Internships and fellowships

Residents participate actively in the patient care mission of our medical center; however their schedules are carefully planned to provide educational experiences to meet the requirements listed for the specific program by the ADA Commission on Dental Accreditation.  A number of assignments to medical services offer the residents opportunity to enhance their knowledge of the relationship between the oral and systemic problems, and to broaden their clinical experience in the management of patients with medical and psychiatric conditions.  The program provides residents with the opportunity to interact with physicians, nurses, pharmacists, social workers and other health care professionals as part of a multi-disciplinary health care team Our primary goal is to provide the residents with continued opportunity for professional growth and advancement.

The Dean's Committee of the Medical Center exercises supervisory responsibility for all hospital residency programs through the respective Residency Review Board.  The VA Advanced Education In General Dentistry Residency Review Board examines the performance of each resident at least once every 4 months.  For this purpose, a detailed evaluation of each resident is submitted to the Board by the Program Director.  The Board makes recommendations for continuation or necessary disciplinary actions.  

All applicants should meet the following requirements:

1. Be a citizen of the United States and a graduate of a dental school accredited by the American Dental Association.
2. Meet the licensure requirements necessary to be licensed to practice in a state or territory of the United States, or in the District of Columbia. (Dental license is not required for PGY-1 year)

How to Apply

This program is a participant in PASS (Postdoctoral Application Support Service) of the American Association of Dental Schools. This program does not participate with MATCH.

To initiate your application to any of the programs participating in PASS send for an application packet from PASS at the following address.

PASS
1625 Massachusetts Ave N.W.
Suite 600
Washington, D.C. 20036-2212
1-800-353-AADS (2237)
or
1-
WWW.ADEA.ORG* 

(for program application requirements please use the ADEA PASS Program Search Engine at the www.ADEA.ORG site or
follow this link https://programs.adea.org/PASS)

1. Completed application to this program should be filed with PASS no later than September 15th.
2. Interviews will be granted to selected applicants during November.

Additional application material to be mailed directly to the program includes-

1. VA Form 10-2850D (Application for Residents)
2. 2 x 2 passport photo

Please address your correspondence to:

Robert A. Borgesi, DMD
Director Advanced Education in General Dentistry
Dental Service (160)
PO BOX 5005
Bay Pines, FL 33744

All qualified candidates will receive equal consideration without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, politics, marital status, non-disqualifying or mental handicaps, age or membership or non-membership in a labor organization.

Residents' salaries are established annually. The approximate salary for first year Residents (PGY-1) is $47,000.  Dental jackets, scrubs and laundry services are furnished by the medical center. Residents are eligible to enroll in the medical and life insurance programs of the medical center. They are allowed 10 days of annual leave and 7 days of sick leave per year. In addition, a total of 5 days of official leave may be approved to attend professional meetings and continuing education courses and to take State Board Examinations. Any tuition or travel costs will be the responsibility of the resident. Annual and official leave is granted at the discretion of the Chief, Dental Service, contingent upon patient care needs. Leave must be requested at least 45 days in advance except in cases of emergency.

• Each Resident has an assigned operatory daily.

• Each Resident has a Dental Assistant assigned daily.

• Each Resident has dedicated separate office workspace outside of the operatory.

The overall goal of the Bay Pines VA Health Care System Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) Residency Program is to provide the resident with experiences in general dentistry beyond the scope of the undergraduate dental school curriculum and to provide that dental care in a hospital setting.

The primary objectives of the residency include:

1. Resident to serve as primary dental care provider for patients, providing multidisciplinary comprehensive oral health care, emergency treatment, and maintenance therapy. In doing so the resident will diagnose and treatment plan patients in a competent and compassionate manner without compromise to ethics or morals or eligibility. Treatment modalities to be used will include most dental specialty disciplines and will encourage using advanced treatment modalities leading to improving the resident’s competency, proficiency, and confidence.
2. Resident to use sound clinical judgment, plan and provide multidisciplinary oral health care for a wide variety of patients including patients with special medical or physical needs.
3. Resident to appreciate the relationship of oral disease to systemic medical health and disease. Manage the delivery of oral health care by applying concepts of patient and practice management and quality improvement that are responsive to a dynamic health care environment. Apply scientific principles to learning and oral health care. This includes using critical thinking, evidence or outcomes-based clinical decision-making, and technology-based information retrieval systems.
4. Resident to appreciate the oral health needs of communities including the homeless veteran and to engage in community service such as Homeless Stand Downs.
5. Resident to develop competency in the interaction with other health care providers, to include physicians, nurses, pharmacist, and others and to further develop competency in providing consultative information to those practitioners.
6. Utilize the values of professional ethics, lifelong learning, patient centered care, adaptability, and acceptance of cultural diversity in professional practice.

Should you have any additional questions concerning this program or the application process, please call the AEGD Program Director, Dr. Robert A. Borgesi at extension 15561 or e-mail him at Robert.Borgesi@va.gov or address your correspondence to:

Robert A. Borgesi, DMD
Director Advanced Education in General Dentistry
Dental Service (160)
PO BOX 5005
Bay Pines, FL 33744

The Audiology and Speech Pathology Service at Bay Pines is one of the largest ASP Services in the VA system and supports the largest traineeship program in the VA.  We have over a 30-year history of training students from affiliated university programs with as many as 20 doctoral degree students rotating through our program for as brief as 3 months to as long as 3 years. Currently, we are funded to support three Au.D. 4th year externs; three Au.D. 3rd year trainee rotations, three Speech Pathology Master trainee rotations, one Speech Pathology clinical fellow, and three Audiology Pre-Doctoral Fellows. In addition, we provide clinical experience for Occupational Medicine Residents.

Our academic affiliations include agreements with University of South Florida, University of Florida, Nova Southeastern University, Vanderbilt, University of Texas at Dallas, Florida State University, University of Georgia, Salus University, and Valdosta State University.

The Audiology and Speech Pathology Section Chiefs are responsible for the supervision and maintenance of their respective academic programs and represent the service for education concerns, affiliations, traineeship applications, office of education, and recruitment of trainees. Staff preceptors either have a doctorate degree or masters degree (Speech Pathology only), current state license, certificates of clinical competence and/or board certification. Speech Pathology Section trainee applications should be directed to the Lead Speech Pathologist.

• Understand and implement the VA mission to honor veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well being
• To enhance the core values of each trainee: trust, respect, excellence, compassion, and commitment
• To enhance competency, confidence, judgment, understanding of hospital setting, and team effort
• To enhance ability to evaluate and integrate scientific research into clinical practice
• Nurture research and continuing education
• Encourage VA career and leadership development

The 4th year Audiology clinical experience focuses on progressive clinical independence through participation in patient care supported by direct supervision with increasing ownership of clinical decisions and outcomes.  The research fellow experience is directed toward progressive research independence supported by direct supervision for accurate documentation in participation and care of research participants, education and career development, collegiality, ethics, resource utilization, safety, environment, and information management.  This includes management of complex cases for medically compromised patients or difficult-to-treat personality, competence in coding, documentation, and applying outcome measures.  The trainee or fellow experience includes participation in staff meetings, grand rounds, journal club, continuing education courses, research projects, data collection, and patient group education programs and rotations. Interdisciplinary programs include rotations with but not limited to Ear, Nose & Throat, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Visual Impairment Service Team, and Social Work services.

The Audiology Section has nine clinic schedules available for patient care on a daily basis at the main campus as well as two additional schedules at the Sarasota Community-Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC). A trainee receives experience in procedures for hearing evaluations, hearing instrument assessment, instrument selection and fitting, instrument orientation, group hearing loss education, tinnitus evaluation, assistive listening devices, OAEs, ECogs, ABR, VNG, VEMPS, rotary chair, posturography and cerumen management. The research fellow experience includes writing research proposals, participant recruitment, data collection and analysis, and accurate documentation for 12 ongoing projects.

The Speech Pathology Section performs numerous instrumental evaluations in addition to more traditional administration of measuring instruments (tests). Vocal tract visualization (laryngeal imaging) using rigid or flexible endoscopy with or without stroboscopy and fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing are routinely conducted in the Speech Pathology Lab. Instrumentation for acoustical or aeromechanical measurements are also available. Videofluoroscopic evaluations of swallowing are regularly conducted in our Radiology department. The Speech Pathology Section offers office, treatment, and lab space to engage in the clinical and educational processes. The Section receives in excess of 80 new consultation requests per month. Veteran patients present with a wide-range of communication or swallowing disorders including aphasia, apraxia of speech, dysarthria, dysphagia, sequealae of non-dominant hemisphere CVA or traumatic brain injury, dementia, and dysphonia.

Selection Process 4th year externship
The Director of Academic Affairs and Lead Speech Pathologist will contact the affiliated universities to solicit qualified applicants. Bay Pines VA Audiology & Speech Pathology Service also participates in the American Academy of Audiology Registry of Clinical Audiology Externship Sites. Interested students should submit a resume or CV, letter of interest, unofficial transcripts, and three letters of recommendation. Following review of that information, personal or telephone performance based interviews may be scheduled. Selection is made in cooperation with the clinic supervisor from the affiliated university following a staff review of the applicants. All 4th year externs will be housed at the main campus, Bay Pines VAHCS, for the duration of rotation.

Selection Process for 3rd year externship (350 hours)
Applications from interested parties should be submitted to: Director of Academic Affairs, Bay Pines VAHCS, P.O. Box 5005, Bay Pines, FL 33744 and should include a letter of interest, copy of unofficial transcripts, and a resume/CV. Selected applicants will be contacted via phone or email to determine semester selected for completion of the rotation. Students will be housed at the Sarasota VA Community Clinic for the duration of rotation.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact:

J. Nicole Wiley, Au.D.
Audiologist/Academic Director - ASPS
Julie.wiley@va.gov

Orientation Process
The orientation process includes employee orientation, service orientation, assignment of computer access codes, equipment orientation, work station assignment, identification of trainee responsibilities, review of the Academic Student handbook, a contract describing mutually agreed upon specific goals for the training experience through the High Performance Development Model, and a competency form which categorizes the trainee’s self-assessed level of skills and knowledge for the assigned responsibilities.

Evaluation Process
Each trainee and fellow will be evaluated according to accrediting and certifying body requirements on the basis of clinical judgment, knowledge, technical skills, humanistic qualities, professional attitudes, behavior, and overall ability to manage the care of a patient. The factors used to complete an evaluation include those listed on the mutual expectations contract, competency advancement, adherence to policies and procedures described in student handbook, attitude, and work ethic. Evaluations are completed at the end of each semester and discussed with each trainee or fellow. Each trainee evaluates the program at a personal exit interview through completion of a service level satisfaction survey and by participating in the National Learners' Perception Survey.

Mission 
To provide highly developed education and training opportunities to OT clinicians for the expansion of knowledge and expertise in the field of lymphedema, while advancing OT practice and education, engaging the fellow in the VA mission and ICARE values, to ensure quality, evidenced-based services now and in the future. 

Vision 
To provide exemplary fellowship experiences that are both client-centered and evidence-based. These experiences will be delivered in an integrated environment involving collaborations between other specialty areas, both internal and external to the occupational therapy profession. The fellowship program is committed to the AOTA’s 2025 Vision to maximize “health, well-being, and quality of life” and will promote development of expertise, knowledge, and skills that address clients’ engagement in purposeful activities that enable participation in meaningful occupations. 

Clinical Training 
Clinical training consists of managing a diverse caseload of patients with lymphedema across various OT settings. One-on-on mentoring sessions will be provided with specialized therapists in each setting, as well as didactic curriculum to improve clinical practice skills and promote advanced knowledge. Fellows will have the opportunity to participate in department-wide journal clubs, staff/student in-services and online CEUs. 

Curriculum 
The BPVAHCS Lymphedema OT Fellowship Program will focus on the Fellow’s development of knowledge, competency, and advanced practice skills in the following core areas: 

• Advanced Knowledge 
• Reasoning and Performance Skill 
• Ethical Practice 
• Interpersonal Skills 
• Scholarly and/or Professional Activities 
   

Program Goals and Objectives  

• To provide education and training opportunities to occupational therapy clinicians/fellows in acquiring advanced knowledge and clinical skills in occupation-based evaluations and interventions in the specialty practice of lymphedema. 
• To contribute to quality improvement and/or research in the field of lymphedema through the design, implementation, and dissemination of a scholarly activity (e.g., case study development, program development, etc.) to promote the health and well-being of Veterans.  
• To exhibit understanding, implementation of reasoning and professional behaviors pertaining to client centered services, fiscal/regulatory factors, and scope of practice that are consistent with AOTA ethical standards.  
• To select, plan, modify, and synthesize evidenced based, holistic, culturally relevant evaluations and interventions recognizing the physical, cognitive, psychosocial and environmental settings to optimize client outcomes for Veterans with lymphedema. 
• To engage in inter-professional collaboration with internal and external stakeholders to influence services for clients and support optimal lymphedema practice and management throughout the continuum of care.  

To apply please email Jaquita.Jones@va.gov the following documents by May 30, 2024. 

1. Completed Fellowship Program Application (see link below) 
2. Resume/CV 
3. One letter of professional reference 

4. Copy of Valid OT license and NBCOT certificate OR proof of expected graduation date prior to the start of the fellowship and your scheduled NBCOT test date. (See FAQ’s if you have questions about your graduation date) 

   Optional: One-page essay explaining why a fellowship is important to you and why you have chosen the VA as a fellowship site 

Fellows are employed full-time by the BPVAHCS for the year-long program. Applicants must be a U.S. citizen that are a graduate of an ACOTE accredited occupational therapy (OT) program and possess a current OT license (from any state) prior to the program start date. 

Applicants should be AOTA members and be committed to pursuing Board or Specialty Certification in the specialized area of practice. 

The fellowship will be a paid position and the fellow will be eligible for health benefits, earn annual leave and sick leave, and have paid federal holidays. There are no tuition or fees associated with this fellowship.  

Salary: $47,531 

Interviews are typically conducted during the month of June. 

The Fellowship Program is scheduled to start mid-Fall 2024 and last for one calendar year.  

Primary Fellowship Coordinator and Primary Mentor: Jaquita Jones, OTR/L, CLT-ALM  

Phone: ext. 17715  

Fellowship co-coordinator: Shane Tong, OTD, MBA, OTR/L, CAPS 
Clinical Education Coordinator: Priya Menon, M.S., OTR/L   

1. Why should I do a fellowship rather than just find a job I’m interested in? 

A fellowship will provide post-professional training in a specialized area of practice. Participation in a fellowship will give the fellow specific experience and allow him/her to gain confidence delivering specialized OT services. It will combine didactic curriculum, mentorship, and clinical practice in the specialty area in order to progress the fellow towards becoming an advanced-level clinician. This can increase professional marketability in the future.   
 

2. What experience is needed to apply for a fellowship? 

No experience is needed. Experience will be gained through participation in the fellowship program. Applicants should have strong interest in the program’s specialty area and plan on applying for board or specialty certification after completion of the program. 
 

3. Do I have to be a new grad to apply for a fellowship? 

No. Any licensed occupational therapist can apply for a fellowship experience.  While some applicants are newly licensed OTs, others have some basic experience, or are wanting to change practice areas. Most fellows typically have 0-5 years of experience. 
 

4. What if my license is in another state?   

The specific state you are licensed in does not matter as long as you meet criteria to apply. 
 

5. What happens after the year-long fellowship? 

The fellow will be considered an experienced clinician in that specialty practice area. This will help when applying for jobs in a specialized practice area that requires experience.  
 

6. Can I apply if I am not yet licensed or have not graduated OT school? 

If you are not already licensed, you will need to have a license before you are able to begin the fellowship experience. You do not need to have a license to apply for the fellowship experience, however, you must have proof of confirmed/scheduled NBCOT testing date that will allow for the test results to be received prior to June 30. If selected, acceptance will be contingent upon obtaining a license (temporary license not accepted). 
 

7. Will the fellow get a salary/benefits during the fellowship experience? 

Yes, the fellow will receive a stipend and health benefits, as well as accrue paid time off and have paid federal holidays. The fellow’s salary will be $47,531 for 2024-2025 and includes a base pay plus locality for the geographical area. The fellow’s pay is not negotiable. 
 

8. Will the didactic work required for the fellowship be completed while at work or in the evenings/weekends after the workday? 

There is time built into the fellow’s weekly schedule to complete didactic work. However, there may be work that must be completed outside of regular working hours. 

9. Is housing provided? 

No, housing is not provided. We will gladly provide information about the surrounding areas if requested, however, fellows are responsible for finding their own housing. 
 

10. What population will the fellow be working with? 

The fellow will be working with a mix of active-duty service members and Veterans. Ages of the population generally range from 18 - 90. Lymphedema referrals will typically include clients coming from settings such as inpatient (acute or rehabilitation), outpatient, oncology, and vascular. 

The program consists of four key components, which are  listed below

1. Didactic curriculum
2. Clinical experiences
3. Individual clinical mentoring
4. Scholarly work

For a comprehensive overview of the curriculum, please view the Resident Handbook. 

To apply for this program, applicants must

• Be a U.S. citizen
• Have a degree from a CAPTE accredited program or be on track to graduate from one prior to the start of the residency
• Obtain a physical therapy license (may be obtained from any state) prior to starting the program. A temporary license is sufficient to begin the program, but the applicant must obtain their permanent license while in the program.

The application deadline is March 15, 2024. Candidates will be selected by April 1, 2024.

A comprehensive description of the application process can be found in the Resident Handbook. Please refer to this resource for additional information.

Individuals interested in the applying to the program should contact the residency director:

Nicholas Drizd
Physical Therapist - Interim Residency Coordinator
Nicholas.Drizd@va.gov

• Satisfactory completion of at least 80% of the objectives in “achieved” status with no goals and objectives listed as “needs improvement” at the end of the year
• Satisfactory completion of all rotations
• Completion of formal presentations
• Completion of the following projects: Medication Use Evaluation (MUE), Major Project
• Completion of the following PBM and Patient Safety responsibilities: Cost Avoidance Initiative, Drug Monograph (or Drug Class Review/Criteria for Use), P&T Newsletter, Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting
• Pharmacy Staffing (Weekend and Evening Hours)
• BLS Certification

We offer the following programs:

• PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency at Bay Pines VA Healthcare System
• PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency at Lee County Healthcare Center
• PGY-2 Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Residency at Community-based Outpatient Clinic Sarasota
• PGY-2 Health-System Pharmacy Administration Residency at Bay Pines VA Healthcare System

During the one-year PBRNR program, the nurse resident is supported with 100% protected learning time to master the complexities of providing nursing care as an advanced beginner to a competent care provider. The robust Veteran-centered curriculum is designed using the 2021 CCNE Standards for Accreditation of Entry-to-Practice Nurse Residency Programs and consists of a comprehensive four-part clinical rotation and didactic training program. Residents participate in precepted clinical rotations in ambulatory, acute, and specialty care areas and conclude the program with leadership development training. Nurse residents will engage in interactive didactic learning experiences, specialized training opportunities, inter-professional collaboration, and professional role socialization in areas like evidence-based practice, quality improvement, and early career development. Successful completion of the PBRNR program could lead to a full-time position at BPVAHCS. 

• Residents must be a recent graduate (within the last 12 months) of a baccalaureate or master's level entry to practice program accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)

• Must possess a current, full, active, and unrestricted registration as a graduate professional nurse in a state, commonwealth, or territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia, prior to the start of the PBRNR program.  

• Must be a citizen of the United States

• Must be serving in their first Registered Nurse role 
   

Upon Selection to the PBNR, the resident will receive: 

• 12-month stipend in the amount of $57,689 

• Health insurance 

• Accrued annual and sick paid leave 

• Paid Federal Holidays off 

The Health Service Psychology Internship Training Program at  Bay Pines VA Healthcare System is accredited by the American Psychological Association.  Bay Pines VA has trained health service psychology interns since 1971 and has been accredited as an Internship in Professional Psychology by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association since 1981. The internship program is a member of the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC). The internship program adheres to APPIC guidelines regarding intern recruitment, selection, and the APPIC match policies. A copy of the APPIC match policies is posted on the APPIC web page, along with a link to the online internship application. We offer two training tracks: General track (5 interns); neuropsychology track (2 interns). 

The Postdoctoral Psychology Fellowship Training Program at the Bay Pines VA Health Care System is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association. The next site visit will be during the year 2023.  We accept four fellows into the program every year; two in our Substance Abuse Treatment Program (SATP) and Mental Health Clinic (MHC) track, and two in our Posttraumatic Stress Disorder clinic (PTSD) and Women’s Clinic/Primary Care Mental Health Integration (WC/PCMHI) track. The fellowship program is a member of the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC). The fellowship program adheres to APPIC guidelines regarding resident recruitment, selection, and the Uniform Notification Date Policies.

The two-year Clinical Neuropsychology Postdoctoral Residency at the Bay Pines VA Health Care System is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association. The next site visit will be during the year 2029. We accept two residents into the program every other year. The residency program is a member of the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) and the Association of Postdoctoral Programs in Clinical Neuropsychology  (APPCN). The specialty training program is designed to promote clinical specialization in the field of Neuropsychology through advanced training that is consistent with the American Psychological Association, Division 40 Houston Conference Guidelines and the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP). We adhere to the APPCN guidelines regarding recruitment, selection and the APPCN Match Policies

Participants will learn the role of the professional nurse within the VA healthcare system using evidence-based practice for best patient outcomes. They will understand the culture and special needs of the Veteran population. The goal is for the participant to develop confidence, critical thinking, and proficiency of nursing skills. 

VA-STEP students are paid as hourly, intermittent employees. They are not eligible for overtime pay, holiday pay or shift differentials. The rate of pay changes each year.  

• U.S. citizen by birth or naturalization (U.S. Veterans are considered first among all equally qualified candidates)

• Current nursing students who have completed or are within one semester of completing the junior year of their bachelor's degree program from a nationally accredited school for Nursing Sciences with a CCNE or ACEN Accreditation

• Must be willing to undergo a background/suitability investigation 

• Must be willing to work for the VA after graduation

• Students will need to be available to work 400 hours prior to graduation from their education program

• Minimum Cumulative GPA of 3.50 on 4.00 scale 

• Not obligated to work somewhere outside the VA after graduation. 

• Currently in Good Academic Standing (as defined by the school the student is attending) leading to graduation and NCLEX certification 
   

How to apply 

Apply to Bay Pines VA's VA-STEP by visiting https://va-ams.intelliworxit.com/webapp/register/va-step/facility-applicant

Applications must be submitted by March 15, 2023 at 5 p.m. (ET) 

For more information about VA-STEP, please contact: 

Valerie L. Keenan MSN RN CAPA CNE 
Bay Pines VA Health Care System 
Clinical Nurse Educator CLC/Hospice 
VALOR Program Coordinator 
Valerie.keenan@va.gov