Public Health Positions* |
Anticipated Openings 2005-2006** |
|---|---|---|
Department of Veterans Affairs |
104,725 | 18,196 |
Department of Defense |
22,020 | 39,980 |
Department of Health and Human Services |
16,088 | 18,685 |
Department of Justice |
2,019 | 7,850 |
Department of Labor |
535 | 1,050 |
Department of Agriculture |
444 | 6,439 |