- Position Title
- Medical Support Assistant
- Agency
- Veterans Health Administration
- Announcement Number
- CBSY-12754476-25-GPA Opens in new window
- Open Period
- Wednesday, June 25, 2025 to Monday, July 7, 2025
For preview purposes only. To apply, please return to the USAJOBS announcement and click the Apply button.
Eligibilities
1.
Do you claim Veterans’ Preference?
2.
Are you a current permanent Federal employee from an agency other than Department of Veterans Affairs?
To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50) or equivalent personnel action form.
To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50) or equivalent personnel action form.
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.
If you responded yes to any of the items below, you will need to include a SF-50 specifying your prior service.
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).
2.
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?
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.
3.
Resume Reminder - Your resume must include the following information for each job listed:
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 you confirm that the above information is clearly stated for each work entry you are claiming experience for, and that each entry is full time unless otherwise annotated with part-time hours?
- Name and Contact Information
- Job title
- Duties (be as detailed as possible)
- Month & year start/end dates (e.g. June 2019 to April 2021)
- Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week if part-time)
- Series and Grade, if applicable, for all Federal positions you have held.
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 you confirm that the above information is clearly stated for each work entry you are claiming experience for, and that each entry is full time unless otherwise annotated with part-time hours?
All qualifying experience you possess must be clearly described in your application package. We will not make assumptions when reviewing applications. Failure to demonstrate your experience and knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) in your application may result in disqualification. It is strongly recommended that you write to each KSA to demonstrate how you have gained each one in your application package or on a supplemental document. Please see the announcement for KSA requirements.
Assessment 1
Thank you for your interest in a Medical Support Assistant (MSA) position with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).
Select the appropriate answer to the following questions based on your level of education and experience that demonstrates you meet the basic requirements for this position. Please select "Yes" or "No" to the following questions.
BASIC REQUIREMENTS:
Select “Yes” or “No” to the following question(s).
1.
Experience and Education:
Experience: Six months experience of clerical, office, customer service, or other administrative work that indicates the ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position;
OR,
Education: One year above high school (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED);
OR,
Experience/Education Combination: Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED).
Do you meet the experience, education, or combination of experience and education requirement above?
Experience: Six months experience of clerical, office, customer service, or other administrative work that indicates the ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position;
OR,
Education: One year above high school (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED);
OR,
Experience/Education Combination: Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED).
Do you meet the experience, education, or combination of experience and education requirement above?
Foreign Education: To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. programs.
GRADE REQUIREMENTS:
Select “Yes” or “No” to the following question(s).
2.
GS-3 Medical Support Assistant
Experience or Education: None beyond the basic requirements.
AND
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): Candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below:
1. Ability to meet, communicate, and interact with individuals in a courteous and helpful manner in order to give instructions and arrange appointments.
2. Ability to utilize computer systems to enter administrative data in patient systems.
3. Ability to learn and utilize basic medical terminology to record patient messages and physician requests pertaining to follow-up medical care.
Do you meet the requirements above?
Experience or Education: None beyond the basic requirements.
AND
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): Candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below:
1. Ability to meet, communicate, and interact with individuals in a courteous and helpful manner in order to give instructions and arrange appointments.
2. Ability to utilize computer systems to enter administrative data in patient systems.
3. Ability to learn and utilize basic medical terminology to record patient messages and physician requests pertaining to follow-up medical care.
Do you meet the requirements above?
3.
GS-4 Medical Support Assistant
Experience: One year of experience in clerical, office, customer service, or other administrative work that indicates the ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position;
OR
Education: Two years of education above high school (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED).
AND
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): Candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below:
1. Ability to meet, communicate, and interact with individuals from varying backgrounds and other health care team members in a courteous and helpful manner in order to facilitate medical care for patients.
2. Ability to use, and navigate between, various types of office automation equipment and software (i.e. computer systems, web based scheduling programs; insurance collection system; scanning software, multiple line phone systems; electronic faxing programs) to support patient care.
3. Knowledge of basic medical terminology to assist in the provision of care to patients.
4. Skill in recording patient messages and understanding physician requests pertaining to follow-up medical care in internal or external clinics.
Do you meet the requirements above?
Experience: One year of experience in clerical, office, customer service, or other administrative work that indicates the ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position;
OR
Education: Two years of education above high school (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED).
AND
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): Candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below:
1. Ability to meet, communicate, and interact with individuals from varying backgrounds and other health care team members in a courteous and helpful manner in order to facilitate medical care for patients.
2. Ability to use, and navigate between, various types of office automation equipment and software (i.e. computer systems, web based scheduling programs; insurance collection system; scanning software, multiple line phone systems; electronic faxing programs) to support patient care.
3. Knowledge of basic medical terminology to assist in the provision of care to patients.
4. Skill in recording patient messages and understanding physician requests pertaining to follow-up medical care in internal or external clinics.
Do you meet the requirements above?
4.
GS-5 Medical Support Assistant
Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-4 grade level;
OR
Education: Four years of education above high school (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED).
AND
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): Candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below:
1. Ability to operate computerized programs and systems in order to enter, modify, and retrieve sensitive medical and patient identifying information (PII) into or from electronic health records, scheduling systems, and/or reports.
2. Advanced knowledge of medical terminology specific to understand medical diagnosis and procedures sufficient to communicate clinical staff instructions to patients.
3. Ability to schedule medical appointments in a clinical setting.
4. Ability to work independently in the accomplishment of a wide variety of duties performing patient support work.
5. Ability to communicate effectively and professionally in person, electronically, and/or by telephone, with internal and external customers.
6. Skill in customer service with the ability to identify customer concerns, and refer to the appropriate staff, as necessary, to ensure a satisfactory resolution.
Do you meet the requirements above?
Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-4 grade level;
OR
Education: Four years of education above high school (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED).
AND
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): Candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below:
1. Ability to operate computerized programs and systems in order to enter, modify, and retrieve sensitive medical and patient identifying information (PII) into or from electronic health records, scheduling systems, and/or reports.
2. Advanced knowledge of medical terminology specific to understand medical diagnosis and procedures sufficient to communicate clinical staff instructions to patients.
3. Ability to schedule medical appointments in a clinical setting.
4. Ability to work independently in the accomplishment of a wide variety of duties performing patient support work.
5. Ability to communicate effectively and professionally in person, electronically, and/or by telephone, with internal and external customers.
6. Skill in customer service with the ability to identify customer concerns, and refer to the appropriate staff, as necessary, to ensure a satisfactory resolution.
Do you meet the requirements above?
Recommended: Demonstrate by writing to the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) on your resume or supplemental document.