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Position Title
Medical Instrument Technologist (Diagnostic Ultrasound)
Agency
Veterans Health Administration
Announcement Number
CBSU-12710761-25-JMS Opens in new window
Open Period
Thursday, March 20, 2025 to Tuesday, September 2, 2025
For preview purposes only. To apply, please return to the USAJOBS announcement and click the Apply button.
Eligibilities
1. Are you currently employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs?
This includes: Career/Career Conditional or Excepted Service (i.e. Canteen, Hybrid, Title 38, etc. and meets interchange agreement requirements). This does not include temporary, term or temporary intermittent.

To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your most recent Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50).  Your SF-50 must include enough information to be able to determine that time-in-grade requirements have been met (if applicable) and include your position title, pay plan/series/grade, tenure and the type of appointment (i.e. Competitive or Excepted).  Please be aware that award SF-50's do not always include this pertinent information.
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2. Are you an employee of the facility indicated for this position?
This includes: Career/Career Conditional or Excepted Service (i.e. Canteen, Hybrid, Title 38, etc. and meets interchange agreement requirements). This does not include temporary, term or temporary intermittent.

To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your most recent Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50).  Your SF-50 must include enough information to be able to determine that time-in-grade requirements have been met (if applicable) and include your position title, pay plan/series/grade, tenure and the type of appointment (i.e. Competitive or Excepted).  Please be aware that award SF-50's do not always include this pertinent information.
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3. Are you a current/past/upcoming VHA Health Professions Trainee (HPT) Graduate?

An HPT may be VA-paid, Without Compensation (WOC), or a participant of the VA Health Professional Scholarship Program that has been appointed to a temporary position in one or more VHA medical facilities performing clinical or research training experience to satisfy program or degree requirements.

To verify your standing as a current/past/upcoming HPT graduate, you must submit a copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50), the FL-294 (or a WOC appointment letter).
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4. Are you a Veterans Health Administration employee?
This includes: Career/Career Conditional or Excepted Service (i.e. Canteen, Hybrid, Title 38, etc. and meets interchange agreement requirements). This does not include temporary, term or temporary intermittent.
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Preferences
1. Which of the following items describes your current or recent (within the last five years) political appointee service?

If you responded yes to any of the items below, you will need to include a SF-50 specifying your prior service.
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Your resume must be submitted in English and include the following information for each job listed:
  • Job title Duties (be as detailed as possible)
  • Month & year start/end dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008)
  • Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week)
  • Series and Grade, if applicable, for all Federal positions you have held
  • Please be aware that your answers will be verified against information provided on your resume. Be sure that your resume clearly supports your responses to all of the questions by addressing your work experience in detail.
Recommended: Even though we do not require a specific resume format, your resume must be clear so that we are able to fully evaluate your qualifications. To ensure you receive appropriate consideration, please list the duties you performed under each individual job title. If we are unable to match your experiences with the positions held, you may lose consideration for this vacancy. We cannot make assumptions regarding your qualifications. Do not include a photograph or video of yourself, or any sensitive information (age, date of birth, marital status, protected health information, religious affiliation, social security number, etc.) on your resume or cover letter. We will not access web pages or encrypted, and digitally signed documents linked on your resume or cover letter to determine your qualifications.
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By submitting your application, you are certifying, to the best of your knowledge and belief, all the information submitted by you with your application for employment is true, complete, and made in good faith, and that you have truthfully and accurately represented your work experience, knowledge, skills, abilities and education (degrees, accomplishments, etc.). The information you provide as part of your application may be investigated. You are also certifying, and acknowledging, that misrepresenting your experience or education, or providing false or fraudulent information in, or with your application, may affect your eligibility for appointment and/or continued employment. False or fraudulent statements may be punishable by fine or imprisonment (18 U.S.C. 1001). (limit characters)
2. I authorize my application information being shared with hiring managers for similar positions. I understand this option may not result in further consideration for additional positions nor will it impact my application for this announcement. (limit characters)
3. Applicants are required to undergo and successfully pass a pre-employment drug screening test and must submit to random drug testing after employment. Will you comply with this requirement? (limit characters)
4. Are you willing to undergo a pre-employment physical? (limit characters)
5. In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. Are you proficient in basic written and spoken English? (limit characters)
If you are basing your qualifications on education (or a combination of education and experience) or if the position requires a college education to qualify, you must submit a copy of your transcripts with your application. (limit characters)
Assessment 1
Thank you for your interest in the Medical Instrument Technician (Diagnostic Ultrasound) GS-649 position with the Veterans Health Administration. Please select the appropriate answer to each of the following questions based on your current level of education and/or experience that demonstrates your ability to perform the duties of this position. (limit characters)
Select “Yes” or “No” to the following question(s). (limit characters)
1. English Language Proficiency: Per VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, Paragraph 3j: No person will be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C., chapter 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA who is not proficient in written and spoken English.

Are you proficient in spoken and written English?
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2. Certification. No certification is required; however, it is desirable that employees at this level have Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) certification.

Do you have a BCLS certification?
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Grade specific requirements (limit characters)
3. GS-04 Experience or Education: At least 1 year of experience comparable to the next lower grade level whichdemonstrates the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics related to the duties of the position to be filled. Six months of this experience may have been in medically related fields such as nursing assistant, practical nursing, or similar fields. The remaining six months must have been in operating diagnostic and therapeutic equipment covered by this occupation. Experience gained in the operation of equipment for animal diagnosis or treatment may be credited at this level.
OR
Education. Successful completion of two years of education above high school or an associate's degree with a major field of study directly related to the medical instrument technician occupation.

Select the appropriate answer based on your level of education and/or experience that demonstrates your ability to perform the duties of this position. (A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all of part of your qualifications on education
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Select “Yes” or “No” to the following question(s). (limit characters)
4. GS-04 Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: At this level, candidates must also demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs).
  1. Knowledge of basic medical terminology.
  2. Ability to learn the components, operating characteristics, and settings of the equipment to be used.
  3. Ability to learn typical patient reactions to the basic procedures involved and ability to recognize signs of distress.
  4. Ability to learn the standard positions for the procedure being conducted.
  5. Ability to communicate orally and in writing.

Do you demonstrate the KSAs as described above?
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5. GS-05 Experience or Education: At least 1 year of experience comparable to the next lower grade level which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics related to the duties of the position to be filled. This would be experience in operating equipment related to the particular specialization for which application is made or in related functional areas. Experience gained in the operation of equipment for animal diagnosis or treatment may be credited through this grade level.
OR
Education. Successful completion of [4 academic years above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with courses related to the occupation, or] a bachelor's degree in a major field of study appropriate to medical instrument technician functions.

Select the appropriate answer based on your level of education and/or experience that demonstrates your ability to perform the duties of this position. (A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all of part of your qualifications on education).
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Select “Yes” or “No” to the following question(s). (limit characters)
6. GS-05 Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: At this level, candidates must also demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs).
  1. Knowledge of standard medical terminology to interpret physician orders or instructions.
  2. Knowledge of common physical disabilities and ability to position patients for the examination or treatment.
  3. Ability to learn the normal and abnormal results for routine procedures to recognize and report obvious abnormalities.
  4. Ability to operate the equipment to administer routine/standard diagnostic treatment or procedures.
Do you demonstrate the KSAs as described above?
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7. GS-06 Experience: At least 1 year of experience comparable to the next lower grade level which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics related to the duties of the positions to be filled.

Do you meet this experience?
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8. GS-06 Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. At this level, candidates must also demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs):
  1. Knowledge of medical terminology and human anatomy in order to receive and interpret physician requests for routine, standardized ultrasonography procedures.
  2. Knowledge of tissue harmonics and soundwave propagation within the body to adjust TGC (Time Gain Compensation) for optimal image quality.
  3. Knowledge of the physics of velocity, frequency of soundwaves, and their physical properties.
  4. Ability to set up and adjust the ultrasound equipment to meet the conditions of the examination and the patient and to operate the equipment for standardized, routine procedures.
  5. Ability to interact with patients explaining procedures and positioning the patient for the procedure.
Do you demonstrate the KSAs as described above?
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9. GS-07 Experience: At least 1 year of experience comparable to the next lower grade level which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics related to the duties of the positions to be filled.

Do you meet the experience requirements as described above?
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10. GS-07 Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. At this level, candidates must also demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs):
  1. Ability to set up and adjust the ultrasound equipment to meet the conditions of the examination and the patient and to operate the equipment for more complex, but standardized procedures.
  2. Knowledge of zoom, expansion, prospectus, color Doppler, and pulsed echo Doppler.
  3. Knowledge of the digital transmission of images.
  4. Ability to alter standard, but complex procedures and protocols to meet patient needs and physical limitations. (c) Certification. Basic Cardiac
Do you demonstrate the KSAs as described above?
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11. GS-08 Experience: At least 1 year of experience comparable to the next lower grade level which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics of the positions to be filled.

Do you meet the experience requirements as described above?
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12. GS-08 Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. At this level, candidates must also demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs):
  1. Ability to perform diagnostic ultrasound examination on multiple areas of the body, including, but not limited to, the abdomen, pelvis, transvaginal, chest, small parts, thyroid, breast, and scrotum.
  2. Ability to perform vascular studies such as vertebral, renal artery, aortic aneurysm, portalsystemic shunts, etc.
  3. Ability to assist radiologists with biopsy procedures determining the location, depth, and required needle angle for the lesion to be sampled.
  4. Ability to assist in surgical procedures and fluid aspirations.
Do you demonstrate the KSAs as described above?
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RESUME REMINDER - Your resume must include the following information for each job listed:
Job title Duties (be as detailed as possible)
Month & year start/end dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008)
Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week)
Series and Grade, if applicable, for all Federal positions you have held
Please be aware that your answers will be verified against information provided on your resume. Be sure that your resume clearly supports your responses to all of the questions by addressing your work experience in detail. Recommended: Even though we do not require a specific resume format, your resume must be clear so that we are able to fully evaluate your qualifications. To ensure you receive appropriate consideration, please list the duties you performed under each individual job title. If we are unable to match your experiences with the positions held, you may lose consideration for this vacancy. We cannot make assumptions regarding your qualifications.
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