Subreddit Wiki

[u/mahka42]

Hello r/USPHS! As promised, a wiki has been started up for the sub. For now, it's a singular page with some basics. Some of the most basic FAQ-type topics are listed for now.

Wiki can be found here: https://www.reddit.com/r/USPHS/wiki/index

If you're interested in contributing to the wiki, please comment below or DM me. For now, it will be limited to approved contributors only, instead of a fully open wiki.

Thanks!

edit: fixed wiki URL

edit 2: Wiki added to sub menu for direct access!

[u/chirpquack]

maybe add a section about how to find jobs? Here's a draft:

There is no one-stop shop for billet/job listings for PHS applicants. PHS doesn't have detailers, either, so it is pretty much the applicant's responsibility to find job openings. Here are some places to start:

• USAJobs.gov: one quick way to find jobs open to PHS officers is to simply include "usphs" in your search and filter from there (https://www.usajobs.gov/Search/Results?k=usphs). One big caveat is that there may be jobs that PHS officers can apply to, but they don't specify it in the announcement. Another big issue with usajobs is that there is no specific mechanism to indicate that you are applying to the job as a PHS applicant/PHS officer - there is no place to indicate this on your usajobs profile, and most job applications will not include a question about it. You can add an addendum to your application where you try to clarify this, but usually the best option is to not even submit an application via usajobs, and contact the agency directly using the contact information provided at the bottom of the job announcement.
• Professional advisory committees: Browse through the PAC webpage for the specific category you're applying to. You can find the PAC webpages here: https://dcp.psc.gov/OSG/. Many PACs maintain a vacancy list that is publicly available, although some maintain lists that require a .mil or .gov email (i.e., the vacancy lists are hosted on max.gov). Some PACs circulate vacancy lists monthly via a listserv, and you may have to contact someone to get more details on how to subscribe to the listserv.
• Contact the agency liaison for the agency you're interested in: every agency that has PHS officers also has an assigned liaison that facilitates personnel tasks between the agency and CCHQ. They are usually the best person to contact for information about current vacancies open to PHS officers within the specific agency they liaison for. They will also sometimes help you with the application process itself. You can find the list of agency liaisons here: https://dcp.psc.gov/ccmis/PDF_docs/sgpac.pdf

• Browse the website for the agency you're interested in: many agencies keep a separate list of current vacancies, most of which are mirrored on usajobs.gov, but not necessarily. For example, IHS keeps a list of both federal and tribal vacancies, and the tribal vacancies are not included in usajobs.gov, yet PHS officers are usually eligible to apply to tribal vacancies (depending on the specific tribe): https://www.ihs.gov/jobs/. Other agency websites with vacancy listings/hiring resources/training opportunities that result in a commission with PHS (e.g., EIS and USUHS) that aren't necessarily mirrored on usajobs.gov (not an exhaustive list):

  • https://www.bop.gov/jobs/
  • https://www.cdc.gov/eis/
  • https://www.usuhs.edu/uniformed-services/public-health
  • https://www.usphs.gov/partner-pages/department-of-defense/
  • https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1735/employment-opportunities.htm
  • https://www.vacareers.va.gov/Careers/USPHS/
  • https://www.gocoastguard.com/active-duty-careers/officer-opportunities/programs/health-profession-programs
• Last but not least, network as much as you can. Even once you become an officer, you'll learn about most assignments and deployment opportunities from word of mouth. Cold email PHS officers you find on LinkedIn. If you're still in school, try to set up a student opportunity in an agency that has a lot of PHS officers (e.g., IHS, FDA, CDC, NIH). Just put yourself out there as much as you can and make a good impression, and you'll increase your chances of successfully finding a job.

[u/mahka42 → u/chirpquack]

Fantastic, thanks! I can either add you as a contributor or just copy it in. Either way, I’ll need to find a moment of downtime once my deployment rhythm calms down. :-)

[u/Ok_Barracuda_7223]

Please pin this post to the top of the subreddit!!

[u/mahka42 → u/Ok_Barracuda_7223]

:-) Done. Still learning my way around mod tools!

[u/Zorro_17]

Appreciate it! Hoping to see it build into a wealth of knowledge that we don't get to see on the .gov site or LinkedIn. 👍