Student Trainee (IHS Extern)

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). Duties

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:

• Gain working knowledge and experience in your chosen health profession or field with Indian Health Service during non-academic periods for minimum of 30 days up to 120 workdays per calendar year.
• Assist preceptor in daily duties in their academic field.
• Assist and prepare reports on assigned projects.
• Assist on day-to-day administrative operations by performing tasks related to their department functions

"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."

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 student's 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.

• GS-3: 30 semester hours/45 quarter hours
• GS-4: 60 semester hours/90 quarter hours
• GS-5: 120 semester hours/180 quarter hours
• GS-7: 18 semester hours/27 quarter hours of graduate education
• GS-9: 36 semester hours/54 quarter hours of graduate education or master's degree

To qualify for this position:

• Must be in good academic standing with a 2.0 GPA or above.
• Must be enrolled in an academic health, allied health professional program, OR career track listed in the Indian Health Scholarship Program Comparison Chart.

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:

• Those who have or will graduate from their program of study before or during the externship period are not eligible for the Extern Program.
• You may be asked to provide an updated transcript history if it becomes apparent that you have completed additional coursework after submitting your application.
• You will be rated based on the number of credit hours completed to determine grade level you are applying to. Adjustments may be made at time of appointment.

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/.Requirements U.S. Citizenship is required

Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959

Qualifications are based on the student's 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 individual's 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 applicant's 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 driver's license, it must be REAL ID-compliant. How you will be evaluated 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. How to apply To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package. See required documents below.

• To begin, click the Apply Online button on the vacancy announcement.
• You will be directed to the Login.Gov screen, here will you sign in if you have an existing USAJOBS account or Create a Login.Gov account.
• If you have an account you will be directed to select a resume or create a resume. If you create an account you can create an resume. Click save and continue.
• Follow the prompts to upload your resume and/or supporting documents.
• Click the Apply To This Vacancy and complete all steps in the application process until the Confirmation indicates your application is complete. If you click Return to USAJOBS or get timed out prior to receiving confirmation, your application will not be submitted and cannot be considered for this job.
• Read and complete all Eligibility questions.
• Review the REQUIRED DOCUMENTS section of this announcement to determine which apply to you and must be submitted online. You may choose one or more of the following options to submit your document(s): Upload (from your computer) or USAJOBS (click the "USAJOBS" link to complete the transfer process).

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. Other 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:

• Those who have or will graduate from their program of study before or during the externship period are not eligible for the Extern Program.
• You may be asked to provide an updated transcript history if it becomes apparent that you have completed additional coursework after submitting your application.
• You will be rated based on the number of credit hours completed to determine grade level you are applying to. Adjustments may be made at time of appointment.

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/