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Student Intern Veterinary Medicine

USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
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Be part of the USDA Pathways Internship Program - Saul T. Wilson, Jr. Internship - as a Student Intern for a comprehensive mentorship and career development program intended to prepare the employee for a career in the field of Veterinary Medicine. Saul T. Wilson, Jr. Factsheet 
 

Consider also applying to announcement PX-12925798-26-VSH if you are interested in the GS-07/09 grade levels.

 

Duties

  • The duties described are for the full-performance level. At developmental grade levels, assignments will be of more limited scope, performed with less independence and limited complexity. The duties may include, but are not limited to:
  • Support of program management and/or animal health information systems, including information gathering and data collection; data verification, tracking, coding, and entry; and document review and literature searches.
  • Observing and/or performing testing and identification activities for programs designed to manage disease in various livestock commodities such as cattle, swine, and cervids.
  • Drawing blood samples for laboratory testing and brands reactor animals.
  • Conducting elementary statistical, quantitative, or qualitative analysis.
  • Assisting veterinarians and laboratory support personnel in a variety of routine duties relative to animal disease control and eradication.
  • Attaching numbered tags to tested animals ears and recording tag numbers and animal descriptions on blood test record forms.

 

Requirements

Conditions of employment

  • You must be a US Citizen or US National.
  • Individuals who were born male after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
  • Must be in good academic standing as defined by their academic institution.
  • Complete at least 480 hours of work experience prior to completion of degree.
  • Enrolled at least half-time at a qualifying educational institution.
  • A signed participant agreement is required for employment under Pathways.
  • Must be available to work during scheduled breaks.
  • Satisfactory Background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
  • All USDA employees are required to be enrolled in Continuous Vetting, which authorizes government agencies to receive notifications of criminal activity on individuals who hold low risk, public trust, or national security positions.
  • Successful completion of two-year trial period. Refer to the Next Steps section for more information.
  • Direct Deposit: Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
  • Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/

 

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement, including selective placement factor and education, as defined below.

ELIGIBILITY: Students who are currently enrolled or accepted for enrollment on at least a half-time basis at a qualifying educational institution in a certificate, degree, or diploma program.

SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTOR: Students must be enrolled in a degree seeking program at the undergraduate level in pre-veterinary, biomedical science, veterinary medical science, animal science, public health, or a closely related field of study. Undergraduate level students are expected to pursue a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) at an accredited veterinary school or college within the United States upon graduation from bachelor's program.

Applicants can qualify by meeting the EDUCATION requirements specified below.
EDUCATION:
GS-4: Completion of 2 full academic years (60 semester or 90 quarter hours) of post-high school study or an associate's degree.
GS-5: Completion of 4 academic years of post-high school leading to a bachelor's degree or equivalent degree.

 

Applicants can qualify by meeting the EDUCATION requirements specified below.
EDUCATION:
GS-7: Completion of 1 full academic year of graduate level education (18 semester hours, 27 quarter hours or equivalent) or eligibility under the Superior Academic Achievement provision; to qualify based on superior academic achievement you must have completed the requirements for a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution AND must meet certain GPA requirements.

Superior Academic Achievement: To qualify based on superior academic achievement, you must have completed the requirements for a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution AND 1) have a class standing in the upper third of the graduating class, 2) membership in a national scholastic honor society (excluding Freshman honor societies), or 3) must meet certain GPA requirements. GPA requirements: 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 as recorded on official transcripts or as computed based on 4 years of education, or courses completed during the final 2 year of the curriculum; OR 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 based on the average of the required course completed in the major field or courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum (GPA will be rounded to one decimal place, e.g., 2.95 rounds to 3.0 and 2.94 rounds to 2.9).

GS-9: Completion of 2 academic years of graduate level education, or a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree.

 

Required Documents

The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, your system failure or downtime, etc. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.

  • Resume that includes: 1) personal information such as name, address, contact information; 2) education; 3) detailed work experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); 4) other qualifications; and 5) supervisors name and phone number for each work period listed and whether or not they may be contacted for reference checks. Resume cannot exceed two pages. Only one resume will be reviewed.
  • College Transcripts: You must submit a copy of your college transcripts. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application; however, if you are selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty. Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university. If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program. For further information, visit the following: Foreign Education Evaluation. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.
  • Proof of student status is required. Applicants must submit one of the following: a letter of acceptance to an accredited college or university for an upcoming academic term; OR Transcripts showing current enrollment at an accredited college or university; OR A letter on college/university stationery stating that you are enrolled for the current academic term.
  • If claiming veterans' preference, you must submit a DD214, Certificate of Release from Active Duty, which shows dates of service and discharge under honorable conditions. If currently on active duty you must submit a certification of expected discharge or release from active duty service under honorable conditions within 120 days after the date the certification is submitted. The certification must be on the letterhead of the appropriate military branch and include the dates of military service. Veterans' preference must be verified prior to appointment. Without this documentation, you will not receive veteran's preference and your application will be evaluated based on the material(s) submitted.
  • If claiming 10-point veterans' preference you must provide the DD214 or certification requirements (see above bullet), plus the proof of entitlement of this preference as listed on the SF-15 Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference. The SF-15 should be included but is not required. Failure to submit these documents could result in the determination that there is insufficient documentation to support your claim for 10-point preference. For more information on veterans' preference visit FEDSHIREVETS

 

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Applications will be evaluated in accordance with Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) Delegated Examining Procedures and USDA policy using category rating. This means you will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses to the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

Applicants who meet basic minimum qualifications will be placed in one of three categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified, or Qualified. Within these categories, applicants eligible for veteran's preference will receive selection priority over non-veterans.
Category placement will be determined based on applicants' quality of experience and the extent they possess the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities (KSAs), and other characteristics):
 

  • Attention to Detail
  • Flexibility
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Problem Solving
  • Self-Management
  • Technology Application



Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

Your application, including the online Assessment Questionnaire, will be reviewed to determine if you meet (a) minimum qualification requirements and (b) the resume supports the answers provided to the job-specific questions.

Your resume must clearly support your responses to all the questions addressing experience and education relevant to this position. Those determined to be in the best qualified category will be referred to the selecting official for consideration.

Candidates referred will be asked to provide a written response within 48 hours to a question related to the Pathways Internship Program opportunity. Your response will be used by the hiring official in the evaluation of your application. Failure to provide a response will impact the evaluation of your application.

Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities, or you may be found ineligible. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to including removal from the Federal service. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

To preview the application questionnaire, please visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12926641