OPT Internal Medicine Physician Jobs
Internal Medicine Physician jobs on OPT are available, but they require active medical licensure, J-1 visa or H-1B visa sponsorship history from the employer, and ECFMG certification for international medical graduates. Your 12-month OPT window is short relative to physician credentialing timelines, making early employer engagement essential.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
Since 1970, FHCSD’s mission has been to provide caring, affordable, high-quality health care and supportive services to everyone, with a special commitment to uninsured, low-income and medically underserved persons.
FHCSD is one of the top 10 largest federally qualified health centers in the country, operating more than 90 sites across San Diego County and providing care to more than 227,000 patients each year — 91% of whom are low-income and 29% uninsured.
With a team of more than 3,200 dedicated employees, FHCSD takes pride in the diversity of its staff, which reflects the communities it serves. Working at FHCSD offers more than a paycheck and excellent benefits — it offers the opportunity to make a lasting impact on the health and well-being of San Diego’s communities.
As a provider and leader for Family Health Centers of San Diego, you embrace a spirit of service to provide caring, affordable, high quality healthcare and supportive services to everyone, with a special commitment to uninsured, low income and medically underserved persons. You thrive on the challenge of working in a fast-paced environment with many chronically ill patients, knowing you are making a difference in your community every day. You enjoy partnering with the provider team to provide excellence in medical services and supervising mid-level providers.
Clinic Details
- Multiple Locations in San Diego!
- Schedules: Monday - Friday, 8:30am-5:30pm or 8am-5pm
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
- $290,000 - $335,000 Full Time Annually
- Significant Sign-on Bonus and Annual Incentives
- Free Malpractice Insurance
- CME Credit and Time Off
- NHSC Loan Repay Eligibility
- Retirement Plan with 50% Employer Match
- Paid Time Off, Extended Sick Leave and Paid Holidays
- Medical/Dental/Vision/FSA/Life Insurance
- Relocation Assistance
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Provide high quality and caring medical services to a diverse patient population
- Perform routine exams, common procedures and screenings
- Order and interpret laboratory tests, imaging, and point-of-care tests
- Evaluate patients with complex problems and refer to appropriate specialists
- Supervise and mentor Advance Practice Providers in a responsive manner
- Exercise cultural sensitivity and seek assistance with translations if needed
- Complete all required documentation in accordance with departmental standards
- Comply with electronic medical record requirements, including medication reconciliation, finalizing notes, clearing out personal pool, and participating in clinic pool
- Attend all mandatory meetings and minimize incident reports
- Use resources efficiently and practice medicine in a cost-effective manner
- Participate in Clinical Outcomes Program
- Maintain behavioral standards and respectful interactions with colleagues and patients
- Obtain good peer reviews, attend mandatory meetings and minimize incident reports
- Work toward meeting organizational targets for all metrics
- Participate in administrative duties and on-call schedule in a timely manner
- Must keep medical license, DEA registration and BLS/CPR certification current
- Perform other duties as assigned
REQUIREMENTS
- Doctorate from an accredited school of medicine
- Board certified or board eligible in a primary care field
- Current unrestricted license to practice in the State of California or ability to obtain
- DEA license
- Current American Heart Association health care provider CPR (BLS), or Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Advanced Trauma Life Support, or Advance Resuscitation Training
- Experience with underserved, low-income, or homeless community members preferred
- Second language fluency in desired
Thank you for your interest in FHCSD!
We are excited to share that the salary range for this position is:
$290,000.00 - $335,000.00
Information on our extensive benefits package can be found here: FHCSD Wellness – Employee Hub (gobenefits.net)
FHCSD provides Equal Employment Opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, transfer, leave of absence, compensation, and training.
INTRODUCTION
Since 1970, FHCSD’s mission has been to provide caring, affordable, high-quality health care and supportive services to everyone, with a special commitment to uninsured, low-income and medically underserved persons.
FHCSD is one of the top 10 largest federally qualified health centers in the country, operating more than 90 sites across San Diego County and providing care to more than 227,000 patients each year — 91% of whom are low-income and 29% uninsured.
With a team of more than 3,200 dedicated employees, FHCSD takes pride in the diversity of its staff, which reflects the communities it serves. Working at FHCSD offers more than a paycheck and excellent benefits — it offers the opportunity to make a lasting impact on the health and well-being of San Diego’s communities.
As a provider and leader for Family Health Centers of San Diego, you embrace a spirit of service to provide caring, affordable, high quality healthcare and supportive services to everyone, with a special commitment to uninsured, low income and medically underserved persons. You thrive on the challenge of working in a fast-paced environment with many chronically ill patients, knowing you are making a difference in your community every day. You enjoy partnering with the provider team to provide excellence in medical services and supervising mid-level providers.
Clinic Details
- Multiple Locations in San Diego!
- Schedules: Monday - Friday, 8:30am-5:30pm or 8am-5pm
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
- $290,000 - $335,000 Full Time Annually
- Significant Sign-on Bonus and Annual Incentives
- Free Malpractice Insurance
- CME Credit and Time Off
- NHSC Loan Repay Eligibility
- Retirement Plan with 50% Employer Match
- Paid Time Off, Extended Sick Leave and Paid Holidays
- Medical/Dental/Vision/FSA/Life Insurance
- Relocation Assistance
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Provide high quality and caring medical services to a diverse patient population
- Perform routine exams, common procedures and screenings
- Order and interpret laboratory tests, imaging, and point-of-care tests
- Evaluate patients with complex problems and refer to appropriate specialists
- Supervise and mentor Advance Practice Providers in a responsive manner
- Exercise cultural sensitivity and seek assistance with translations if needed
- Complete all required documentation in accordance with departmental standards
- Comply with electronic medical record requirements, including medication reconciliation, finalizing notes, clearing out personal pool, and participating in clinic pool
- Attend all mandatory meetings and minimize incident reports
- Use resources efficiently and practice medicine in a cost-effective manner
- Participate in Clinical Outcomes Program
- Maintain behavioral standards and respectful interactions with colleagues and patients
- Obtain good peer reviews, attend mandatory meetings and minimize incident reports
- Work toward meeting organizational targets for all metrics
- Participate in administrative duties and on-call schedule in a timely manner
- Must keep medical license, DEA registration and BLS/CPR certification current
- Perform other duties as assigned
REQUIREMENTS
- Doctorate from an accredited school of medicine
- Board certified or board eligible in a primary care field
- Current unrestricted license to practice in the State of California or ability to obtain
- DEA license
- Current American Heart Association health care provider CPR (BLS), or Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Advanced Trauma Life Support, or Advance Resuscitation Training
- Experience with underserved, low-income, or homeless community members preferred
- Second language fluency in desired
Thank you for your interest in FHCSD!
We are excited to share that the salary range for this position is:
$290,000.00 - $335,000.00
Information on our extensive benefits package can be found here: FHCSD Wellness – Employee Hub (gobenefits.net)
FHCSD provides Equal Employment Opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, transfer, leave of absence, compensation, and training.
See all 119+ OPT Internal Medicine Physician Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new OPT Internal Medicine Physician Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship as an Internal Medicine Physician
Target teaching hospitals and academic medical centers
Academic medical centers and university-affiliated teaching hospitals have established immigration infrastructure and routinely sponsor physicians. They're far more likely to have legal counsel experienced with OPT-to-H-1B visa transitions than private practices or smaller community hospitals.
Confirm your OPT end date before applying
Physician credentialing alone can take 60 to 90 days. Add licensing and privileging timelines, and your OPT window may expire before your start date. Know exactly when your authorization ends and communicate that proactively with prospective employers.
Get your state medical license in process immediately
Most states take three to six months to issue a medical license. You cannot legally practice without one, and employers won't extend offers without it. Start the application before you begin job searching, not after you receive an offer.
Frame H-1B sponsorship as a standard physician hiring conversation
Large health systems sponsor physicians routinely. Lead with your qualifications and specialty fit, then address sponsorship. Employers who regularly hire J-1 visa physicians after their waiver period are already comfortable with immigration logistics for internists.
Prioritize STEM OPT extension eligibility if your program qualifies
If your graduate medical or biomedical science degree is STEM-designated, you may qualify for a 24-month STEM OPT extension. This gives you significantly more runway for the H-1B lottery cycle, which matters enormously in physician hiring.
Engage an immigration attorney before accepting any offer
Physician OPT transitions involve credentialing, licensure, and visa timing converging simultaneously. An immigration attorney can identify whether your employer qualifies as a cap-exempt H-1B filer, which would let you bypass the lottery entirely.
Internal Medicine Physician OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work as an Internal Medicine Physician on OPT without an H-1B?
Yes, OPT authorizes you to work as an Internal Medicine Physician for a qualifying employer during your authorization period. However, OPT is temporary. Most physicians use it as a bridge while their employer files an H-1B or, if the hospital qualifies as a nonprofit or government research entity, a cap-exempt H-1B petition that bypasses the lottery entirely.
Do hospitals typically sponsor OPT physicians for H-1B visas?
Academic medical centers, large health systems, and VA hospitals sponsor physicians regularly. Many qualify as cap-exempt H-1B employers, meaning they can file outside the annual lottery. Smaller private practices rarely have the infrastructure to manage sponsorship. Targeting systems with established immigration departments significantly improves your chances of a smooth OPT-to-H-1B transition. Browse employers on Migrate Mate to identify health systems actively hiring OPT candidates.
Does ECFMG certification affect my OPT eligibility as a physician?
ECFMG certification is a medical licensure requirement for international medical graduates, not an OPT eligibility requirement. OPT is granted based on your student visa and program completion, not your clinical credentials. That said, you cannot practice medicine without ECFMG certification and a state medical license regardless of your work authorization status, so both tracks must run simultaneously.
How does the 12-month OPT window interact with physician credentialing timelines?
It's tight. Hospital credentialing typically takes 60 to 90 days, state medical licensing takes three to six months, and DEA registration adds additional time. If you wait until graduation to begin these processes, your OPT window may expire before you can legally start. Begin licensing applications during your final residency or fellowship year and communicate your timeline clearly with any prospective employer.
What happens if my OPT expires before I complete credentialing at a new hospital?
If your OPT expires before you begin employment, you lose work authorization and cannot legally practice. You'd need either a timely H-1B approval with a start date before OPT expiration or a cap-exempt petition filed by your employer. This is why early employer engagement and an immigration attorney review of your timeline are critical, not optional, steps in the physician job search process.