i've had two woc positions since i started my current position with apma. one took me 11 months and other one surprisingly took me five. it is an excessive burdensome process when you factor in vet pro and you factor in the application process alone with all the forms and the various hr levels and committees that everything has to be completed. so it is extremely excessively burdensome. >> thank you very much for your testimony. i yield back. >> thank you to our chair and vice chair for holding this hearing. i apologize to all of you that we have flights that we have to catch. i appreciate you being here and look forward to perhaps another time we could bring dr. lynch back so that more of us could hear. i want to focus in -- i had the opportunity just recently to visit the white river junction vermont hospital which is the va hospital that serves the folks many of the folks in my district. >> i think they are very focused in veteran centric care. they've had good results from the choice act in hiring just recently. in fact, they were focused on getting nur

i am before you today representing apma and the podiatric medical profession. while i do not represent v.a. i do bring firsthand knowledge of hiring practices within v.a. and widespread disparaging between other physicians. mr. chairman, when the v.a.'s qualification standards for podiatry pr adopted in 1976 i was not yet born. podiatry starkly contrasted with that of physicians at the time and a far cry from podiatric medicine as it is today. it has vastly expanded. back then, residencies were few and were not required. today there are mandated standardized comprehensive three-year medical residencies to satisfy all our graduates. with 77 positions housed within the v.a. each requiring completion of a broad curriculum, equitable to medical and osteopathic training. todays are appointed as medical staff at the vast majority of hospitals and many serve in leadership roles within the institutions. many of my colleagues have full admitting privileges and are responsible for trauma call. the competency, skill and scope of today's physicians have certainly groan fro

i can neb andam a practicing podiatrist and before you representing apma and the podiatric medical profession. i bring with me firsthand experience and knowledge of hiring practices within va and knowledge of the widespread disparity between podiatric physicians and other physicians. when the qualifications for podiatry were adopted in the 1960s, i was not yet born. back then, residencies were few and not required. today, there are mandated standardized comprehensive three-year medicine and surgery residencies to satisfy all of our graduates. each requiring completion of a broad curriculum, equitable to medical residency training. today's podiatrists serve in leadership roles in those institutions. many of my colleagues have full admitting privileges. the competency skill and scope of today's podiatric physicians has certainly grown from the podiatrists that practiced before i was born. because of this, cms recognizes the physicians and tri-care recognizes as licensed independent practitioners. that's twu today's podiatrist. veterans plagued by psycho social issues are ailing have co-morbid d

i'm a member and director of young physicians at apma. i'm also a practicing pediatrist maintaining without compensation va appointment. i'm before you today representing apma and the medical profession. while i do not represent va, bring with me firsthand experience and knowledge of hiring practices within va and knowledge of the widespread disparity between physicians and other va physicians. mr. chairman, when the va's qualification standards were adopted in 19 76 i was not yet born. this contrasted with physician providers at the time and far cry from medicine as it is today. unlike 39 years ago current education is vastly expand, and then residencies were few and not required. toad, they are comprehensive three year surgery residencies to satisfy all graduates with 77 positions held within the va each requiring completion of a broad curriculum e quitble to residency train ingtraining. they are appointed as medical staff, and many serve in leadership roles within the institutions. many of my dreegs have full admitting privileges respo