Student Trainee (Veterinary)

To qualify for the USDA Pathways Internship Program and the FSIS Adel A . Malak Scholarship, you MUST meet the Selective Placement Factor (SPF) and Qualification Requirements stated below. To qualify at the GS-7 grade level: Successful completion of 1 full academic year of graduate level education (an academic year of graduate education is the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 academic year of full-time study) towards earning a DVM or equivalent at a college or university of Veterinary Medicine OR Superior Academic Achievement (S.A.A.) after completing a bachelor’s degree. S.A.A. is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership. 1. Class standing. Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses. 2. Grade-point average (G.P.A.). Applicants must have a grade-point average of: 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 (“B” or better) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 (“B+” or better) based on the average of the required course completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum. Note: Grade-point averages will be rounded to one decimal place. 3. Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society. Applicants can be considered eligible based on membership in one of the national scholastic honor societies listed below. These honor societies are listed by the Association of College Honor Societies . Agencies considering eligibility based on any society not included in the following list must ensure that the honor society meets the minimum requirements of the Association of College Honor Societies. Membership in a freshman honor society cannot be used to meet the requirements of this provision. To qualify for the GS-7, you must submit required transcript(s) that show AT LEAST one of the conditions below: One academic year of graduate education Bachelor’s degree showing S.A.A. To qualify at the GS-9 grade level: Successful completion of 2 academic years of graduated level education, or a master’s degree or equivalent graduate degree. To qualify for the GS-9, you must submit required transcript(s) that show AT LEAST one of the conditions below: 2 academic years of graduate education Master’s degree Equivalent Master’s degree The following Selective Placement Factor (SPF) requirement is being used to determine whether an applicant fully qualifies for this position. Therefore, it is MANDATORY that all applicants meet this requirement in order to receive further consideration for this position and scholarship. Applicants are required to submit transcripts as outlined below in education section of announcement and/or proof of enrollment. If current enrollment is not identified on the transcripts and/or proof of enrollment to support the selective placement factor, you will be determined as not eligible. SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTOR: Applicants who fail to meet the Selective Placement Factor may lose further consideration. Students must be currently enrolled full-time or have been accepted into a U.S. accredited and U.S. AVMA accredited college or university Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program or equivalent full-time for Fall 2025. To see a list of AVMA accredited colleges/universities, visit: Accredited Colleges. All colleges or universities must be a registered entity in the System for Award Management. Note: Selected students must have at least two academic years of Veterinary Medicine remaining and must be enrolled full-time. Promotion Potential: If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed. Additional documents: One letter of recommendation from college officials; such as professors, deans, or counselors. You may substitute a supervisor’s recommendation if the work experiences under that supervisor are related to your college major. Recommender may not be related to you. An original essay by you, not to exceed 500 words, addressing this topic: “Why I should receive the Adel A. Malak Scholarship and What Contributions I would make to FSIS, Office of Field Operations”. Please ensure that your resume, essay, and recommendation letter highlights accomplishments that demonstrate possession of the required competencies. If referred to the hiring manager, you may be contacted for an opportunity to interview. NOTE: While the essay and letter of recommendation are not required during this initial phase of the application process, applicants are encouraged to submit them up front since they will be needed in the short turn around, evaluation process for those applicants who are referred and considered for the position.
The Adel A. Malak Scholarship provides students with scholarship funding for tuition, books, tutors and laboratory fees awarded for each year in the program (up to four years), paid employment during summer/school breaks, conversion to a permanent appointment, mentorship, professional development, participation in retirement savings plans, and paid vacation and sick leave. For more information on the FSIS Adel A. Malak Scholarship email Adel.A.MalakScholarship@usda.gov