Hi everyone. I was just wondering if anyone has had any experience with getting VA internship or VA postdoc years credited for retirement, or if anyone has started at higher than a GS-13 step 1 (right out of a two year post doc with their license)? One reason why I ask is because at the end of 2012, a new regulation went into effect regarding contributions to the basic benefit retirement plan. Specifically: "employees enrolled in FERS and first hired before 2013 contribute 0.8% of their pay to the CSRDF. Employees enrolled in FERS and first hired in 2013 contribute 3.1% of pay to the CSRDF. Employees enrolled in FERS and first hired after 2013 contribute 4.4% of pay to the CSRDF. " Over the course of a 30 year career, that is a lot of out of pocket money, and as such, I am wondering if I can qualify under the following technicality to reduce tax liability as I have been "employed" in the VA consecutively (no gaps in service since prior to Dec 2012): "2. The individual on December 31, 2012, was performing civilian service which is creditable or potentially creditable service under FERS (for example the individual may have been covered under another retirement system from which service credit may be transferred to FERS, such as CSRS, CSRS-Offset, Foreign Service, Federal Reserve, or CIARDS." My main concern is that on internship and postdoc, we are not on the GS pay scale, nor make other retirement contributions other than social security. I know it is a stretch, but as I mentioned, over a long career, the money really adds up. Would this really just be up to HR's discretion? Any thoughts?