OPT Headache Specialist Jobs
Headache Specialist jobs on OPT require a medical degree and typically fall under neurology or pain medicine. Most roles are hospital-based or clinic-based positions with H-1B visa sponsorship available through academic medical centers. Your 12-month OPT window, or 36 months on STEM OPT extension, determines your hiring timeline.
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SOM KC Neurology
Position Title:
Faculty - Neurology (Headache Specialist)
Job Family Group:
Academic
Job Description Summary:
The Department of Neurology is seeking a full-time faculty member with the expertise in Headache Medicine to join our dynamic team at the Legacy campus. This position supports our mission of delivering the highest quality patient care while fostering education and research opportunities.
The faculty member will provide comprehensive care for patients with general neurological disorders and headache conditions in both outpatient and inpatient settings. It is a unique opportunity to blend clinical practice with teaching and scholarly activities in a collaborative environment.
Job Description:
Job Duties
- Diagnose, treat, and manage patients with general neurological conditions.
- Provide care in general neurology clinics and inpatient consultations.
- Engage in clinical research if desired, including clinical trials, and contribute to scholarly publications (optional but encouraged).
- Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to optimize patient care.
- Educate medical students, residents, and fellows through formal lectures and informal clinical teaching.
This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. It is only a summary of the typical functions of the job, not an exhaustive list of all possible job responsibilities, tasks, duties, and assignments. Furthermore, job duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
Required Qualifications
Education:
MD, DO, or foreign equivalent to an MD
This position requires a formal degree in the cited discipline area(s) to ensure that candidates have the foundational knowledge and skill set required to perform the duties of the position. The level of degree is based on accreditation requirements, institutional standards of academic and professional excellence, alignment with peer institution benchmarks, and contributes to the credibility and effectiveness of the role within the university community.
Certifications/Licenses:
Eligible for a Kansas medical license.
Work Experience:
Neurology residency training.
Preferred Qualifications
Work Experience:
Headache Medicine fellowship training.
Skills:
Communication Skills
Required Documents
- Resume/CV
- Cover Letter
If selected as a final candidate for this position, you may be required to complete the Association of American of Universities Representations and Warranties document and sign a release of records that will allow the University of Kansas Medical Center to conduct a further background check with former employers. A copy of the Representations and Warranties document can be found here.
Comprehensive Benefits Package:
Coverage begins on day one for health, dental, and vision insurance and includes health expense accounts with generous employer contributions if the employee participates in a qualifying health plan. Employer-paid life insurance, long-term disability insurance, and various additional voluntary insurance plans are available. Paid time off, including vacation and sick, begins accruing upon hire, plus ten paid holidays. One paid discretionary day is available after six months of employment, and paid time off for bereavement, jury duty, military service, and parental leave is available after 12 months of employment. A retirement program with a generous employer contribution and additional voluntary retirement programs (457 or 403b) are available.
Employee Type:
Regular
Time Type:
Full time
Department:
SOM KC Neurology
Position Title:
Faculty - Neurology (Headache Specialist)
Job Family Group:
Academic
Job Description Summary:
The Department of Neurology is seeking a full-time faculty member with the expertise in Headache Medicine to join our dynamic team at the Legacy campus. This position supports our mission of delivering the highest quality patient care while fostering education and research opportunities.
The faculty member will provide comprehensive care for patients with general neurological disorders and headache conditions in both outpatient and inpatient settings. It is a unique opportunity to blend clinical practice with teaching and scholarly activities in a collaborative environment.
Job Description:
Job Duties
- Diagnose, treat, and manage patients with general neurological conditions.
- Provide care in general neurology clinics and inpatient consultations.
- Engage in clinical research if desired, including clinical trials, and contribute to scholarly publications (optional but encouraged).
- Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to optimize patient care.
- Educate medical students, residents, and fellows through formal lectures and informal clinical teaching.
This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. It is only a summary of the typical functions of the job, not an exhaustive list of all possible job responsibilities, tasks, duties, and assignments. Furthermore, job duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
Required Qualifications
Education:
MD, DO, or foreign equivalent to an MD
This position requires a formal degree in the cited discipline area(s) to ensure that candidates have the foundational knowledge and skill set required to perform the duties of the position. The level of degree is based on accreditation requirements, institutional standards of academic and professional excellence, alignment with peer institution benchmarks, and contributes to the credibility and effectiveness of the role within the university community.
Certifications/Licenses:
Eligible for a Kansas medical license.
Work Experience:
Neurology residency training.
Preferred Qualifications
Work Experience:
Headache Medicine fellowship training.
Skills:
Communication Skills
Required Documents
- Resume/CV
- Cover Letter
If selected as a final candidate for this position, you may be required to complete the Association of American of Universities Representations and Warranties document and sign a release of records that will allow the University of Kansas Medical Center to conduct a further background check with former employers. A copy of the Representations and Warranties document can be found here.
Comprehensive Benefits Package:
Coverage begins on day one for health, dental, and vision insurance and includes health expense accounts with generous employer contributions if the employee participates in a qualifying health plan. Employer-paid life insurance, long-term disability insurance, and various additional voluntary insurance plans are available. Paid time off, including vacation and sick, begins accruing upon hire, plus ten paid holidays. One paid discretionary day is available after six months of employment, and paid time off for bereavement, jury duty, military service, and parental leave is available after 12 months of employment. A retirement program with a generous employer contribution and additional voluntary retirement programs (457 or 403b) are available.
Employee Type:
Regular
Time Type:
Full time
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship as a Headache Specialist
Target academic medical centers first
Academic medical centers like Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins, and Cleveland Clinic have established H-1B visa sponsorship pipelines for physicians. They hire headache specialists regularly and have in-house immigration counsel familiar with sponsoring international medical graduates on OPT.
Align your OPT start date with hiring cycles
Hospital neurology and headache clinic hiring cycles typically peak in late fall and early spring. Apply three to four months before your intended start date so your OPT authorization is active when the position begins and paperwork clears.
Confirm your role qualifies as a specialty occupation
Headache Specialist positions require a medical degree in neurology or a related specialty, satisfying USCIS specialty occupation criteria. Confirm the job description explicitly states degree requirements so your employer's H-1B petition is on solid ground from the start.
Ask about J-1 waiver pathways during interviews
Many international medical graduates on OPT previously held J-1 visas. If that applies to you, ask prospective employers about Conrad 30 waiver sponsorship, which satisfies the two-year home residency requirement and can run concurrently with H-1B sponsorship discussions.
Document your fellowship or residency as OPT-qualifying training
If your headache specialist role follows a fellowship, confirm with your Designated School Official that the position is directly related to your degree program. Misalignment between your OPT authorization category and the role can create complications during H-1B transition.
Prioritize employers with cap-exempt H-1B status
Hospitals affiliated with universities and nonprofit research institutions are often cap-exempt, meaning they can file H-1B petitions year-round without waiting for the annual lottery. This significantly reduces your risk of losing status after OPT expires.
Headache Specialist OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work as a Headache Specialist on OPT?
Yes, if your medical degree is directly related to the role. Headache Specialist positions in neurology or pain medicine qualify under OPT because they require the specialized degree you earned in the U.S. You must ensure your job is authorized under your OPT category and that your Employment Authorization Document is valid before your start date.
Do Headache Specialist employers typically sponsor H-1B visas?
Academic medical centers, hospital systems, and neurology group practices regularly sponsor H-1B visas for headache specialists. Sponsorship is most common at institutions with dedicated immigration support teams. To find employers actively hiring OPT candidates in this specialty, browse Migrate Mate, which filters for roles open to international candidates.
Does a Headache Specialist role qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
It depends on your degree. If your qualifying U.S. degree is in a STEM-designated field, such as biomedical science or a related clinical science program, you may qualify for the 24-month STEM OPT extension, giving you 36 months total. Pure clinical MD programs are typically not on the STEM OPT designated degree list, so confirm with your DSO.
What happens to my OPT status if I complete a fellowship before starting as a Headache Specialist?
Fellowship training can count toward your OPT period if it is authorized under your current OPT. The challenge is timing: OPT is tied to a specific degree, so if your fellowship follows a new degree program, you may be eligible for a fresh OPT authorization. Work with your DSO well in advance to map the transition without gaps in work authorization.
Is the Headache Specialist field competitive for OPT candidates compared to other medical specialties?
Headache medicine is a subspecialty with a relatively small pool of qualified candidates, which works in your favor. Demand at headache clinics and academic neurology departments often exceeds supply. That said, employers still need time to initiate H-1B sponsorship, so applying early in your OPT window and being transparent about your authorization timeline is essential.