Warning for those who apply to Veterans' Affairs internships

[edieb]

I am currently in the pipeline for a V.A. job but there are so many hoops to jump through before you start.

Today they wanted me to get a CAT scan, EKG, X-Rays, blood tests, et cetera. I then thought what a disaster it would be if you matched to a V.A. internship, had to go through this INSANE process, had a health condition show up (e.g., heart disease, hypertension) and then the didn't formally take you as an intern because of this. This would especially be a disaster if you had only 1-2 tries to obtain an internship and blew one of those by matching at a V.A. and failed their health tests. PLEASE KEEP THIS IN MIND WHEN SUBMITTING YOUR INTERNSHIP RANK ORDER LIST.

The V.A. told me that they even send out informatin forms to your family members and ex wives/husbands to get information on you, WTF??? F**ing ridiculous.

Even stranger is that the HR lady told me she recently hired a convicted murderer because he did his jail time and repaid his debt to society. If you will hire an ex felon, then you will hire anybody --- so why run all these crazy tests??

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[kbean]

I don't know about the health stuff, but I work at a VA (as a research coordinator, though, not an intern) and I had to go through the same background checks--and yes, they did call everyone. If you're getting security clearance (which you probably are, working at a VA), that's standard. I don't think it's ridiculous at all.

 

[buzzworm]

Do those medical tests actually contribute to their determination of your eligibility? How can that possibly be legal?

 

[PsyDGrrrl]

A CT scan?! Why?

 

[erg923]

I practicumed at VA, and yes, they sent letters to my parents and former employers and I had to get phyiscals, etc. It took a while, but id didnt find it to be that much of pain really.

 

[Thrak]

I had to go through the same thing when working as a research assistant at a VA hospital in NJ... but oddly enough, not one in MA. Go figure.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

I'm at a VA, and they had a background check. I don't remember it being that invasive. As for medical stuff, I think I just had to have a physical on file? We had to get shots for Hepatitis and something else during our first week, though we could opt out.

 

[PsychPhDone]

Do those medical tests actually contribute to their determination of your eligibility? How can that possibly be legal?

Yeah, I'm really wondering -- can these actually be part of the decision? Or is it for something else?

 

[edieb]

I'm at a VA, and they had a background check. I don't remember it being that invasive. As for medical stuff, I think I just had to have a physical on file? We had to get shots for Hepatitis and something else during our first week, though we could opt out.

If you don't think think that your employer asking your ex-wife/husband what she/he thinks of you isn't invasive, then what are your boundaries>?

 

[erg923]

I think its invasive sure..... but no one forces a person into a applying for a government job/practicum. It's your decision to apply, no one is forcing any of this on you.. This is nothing compared to those who apply to work for the FBI, Secret Service, NSA, etc.. hve to go through. After the deadlines an hoops one has to jump through during grad school, sending out letters to see what people thought of me was hardly an issue.....

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

If you don't think think that your employer asking your ex-wife/husband what she/he thinks of you isn't invasive, then what are your boundaries>?

I was speaking about my experience with the background check. While I would not be a fan of them talking to an ex' like that, it is still far better than some of the other background checks required from other agencies. In my former career I was recruited for a couple of positions that required level II (Secret) clearance, and that was a HUGE pain in the butt. I declined pursuing the positions for professional reasons, but the background requirements were ridiculous.

 

[Flutterbyu]

I'm at a VA for internship right now and although I did have to undergo the background check (everyone was sent letters, not phone calls), I did not have anything remotely close to that medical routine. I had a quick physical that lasted less than 10 minutes and was never even called back for a drug test. I did have a PPD done in the first week, but that was it. Also, the background was only to verify jobs, periods of unemployment, and places of residence for the past 5 years.

 

[LM02]

Medical tests aside, a background check is required for any government job. I have worked for the feds in two completely different capacities (not at the VA), and had to go through the process both times. The background stuff is pretty basic - in addition to work references, they will ask you for personal references who are not family members. You specify these individuals (e.g., they do not insist that you include an ex-spouse), and they then send letters and forms to those people for them to complete. Not only have I had to send these out on my behalf, but I have also completed them for others. It takes 5 minutes - it's hardly in depth.

 

[PsyDr]

edieb,

the health stuff is because of your health/disability benefits and job requirements. it is meant to document, NOT to disqualify unless you are unable to do the job description. for example, if you had a TBI prior to the job, then clearly a disability claim saying that you slipped and fell and can no longer work would be rejected.

The checks are to make sure you are who you say you are and not a fraud (e.g., no education or not a US citizen). when i worked for the VA, they called everyone i put on my list: neighbors from 10 years ago, parents, etc. they ran background, credit, etc checks., fingerprinting, then the usual H&P stuff. it really wasn't a big deal. for an alternate position i had to take a stress test due to the job description.

if this degree of invasiveness is upsetting, i would recommend not taking the job. the VA has some funky things like "Citizenship" on your job performance ratings. yes, they want to know how good of a US citizen/patriot you are when factoring in your job performance. they also monitored everything i ever looked up online. and randomly blocked things. and would call me in about various things, including email. i was always amused.

 

[Ollie123]

Was unaware of the health stuff, but why apply there if you were concerned about the background check stuff? Nothing about it seems out of the ordinary in the least, nor overly invasive relative to what people have to go through for other government jobs. Heck, many non-VA hospitals run some kind of background check. A number of my friends work for DoD contractors. Not only do they ask for references, they will also track people down on their own without you ever having mentioned knowing them. Now THAT can be unsettling🙂

Frankly, I'm a bit surprised it isn't a somewhat more intensive background check, given that VA psychologists could very well end up working with individuals with extensive knowledge of past, present, and future military plans who may have lost the capacity to recognize what they should and should not say.

 

[ajb1812]

I then thought what a disaster it would be if you matched to a V.A. internship, had to go through this INSANE process, had a health condition show up (e.g., heart disease, hypertension) and then the didn't formally take you as an intern because of this. This would especially be a disaster if you had only 1-2 tries to obtain an internship and blew one of those by matching at a V.A. and failed their health tests. PLEASE KEEP THIS IN MIND WHEN SUBMITTING YOUR INTERNSHIP RANK ORDER LIST.

Certainly it would be insane and horrible for a health condition to prevent someone from beginning a VA internship, but is there evidence that this would occur? I completed a VA internship and a VA postdoc (at different VAs), and have been a VA staff member for 3 years, and my understanding/experience is identical to PSYDR's. Either way, before posting something that could potentially and unnecessarily stress out the intern applicants, I'd suggest confirming with both HR reps and APPIC that it's possible for an intern who matched at a VA to lose their internship because of a failed health test.

 

[deleted176373]

I think its invasive sure..... but no one forces a person into a applying for a government job/practicum. It's your decision to apply, no one is forcing any of this on you.. This is nothing compared to those who apply to work for the FBI, Secret Service, NSA, etc.. hve to go through. After the deadlines an hoops one has to jump through during grad school, sending out letters to see what people thought of me was hardly an issue.....

+1, I was gonna say! I have held higher clearances and I can tell you that those are MUCH more invasive. Imagine having to discuss all your banking transactions for the past few months or submitting to a polygraph exam.

Becoming a Military Psychologist is much more an invasive process than becoming a VA psychologist would be.

Mark

 

[paramour]

+1 to everyone else re: there being much more extensive & invasive background checks. That apparently follow you around for years on end if you're ever blessed to undergo one. 😛

In the meantime, I'd have to jump through a few more hoops now. I don't know where anyone who I grew up with is located currently, and I sure as heck don't know where any of my family are living. Combined w/ my spouse also having these checks for various jobs past & present, he already gets flagged for everything, which I would foresee flagging something on my part just by association.

Oh, what fun!

 

[JockNerd]

I'm praccing at a VA. I had to answer some health questions and get a blood test. I'm not even a US citizen.

I'm not paid, so maybe it's different. It did take FOREVER to get that stuff done, though.

 

[water808]

If you don't think think that your employer asking your ex-wife/husband what she/he thinks of you isn't invasive, then what are your boundaries>?

I work at the VA system in Washington State, though as a research coordinator, not an intern. I've never heard about the health requirements other than a TB test and hepatitis vaccination, but in terms of a background check, that's definitely part of the hiring procedure. You're a federal government employee with a badge, so they fingerprint you and run a full background check. The only references they contact are the ones you provide; it doesn't have to be an ex-husband/wife! They are usually only people who either knew you when you were at a previous address or who you list (3 people) as character references. In all of these cases, they send scan-tron to these people asking them to verify your information (e.g., address, etc) and then ask if they have any reason to believe you're not fit for government employment, including drug use, etc.

 

[edieb]

I guess all this came as a surprise because many people on this board, as well as others, have posted that they have friends who are working as psychologists, et cetera for the V.A. who have convictions for things like DWIs. Interestingly enough, a friend who was charged (but charges were dropped before he was arraigned)) with simple battery also works for the V.A. as an M.D. Additionally, the HR lady said they just hired a convicted felon for a high powered position. If they hire people with DWIs, etc, then why put me, a person with no record, through all this? It makes NO sense

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

I guess all this came as a surprise because many people on this board, as well as others, have posted that they have friends who are working as psychologists, et cetera for the V.A. who have convictions for things like DWIs. Interestingly enough, a friend who was charged (but charges were dropped before he was arraigned)) with simple battery also works for the V.A. as an M.D. Additionally, the HR lady said they just hired a convicted felon for a high powered position. If they hire people with DWIs, etc, then why put me, a person with no record, through all this? It makes NO sense

How many US Senators and Congressmen are convicted felons?

 

[Work Ethic]

...all of the health-related questions are a surprise to me as well, but fortunately I didn't interview with any VA Hospital settings...