50 U.S.C. § 3528 - U.S. Code - Unannotated Title 50. War and National Defense § 3528. Compensation and professional standards for certain medical officers

(a)Office of Medical Services

There is in the Agency an Office of Medical Services.

(b)Compensation

Beginning not later than 1 year after March 15, 2022, each medical officer of the Office of Medical Services who meets the qualifications under subsection (c) shall be compensated during a pay period pursuant to a pay range that is equal to the pay range published in the Federal Register pursuant to section 7431(e)(1)(C) of Title 38 (for the corresponding pay period), for a physician in the Veterans Health Administration in the District of Columbia region with a medical subspecialty that is the equivalent of the medical subspecialty of the officer.

(c)Clinical practice qualifications

A medical officer meets the qualifications under this subsection if the officer provides direct care services to patients in connection with the official duties of the officer and--

(d)Exception for overseas service

If a medical officer is a medical officer located in a duty station outside of the United States pursuant to a permanent change of station and greater than 50 percent of the official duties of the officer in such duty station involve direct patient care, the officer, in lieu of performing the minimum hours under subsection (c)(3) on an annual basis, may count up to 480 hours of clinical practice performed as specified in such subsection prior to such change of station, to fulfill in advance the requirement under such subsection for up to 3 years.

(e)Clinical practice hours

The head of the Office of Medical Services shall make available to medical officers excused absence time to allow for the maintenance of clinical practice hours in accordance with subsection (c)(3).