USDA, Veterinary Services Saul T. Wilson, Jr., Internship Student Trainee (Veterinary Medicine)

If you are interested in an exciting and rewarding career that has an impact on the health of animal agriculture, consider the USDA Pathways Internship Program - Veterinary Services Saul T. Wilson Jr., Internship. Students interested in the Internship should click on the following link for more information: Saul T. Wilson, Jr. Factsheet.

Consider also applying to announcement PX-12284465-24-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 animal's 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 640 hrs 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.
• Satisfactory Background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
• Successful completion of two-year trial period.
• 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/
• Must be available to work a regular schedule when classes are in session as well as during scheduled breaks.
• Proof of enrollment/acceptance for the fall 2024 semester will be required if selected.
• The work is principally sedentary though there may be some walking or bending involved. The work is performed while sitting for long periods of time while using a computer.
• Occasional field work requires walking, bending, crouching and climbing for prolonged periods in rough terrain subject to a variety of weather conditions.
• The work environment involves everyday risks or discomforts which require normal safety precautions. The work may require wearing personal protective equipment when working alongside inspectors at facilities.
• Travel occurs on an occasional basis and visits to remote locations or isolated rural areas may be required where you may be subject to regular and recurring risks associated with working around animals.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement, including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below.

SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTOR: Students must be enrolled in a degree seeking program at the undergraduate level or higher in preveterinary, biomedical science, veterinary medicine, animal science, public health, or a closely related field of study.

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.

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.

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.
• 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.
• Letter of Recommendation and Essay: The following supplemental information and documentation are required as part of your application package prior to the closing date of the announcement.
  1. Letter of Recommendation from college officials such as professors, deans, or counselors. (Recommender may not be related to you.) You may substitute a supervisor's recommendation if the work experience under that supervisor is related to your college major.
  2. An Original Essay by you, not to exceed 1½ pages, addressing the topic, "Why I should receive a Saul T. Wilson, Jr., Internship and what contributions I hope to make to APHIS Veterinary Services."
• 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.

Before you submit an application for this vacancy, please carefully review the position requirements. Please apply only if you meet the required minimum qualifications AND Pathways Internship program eligibility requirements described in the announcement. Your application will be reviewed to determine if you meet the minimum qualification requirements. Your resume must clearly support your responses to all the questions addressing experience and education relevant to this position. If you have reviewed the announcement and believe that you meet both the minimum qualifications and the program requirements, you should document your experience and education in your resume. Since traditional resumes do not always provide all the information needed to determine your status, you should create a more detailed resume to use when applying to Federal positions. Your resume should include:

• Type of degree and date it was received or is expected to be received
• Statement of U.S. citizenship
• Job announcement number
• Work and/or volunteer experience including employment dates, hours worked per week, salary and supervisor information
• References
• Please ensure that your resume contains your full name, permanent address, contact phone number and email address.

Applicants who meet the eligibility requirements of the Pathways Internship program and the basic qualification requirements established for the position may be referred to the selecting official for consideration. Qualified applicants with veterans' preference are listed ahead of applicants who do not have veterans' preference. Note: 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. To preview the application questionnaire, please visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12284291