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[Sticker Guy]

Regarding the chemistry GS7/9 applicants.

"Selections are currently being made, and once the selected applications are approved by OHR, candidates will be notified of their status. If all goes as scheduled, you can expect to hear something by the end of this month."

First they said by the second week in December, then it was early Jan, then late Jan, then early Feb, now its by the end of Feb. That is a total of 11 weeks after the position closed. I'm hopeful they will make a decision by the end of 2020, but maybe that is being optimisitic.

[RagingBeauty]

Sticker Guy,

I totally agree with you. This hiring process is crazy! The SPE/hiring coordinator I interviewed with back in December 2011 for Chemistry GS 7/9 stated that the training academy for the job fair applicants (chemistry, pharmacology, physics & etc.) will begin on February 28, 2012. So if there's a "delay" or "we can expect to hear something by the end of this month", I guess new the start date will be March 12th. Yes/No!?

I am aware that training academies were scheduled January 17th, 30th & now February 28th for engineering applicants that were interviewed back in Oct-Dec 2011. Also, it seems like the engineering applicants that interviewed from February 2nd-10th will start mid-March.

All of these issues make me wonder were do we, chem, pharm, & physics applicants, fit into the scheme of things. Are selected applicants going to be part of the February 28th academy or the March 12th academy? There have been interview events for Chemistry & Physics, but I have yet to hear of any interview notifications for Pharmacology applicants besides that of the job fair.

Who knows what's truly going on.

[Sticker Guy]

From the Patent Hiring Center

"The start date for this round of new hires would be March 12"

[blaze1306]

From the Patent Hiring Center

"The start date for this round of new hires would be March 12"

I assume the new round of Bio applicants are not goint to be close to evaluated by this time.

[blaze1306]

From the Patent Hiring Center

"The start date for this round of new hires would be March 12"


I assume the new round of Bio applicants are not goint to be close to evaluated by this time.


From the delay so far I'd think we Bios wont hear about grading till middle March then hiring decisions April/May?

[RagingBeauty]

From the Patent Hiring Center

"The start date for this round of new hires would be March 12"

You are right! I called PHC as well for clarifications purposes. Due to the high volume of applications received, PTA has been pushed back from February 28th to March 12th. e.g. job fair, Dec. 12th, & Jan. 2nd deadline applicants

Series of Events......
Applications are referred to SPEs/Hiring Coordinators>>>SPEs select candidates for art units>> A grand list of selected applicants is generated and submitted to Director(s) for approval>>>A final list is then submitted to OHR for review and approval>>>HR generalist receives offer packages/applications from OHR & notifies selected applicants via phone with offer.........or......USAJobs status changes to "not selected"       

Total processing time: 2-3 1/2 weeks from today

Hope this helps somebody. I don't think my cerebral cortex can take anymore of this!    

[bobipedia]

I hate to play devil's advocate, but biochemistry majors tend not to take too many hours in chemistry.  Biochemistry majors tend to take mostly biology classes with a few actual chemistry classes (General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry) as an undergraduate.  Most other chemistry classes (Physical Chemistry, Spectroscopy, etc.) are hardly taken by biochemistry majors.  There are some biochemistry majors who end up taking a lot of chemistry classes, but not many.  When they enter graduate school for obtaining a Masters or Ph.D. then they are shuffled even further away from chemistry classes.  Occasionally you will see a few who take a special topics class that overlaps chemistry and biochemistry like an enzyme catalysis class.  How do I know?  I have a Ph.D. in Chemistry and worked in a Biochemistry/Organic Chemistry research group.

Actually, most of the Ph.D. biochemists from the program I attended were dual chemistry and biology majors like myself.  This seems to be a common misconception about our branch of science.  To be fair I guess I should specify that I graduated from a biochemistry/biophysics program.

[misterbrowny]

That's cool.  The biochemistry programs I'm aware of were not required to take chemistry classes, but I know some of the students that did.  This was dependent on the research they were conducting with their research advisor who would "advise" in course work that the graduate student must take and pass.  I remember some biochemistry people being in my Mass Spectrometry class and then some being in my Enzyme Catalysis class.  The shuffling I'm referring to is when the professors tell their graduate students to take certain classes and most of them tend to be classes that are far from the chemistry building.

[bobipedia]

That's cool.  The biochemistry programs I'm aware of were not required to take chemistry classes, but I know some of the students that did.  This was dependent on the research they were conducting with their research advisor who would "advise" in course work that the graduate student must taken and pass.  I remember some biochemistry people being in my Mass Spectrometry class and then some being in my Enzyme Catalysis class.  The shuffling I'm referring to is when the professors tell their graduate students to take certain classes and most of them tend to be classes that are far from the chemistry building.

That makes sense.  I was in a very biophysics oriented lab, so sometimes I forget that there are people in biochem on the other end of the spectrum.

[Gatorbull84]

Well I applied back in October for a position as a Biomedical Engineer Patent Examiner and I am still under review. Is it safe to assume that if I haven't been offered a interview by now I won't be?

[blaze1306]

Well I applied back in October for a position as a Biomedical Engineer Patent Examiner and I am still under review. Is it safe to assume that if I haven't been offered a interview by now I won't be?

I'd apply for the new position in bio engineering if I were you, it is a continual position, seems like they want a lot of people.

[Gatorbull84]

Thanks. I have applied twice and didn't think that the apps were reopened. I will apply again tonight

[blaze1306]

Thanks. I have applied twice and didn't think that the apps were reopened. I will apply again tonight

Quote from application page for Bio Med engineering

"**Cut off dates will occur 2/20/12 and 3/14/12 at 11:59 PM (EST), or at management's request, during the open period for this announcement.**"


Seems to be so many positions they are keeping it open for a while.

[blaze1306]

Whats going on? The PTO opened grade 11 Bio Science on an extended application time before even grading the current grade 11 applications that recently closed. Grade 9/11 is still open. Are they planning on hiring a lot of people?

[slapsgiving]

Eh, I don't understand the point of this. They just closed the previous GS-11 Bio. app. a week ago, now they've opened the identical position up? I just tried calling but it's past 5 on the East Coast. I have a hard time believing that they had so few applicants the last time through, plus the joint GS-9/GS-11 app. that's still open right now. Anyone with something other than a guess able to shed any light on this?