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Student Trainee (IHS Extern)
Department of Health and Human Services
Indian Health Service
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Summary
Applications are now being accepted for the Indian Health Service Summer 2027 Externship Program. Externships will be from May 2027 to September 2027. These positions are being filled under Excepted Service. Transcripts are required with your application; unofficial transcripts are accepted. The duty location is negotiable; however, the final location will be determined by IHS and must be at an IHS site.
A REAL ID will be required beginning May 7, 2025, in accordance with 6 C.F.R. 37.5 (2021).
Learn more about this agency
Summary
Applications are now being accepted for the Indian Health Service Summer 2027 Externship Program. Externships will be from May 2027 to September 2027. These positions are being filled under Excepted Service. Transcripts are required with your application; unofficial transcripts are accepted. The duty location is negotiable; however, the final location will be determined by IHS and must be at an IHS site.
A REAL ID will be required beginning May 7, 2025, in accordance with 6 C.F.R. 37.5 (2021).
Learn more about this agency
Overview
Help
Accepting applications
Location
Many vacancies in the following location:
Location Negotiable After Selection
No matching locations found.
Work site options
Telework eligible No Remote job No Relocation expenses reimbursed No Salary $35,395 - $97,087 per year Pay scale & grade
GS 3 - 9
Promotion potential None
Learn more about pay scale and grade
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule Intermittent Travel Required Not required
Appointment type Temporary - 120
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status No Federal service type This job is in the Excepted Service Represented by a union No
Drug test No Security clearance Other Position sensitivity and risk Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Financial disclosure required No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number IHS-27-HQ-13100437-ESEP/MP Control number 891279900
This job is open to
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Veterans
Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces or a spouse, widow, widower or parent of a veteran, who may be eligible for derived preference
Students
Current students enrolled in an accredited high school, college or graduate institution.
Native Americans
Native Americans or Alaskan Natives with a tribal affiliation.
Peace Corps & AmeriCorps Vista
Individuals who have served at least 2 years with the Peace Corps or 1 year with AmeriCorps VISTA.
Clarification from the agency
The IHS is required by law to give absolute preference to qualified applicants who meet the Secretary of the Interiors definition of Indian for appointment to vacancies within the IHS in accordance with established IHS policy as outlined in the Indian Health Manual Part 7, Chapter 3.
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Duties
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Eligible degree programs for Summer 2027 (must be accepted into program at time of application):
Must be enrolled in the Associate Degree program by January 1, 2027:
Clincial Laboratory Science
Dental Therapy
Diagnostic Radiology
Must be enrolled in the Bachelor Degree program by January 1, 2027:
Clinical Laboratory Scientist
Dental Hygiene
Diagnostic Radiology
Environmental Health
Engineering (Must be ABET accredited program)
Nursing
Must be enrolled in the Master Degree program by January 1, 2027:
Dental Therapy
Mental Health Counseling
Nurse Midwife
Nurse Practitioner
Occupational Therapy
Physician Assistant
Social Work (LCSW)
Must be enrolled in the Doctoral Degree program by January 1, 2027:
Clinical Psychology
Dentistry
Nurse Anesthetist
Nurse Practitioner (DNP)
Occupational Therapy
Optometry
Pharmacy
Physician, Allopathy
Physician Assistant
Physician, Osteopathy
Physical Therapy
Podiatry
Duties Include:
"Not all health professions students are eligible to participate in an externship. Please use the LINK IHS Extern Program | IHS Scholarship Program to the chart to identify if your discipline of study is eligible."
Requirements
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Conditions of employment
U.S. Citizenship is required
Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
Qualifications are based on the students number of completed semester/quarter hours in their academic program.
This is a designated position covered by Public Law 101-630, requiring contact or control over Indian children. Due to this requirement, the agency must ensure that persons hired for these positions have not been found guilty of or pleaded nolo contendere or guilty to certain crimes.
Physical Demands: The work involves walking, sitting, standing, reaching and bending in the assessment and treatment of patients.
Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify/.
You will need to set up direct deposit so we can pay you.
Background Investigation Requirement:
This position requires the successful completion of a federal background investigation as a condition of employment.
A background investigation is a standard process used by the Federal Government to verify an individuals identity, employment history, education, and other relevant information to determine suitability for Federal service.
Upon receipt of instructions, applicants must complete all required background investigation forms within five (5) calendar days of issuance. Timely completion is critical to avoid delays in processing or a determination of unsuitability.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to prioritize this requirement and to maintain regular communication with their assigned Personnel Security Specialist throughout the process.
Financial Suitability Requirement:
This position requires a review of the applicants financial history as part of the personnel security and suitability determination. Applicants must demonstrate financial responsibility, maintain good standing with creditors, and satisfy all legal financial obligations prior to applying.
Individuals with substantial delinquent or unresolved financial obligations-including, but not limited to, delinquent federal or state tax liabilities, defaulted federal student loans, court-ordered fines or fees, or child support arrears-may be deemed unsuitable for employment with the Indian Health Service (IHS).
Prior to the appointment, candidates must present two valid forms of identification. If one of the documents is a state-issued ID or drivers license, it must be REAL ID-compliant.
Qualifications
These positions are being filled under Excepted Service. Transcripts are required documentation for this position. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted. Indian Preference and Scholarship recipients will need to upload BIA 4432.
To qualify for this position, your resume must state sufficient experience and/or education, to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are applying.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer and part time experience. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Qualifications are based on the students number of completed semester/quarter
hours in their academic program. The ratings listed below are grade levels assigned
based on the number of credit hours completed.
To qualify for this position:
The selected individual is required to obtain and maintain medical staff clinical privileges, including any licensure requirements. If privileges are not obtained or maintained during employment, the employee will be subject to adverse actions, up to and including removal from Federal service.
You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement.
Education
IHS Extern Program | IHS Scholarship Program
NOTE:
This position has an education requirement. You are strongly encouraged to submit a copy of your transcripts or a list of your courses including titles, credit hours completed, and grades. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application package. Official transcripts will be required from all selectees prior to receiving an official offer.
Only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education may be credited. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: https://www.ed.gov/accreditation.
If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.
Additional information
The duty location is negotiable; however, the final location will be determined by IHS and must be at an IHS site. To learn more about the IHS Extern Program please visit the following link IHS Extern Program | IHS Scholarship Program
NOTE:
Please visit ihs.gov/findhealthcaremap/ to identify your top 3 sites. Not all cities or states have Indian Healthcare Facilities. Please verify that places you identify do. You will need to select "filters" then select governance type" and then selected "IHS."
This position is ineligible for the Bargaining Unit.
This position meets the criteria specified in pillar number one of the five pillars of the PHS Commissioned Corps. PHS Commissioned Officers interested in performing the duties of this position within the Commissioned Corps MUST apply online under the merit promotion announcement indicated above in order to receive consideration. For more information on PHS Commissioned Corps, visit the website at: https://www.usphs.gov/
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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
Benefits
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Review our benefits
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Once the application process is complete, the first two pages of your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications.
Structured Resume Review: Subject matter experts (SMEs) will review your resume to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the required competencies. SMEs will review ONLY the first two (2) pages of your resume. SMEs will not review additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letter, links embedded in your resume).
Once the announcement closes, we will conduct a review of your application package to verify your eligibility and qualifications. If you are found qualified, your application will move forward to additional phases of the review process.
To ensure a fair and consistent hiring process, IHS uses a multi-hurdle assessment process. Each "hurdle" must be passed before moving to the next step. This helps us evaluate applicants based on job-related qualifications, competencies, and experience.
Demonstration of these specialized experience statements ascertain your competency in the following:
Click here to view vacancy questions: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13100437.
All documents above MUST be received by 11:59 pm (Eastern Standard Time) of the closing date of, 12/02/2026, to be considered.
Benefits
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Review our benefits
Required documents
Required Documents
Help
USAJOBS Help Center - Update your resume now so it meets new resume requirements.
Resume: You are highly encouraged to visit the USAJOBS Help Center before submitting a resume. USAJOBS Help Center - Update your resume now so it meets new resume requirements
Required as applicable for the purposes of specific eligibility and appointment claim(s), and position requirements:
You must meet the requirements of the job by 11:59 pm (Eastern Standard Time) of the closing date: 12/02/2026
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
How to Apply
Help
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package. See required documents below.
For additional questions please see our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) found here: https://www.ihs.gov/jobs/faq/.
The IHS provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the Human Resources Office (Jessica Findahl, jessica.findahl@ihs.gov, and/or 2404630683.) The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis.
Agency contact information
Jessica Findahl
Phone 2404630683 Email jessica.findahl@ihs.gov Address IHS Headquarters
5600 Fishers Lane
Rockville, MD 20857
US
Next steps
Stay Updated with Text Alerts
You can choose to receive text message notifications about your application status. To enable this feature:
Text message updates are optional and provided in addition to email notifications. Standard messaging rates may apply.
You can track the progress of your application package via your USAJOBS account. You will receive an acknowledgement from USAJOBS that your submission was successful once we have received your on-line eligibility questionnaire, resume, and any supporting documentation. You will be notified of the status of your application via your USAJOBS Account after we conduct a qualification review of your complete application package. You will be contacted if further evaluation or interviews are required. Any exaggeration of your experience, false statements, or attempt to conceal information may disqualify you for employment consideration. We may verify all information you provide in your resume and questionnaire responses, through reference and/or background check, and/or verification of your education. If you are selected, you will be contacted personally by the human resources office posting this announcement.
If all required documentation is not submitted with your application you will lose consideration. It is the applicants responsibility to verify that information and documents entered, uploaded, or faxed are received, legible and accurate. HR will not modify answers submitted by an applicant.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
Criminal history inquiries Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
Financial suitability New employee probationary period
Privacy Act Reasonable accommodation policy
Selective Service Signature and false statements
Social security number request
Required Documents
Help
USAJOBS Help Center - Update your resume now so it meets new resume requirements.
Resume: You are highly encouraged to visit the USAJOBS Help Center before submitting a resume. USAJOBS Help Center - Update your resume now so it meets new resume requirements
Required as applicable for the purposes of specific eligibility and appointment claim(s), and position requirements:
You must meet the requirements of the job by 11:59 pm (Eastern Standard Time) of the closing date: 12/02/2026
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
How to Apply
Help
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package. See required documents below.
For additional questions please see our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) found here: https://www.ihs.gov/jobs/faq/.
The IHS provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the Human Resources Office (Jessica Findahl, jessica.findahl@ihs.gov, and/or 2404630683.) The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis.
Expand Hide how to apply
Agency contact information
Jessica Findahl
Phone 2404630683 Email jessica.findahl@ihs.gov Address IHS Headquarters
5600 Fishers Lane
Rockville, MD 20857
US
Next steps
Stay Updated with Text Alerts
You can choose to receive text message notifications about your application status. To enable this feature:
Text message updates are optional and provided in addition to email notifications. Standard messaging rates may apply.
You can track the progress of your application package via your USAJOBS account. You will receive an acknowledgement from USAJOBS that your submission was successful once we have received your on-line eligibility questionnaire, resume, and any supporting documentation. You will be notified of the status of your application via your USAJOBS Account after we conduct a qualification review of your complete application package. You will be contacted if further evaluation or interviews are required. Any exaggeration of your experience, false statements, or attempt to conceal information may disqualify you for employment consideration. We may verify all information you provide in your resume and questionnaire responses, through reference and/or background check, and/or verification of your education. If you are selected, you will be contacted personally by the human resources office posting this announcement.
If all required documentation is not submitted with your application you will lose consideration. It is the applicants responsibility to verify that information and documents entered, uploaded, or faxed are received, legible and accurate. HR will not modify answers submitted by an applicant.
Expand Hide next steps
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
Criminal history inquiries Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
Financial suitability New employee probationary period
Privacy Act Reasonable accommodation policy
Selective Service Signature and false statements
Social security number request
Indian Health Service
Become a part of an innovative, dynamic, nationwide organization of dedicated health care providers working to meet the individual health care needs of American Indians and Alaska Natives. Indian Health Service (IHS) employees are considerate in our care, creative in our approach, enthusiastic about our work and compassionate with our patients. Our lifestyle is adventurous, community oriented and focused on service and problem solving as part of a professional interdisciplinary team. Join us in improving the health outcomes of over 2 million American Indians and Alaska Natives.
Agency contact information
Jessica Findahl
Phone 2404630683 Email jessica.findahl@ihs.gov Address IHS Headquarters
5600 Fishers Lane
Rockville, MD 20857
US
Visit our careers page
Learn more about what its like to work at Indian Health Service, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.
Summary
Applications are now being accepted for the Indian Health Service Summer 2027 Externship Program. Externships will be from May 2027 to September 2027. These positions are being filled under Excepted Service. Transcripts are required with your application; unofficial transcripts are accepted. The duty location is negotiable; however, the final location will be determined by IHS and must be at an IHS site.
A REAL ID will be required beginning May 7, 2025, in accordance with 6 C.F.R. 37.5 (2021).
Learn more about this agency
Overview
Help
Accepting applications
Location
Many vacancies in the following location:
Location Negotiable After Selection
No matching locations found.
Work site options
Telework eligible No Remote job No Relocation expenses reimbursed No Salary $35,395 - $97,087 per year Pay scale & grade
GS 3 - 9
Promotion potential None
Learn more about pay scale and grade
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule Intermittent Travel Required Not required
Appointment type Temporary - 120
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status No Federal service type This job is in the Excepted Service Represented by a union No
Drug test No Security clearance Other Position sensitivity and risk Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Financial disclosure required No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number IHS-27-HQ-13100437-ESEP/MP Control number 891279900
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USAJOBS is a Opens in a new windowUnited States Office of Personnel Management website.
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| Location | DC |
| Salary | $35,395–$97,087 Per Year |
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