UTHealth Houston OPT Eligible Jobs USA
UTHealth Houston hires OPT students across research, clinical, and administrative roles, making it a strong option for F-1 graduates in health sciences, public health, and biomedical fields. Its academic medical center structure supports the OPT-to-H-1B visa transition for qualified candidates pursuing long-term careers in healthcare and research.
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What we do here changes the world. UTHealth Houston is Texas’ resource for healthcare education, innovation, scientific discovery, and excellence in patient care. That’s where you come in.
We are seeking a highly motivated Advanced Practice Provider to join the Children’s Heart Institute ICU at UTHealth Houston. Our APPs help provide front-line patient care as part of our multidisciplinary team. Located in the Texas Medical Center, UTHealth Houston is a leading academic health center and in partnership with Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital our program ranks among the top nationally in Cardiology and Heart surgery. The Children’s Heart Institute is committed to the professional development of our APPs and takes pride in fostering a collaborative team environment.
Schedule: Rotating 12-hour shifts - days, nights, and weekends.
Once you join us you won't want to leave. It’s because we reward our team for the excellent service they provide. Our total rewards package includes the benefits you’d expect from a top healthcare organization (benefits, insurance, etc.), plus:
- 100% paid medical premiums for our full-time employees
- Generous time off (holidays, preventative leave day, both vacation and sick time – all of which equates to around 37-38 days per year)
- The longer you stay, the more vacation you’ll accrue!
- Longevity Pay (Monthly payments after two years of service)
- Build your future with our awesome retirement/pension plan!
We take care of our employees! As a world-renowned institution, our employees’ wellbeing is important to us. We offer work/life services such as...
- Free financial and legal counseling
- Free mental health counseling services
- Gym membership discounts and access to wellness programs
- Other employee discounts including entertainment, car rentals, cell phones, etc.
- Resources for child and elder care
- Plus many more!
Position Summary:
Provides advanced medical care to patients with complex acute, critical, and/or chronic health conditions in a clinic or hospital setting in one or more specialized areas under the direction of a physician.
Position Key Accountabilities:
- Provides advanced medical care to patients with congenital heart disease and complex acute, pre-/post-surgical, and/or chronic health conditions in an inpatient setting.
- Follows established delegation protocols to manage specific patient problems. Formulates a plan of care in collaboration with other health care professionals and documents the plan in the patient’s medical record.
- Coordinates, directs, and implements the patient’s plan of care including follow up with consult services as necessary.
- Orders appropriate laboratory, diagnostic and radiographic tests. Provides initial preliminary interpretation of basic imaging and studies (i.e. ECG, XR). Ensures timely follow-up of all results.
- Completes regular follow up at the patient bedside to evaluate the daily plan of care and informs the supervising physician of pertinent medical information or changes in patient status.
- Facilitates patient and family education relating to medical processes, medication, nutrition, and health promotion or preventative health care.
- Maintains accurate & timely documentation.
- Responds to emergency situations including code response throughout the hospital and assists in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and ECPR in the ICU.
- Attends regularly scheduled education sessions to enhance understanding of a patient's physiology and improve overall patient care.
- Performs physical examinations and provides episodic care or problem oriented care under the supervision of a physician.
- Performs within the scope of practice prescribed by licensure and certification.
- Performs other duties and procedures as assigned to facilitate team productivity.
Certification/Skills:
- Proficient in the use of medical and surgical instruments and equipment required by work.
- Manages Human Resources activities of department in regards to: recruiting and selection, hiring and termination, training, professional development, mentoring, counseling, performance evaluations, and salary planning.
- Physician Assistant State Licensure (PA) by Texas Board of Physician Assistants required
- Physician Assistant - Certified (PA-C) by National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) required
- Basic Life Support (BLS) by American Heart Association (AHA) required or
- Clinical specialty certification determined by the department required
Minimum Education:
Master's Degree as Physician Assistant required. Bachelor's Degree as Physician Assistant with at least two years of professional experience in the role is acceptable based on terminal degree requirements at the time of graduation required.
Minimum Experience:
Previous experience in area of clinical focus preferred.
Physical Requirements:
Exerts up to 50 pounds of force occasionally and/or up to 20 pounds frequently and/or up to 10 pounds constantly to move objects.
Security Sensitive:
This position is a security-sensitive position pursuant to Texas Education Code §51.215 and Texas Government Code §411.094. To the extent that a position requires the holder to research, work on, or have access to critical infrastructure as defined in Texas Business and Commerce Code §117.001(2), the ability to maintain the security or integrity of the infrastructure is a minimum qualification to be hired for and to continue to be employed in that position. Personnel in such positions, and similarly situated state contractors, will be routinely reviewed to determine whether things such as criminal history or continuous connections to the government or political apparatus of a foreign adversary might prevent the applicant, employee, or contractor from being able to maintain the security or integrity of the infrastructure. A foreign adversary is a nation listed in 15 C.F.R. §791.4.
Veteran Information:
Military occupations that relate to the initial selection criteria and registration or licensure requirements for this position may include but are not limited to: 0904, 0963, 1976, 46Y1C, 46Y1H, 66B, 66C, 4A0X1, 46YX, 65D, 230X, PHA10, 42GX, 66P, 66R, 290X. For a complete list please visit www.uthealth-veterans.jobs.
Residency Requirement:
Employees must permanently reside and work in the State of Texas.
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding UTHealth Houston OPT Eligible Jobs USA
Target departments with research funding
UTHealth Houston's schools of public health and biomedical sciences run federally funded research programs that consistently need skilled graduates. Roles tied to active grants are more likely to support your OPT timeline and later visa transitions than general administrative positions.
Confirm E-Verify enrollment before accepting
STEM OPT's 24-month extension requires your employer to be enrolled in E-Verify. Ask UTHealth Houston's HR team to confirm enrollment status before you sign an offer, so your extension eligibility isn't at risk after you start.
Align your I-983 training plan with your role
Your STEM OPT I-983 training plan must describe practical training directly tied to your degree. Work with UTHealth Houston's hiring manager to document specific learning objectives that match your field, not just your job title, to satisfy your DSO's requirements.
Search verified OPT roles on Migrate Mate
Use Migrate Mate to find UTHealth Houston roles that match your OPT authorization and degree field. The platform surfaces positions from employers with a documented history of hiring OPT students, so you spend less time filtering out roles that won't work.
Benchmark your salary against prevailing wage
If UTHealth Houston later sponsors your H-1B, your offered salary must meet the DOL prevailing wage for your role and location. Use the OFLC Wage Search to check the wage level for your occupation before negotiating, so your offer supports a clean LCA filing.
Apply before your OPT start date nears
UTHealth Houston's hiring process in healthcare and academic settings can run six to ten weeks from application to offer. Submit applications at least three months before your OPT authorization start date to leave room for onboarding and E-Verify completion within your 60-day grace period.
UTHealth Houston OPT Eligibility: Frequently Asked Questions
Does UTHealth Houston sponsor OPT visas?
UTHealth Houston does not sponsor OPT itself. OPT is work authorization that USCIS grants directly to F-1 students, not a visa that employers file for. What UTHealth Houston does is hire students who already hold an OPT EAD, and it is enrolled in E-Verify, which is required to support the STEM OPT 24-month extension.
Which roles and departments at UTHealth Houston typically hire OPT students?
OPT students most commonly land roles in UTHealth Houston's schools of public health, biomedical sciences, and nursing, as well as its research centers and clinical operations. Positions in data analysis, research coordination, and health informatics align well with common OPT degree fields and UTHealth Houston's academic medical center structure.
How do I find OPT-eligible job openings at UTHealth Houston?
Search UTHealth Houston's careers portal and filter for positions that match your degree field and OPT authorization period. Migrate Mate also lists roles at employers with a documented pattern of hiring OPT students, which helps you prioritize applications to UTHealth Houston departments most likely to move quickly through the hiring process.
What is the typical hiring timeline at UTHealth Houston for OPT students?
UTHealth Houston's recruitment process for professional and research roles typically runs six to ten weeks from application to offer. Factor in E-Verify Form I-9 completion and onboarding paperwork on top of that. Apply well before your OPT start date to avoid losing authorized work days while waiting for the process to complete.
Does UTHealth Houston support the transition from OPT to H-1B?
UTHealth Houston sponsors H-1B visas for employees in qualifying specialty occupation roles, which means OPT-to-H-1B transitions are possible for the right positions. Roles with a clear degree requirement in a specific field, such as research, public health, or clinical informatics, are strongest candidates. Discuss visa sponsorship intentions early in the offer negotiation stage.
How does UTHealth Houston hire OPT students?
OPT is work authorization granted directly to F-1 students after graduation — no employer petition is required. UTHealth Houston can hire OPT students as soon as their EAD card is approved. STEM degree holders can extend OPT by 24 months when their employer is enrolled in E-Verify. Most companies that hire OPT students also support the transition to H-1B when the student's OPT period is ending. Check UTHealth Houston's individual postings on Migrate Mate to confirm OPT acceptance per role.