Internist Jobs for OPT Students
Internist jobs on OPT require employer sponsorship for cap-exempt H-1B or J-1 waiver positions, and most hospital systems and academic medical centers actively recruit international medical graduates. Your OPT clock starts on your program end date, so timing your residency completion and job search is critical.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
Henry Ford Department of General Internal Medicine is seeking a board eligible/certified Internist to serve as a core faculty clinician-educator for its large urban residency and patient population. Both ambulatory and hospitalist physicians with teaching and/or research experience are encouraged to apply.
Our dual mission is to advance the health and well-being of our community and to educate tomorrow’s healthcare leaders via direct patient care, clinical training programs, research, and quality improvement. We help patients and their families maintain health, manage chronic diseases, and live with complex conditions. Both the inpatient floors and the faculty clinic operate in collaborative team-based models. The Academic Patient Centered Team Care (A-PCTC) clinic is an innovative Detroit-based patient-centered medical home for medically and socially complex adult patients and families. Outpatient teams are supported by integrated health psychologists, nurse-driven chronic disease management protocols, nurse case manager, social worker, pharmacists, community health worker, and diabetes educators. Inpatient teams are supported by integrated pharmacists, nurse case managers, and social workers.
This position will directly care for high-acuity patients in the faculty inpatient and outpatient practice. Supervise the care provided to patients by housestaff and medical students. Mentor residents in evidence-based medical care, quality improvement, and academic scholarship. Work within the Health System and with other Departments to further the effective management of ambulatory and hospitalized patients. Opportunities for career development as a clinician-educator or clinician-researcher.
POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES:
-
Work with institutional staff and administration to attain the strategic objectives, including patient safety, patient and other customer satisfaction, maintenance and enhancement of public perception, and fiscal health.
-
Provide direct clinical care to ambulatory and hospitalized patients including supervision of housestaff and medical students. Participate in limited on-call duties, shared among the outpatient clinic providers. Comply in a timely manner with all institutional policies for professional work, including credentialing, documentation, and billing. Work effectively with other members of the extended inter-professional team.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Board Certified/Eligible in Internal Medicine
- Direct experience managing a variety of conditions and promoting general wellness in the adult population
- Experience in teaching and growth in an academic setting
- Interest in furthering the academic mission of the Division
- Demonstrated ability to provide effective communication, both verbal and written
- Demonstrated experience working in and fostering a diverse faculty, staff, and student environment or commitment to do so as a faculty member
ADDITIONAL DETAILS
This posting represents the major duties, responsibilities, and authorities of this job, and is not intended to be a complete list of all tasks and functions. It should be understood, therefore, that incumbents may be asked to perform job-related duties beyond those explicitly described above.
Overview
Henry Ford Health partners with millions of people on their health journey, across Michigan and around the world. We offer a full continuum of services – from primary and preventative care to complex and specialty care, health insurance, a full suite of home health offerings, virtual care, pharmacy, eye care and other health care retail. With former Ascension southeast Michigan and Flint region locations now part of our team, Henry Ford’s care is available in 13 hospitals and hundreds of ambulatory care locations. Based in Detroit, Henry Ford is one of the nation’s most respected academic medical centers and is leading the Future of Health: Detroit, a $3 billion investment anchored by a reimagined Henry Ford academic healthcare campus. Learn more at henryford.com/careers.
BENEFITS
The health and overall well-being of our team members is our priority. That’s why we offer support in the various components of our team’s well-being: physical, emotional, social, financial and spiritual. Our Total Rewards program includes competitive health plan options, with three consumer-driven health plans (CDHPs), a PPO plan and an HMO plan. Our team members enjoy a number of additional benefits, ranging from dental and eye care coverage to tuition assistance, family forming benefits, discounts to dozens of businesses and more. Employees classified as contingent status are not eligible for benefits.
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER
Equal Employment Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer Henry Ford Health is committed to the hiring, advancement and fair treatment of all individuals without regard to race, color, creed, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status, size, height, weight, marital status, family status, gender identity, sexual orientation, and genetic information, or any other protected status in accordance with applicable federal and state laws.
INTRODUCTION
Henry Ford Department of General Internal Medicine is seeking a board eligible/certified Internist to serve as a core faculty clinician-educator for its large urban residency and patient population. Both ambulatory and hospitalist physicians with teaching and/or research experience are encouraged to apply.
Our dual mission is to advance the health and well-being of our community and to educate tomorrow’s healthcare leaders via direct patient care, clinical training programs, research, and quality improvement. We help patients and their families maintain health, manage chronic diseases, and live with complex conditions. Both the inpatient floors and the faculty clinic operate in collaborative team-based models. The Academic Patient Centered Team Care (A-PCTC) clinic is an innovative Detroit-based patient-centered medical home for medically and socially complex adult patients and families. Outpatient teams are supported by integrated health psychologists, nurse-driven chronic disease management protocols, nurse case manager, social worker, pharmacists, community health worker, and diabetes educators. Inpatient teams are supported by integrated pharmacists, nurse case managers, and social workers.
This position will directly care for high-acuity patients in the faculty inpatient and outpatient practice. Supervise the care provided to patients by housestaff and medical students. Mentor residents in evidence-based medical care, quality improvement, and academic scholarship. Work within the Health System and with other Departments to further the effective management of ambulatory and hospitalized patients. Opportunities for career development as a clinician-educator or clinician-researcher.
POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES:
-
Work with institutional staff and administration to attain the strategic objectives, including patient safety, patient and other customer satisfaction, maintenance and enhancement of public perception, and fiscal health.
-
Provide direct clinical care to ambulatory and hospitalized patients including supervision of housestaff and medical students. Participate in limited on-call duties, shared among the outpatient clinic providers. Comply in a timely manner with all institutional policies for professional work, including credentialing, documentation, and billing. Work effectively with other members of the extended inter-professional team.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Board Certified/Eligible in Internal Medicine
- Direct experience managing a variety of conditions and promoting general wellness in the adult population
- Experience in teaching and growth in an academic setting
- Interest in furthering the academic mission of the Division
- Demonstrated ability to provide effective communication, both verbal and written
- Demonstrated experience working in and fostering a diverse faculty, staff, and student environment or commitment to do so as a faculty member
ADDITIONAL DETAILS
This posting represents the major duties, responsibilities, and authorities of this job, and is not intended to be a complete list of all tasks and functions. It should be understood, therefore, that incumbents may be asked to perform job-related duties beyond those explicitly described above.
Overview
Henry Ford Health partners with millions of people on their health journey, across Michigan and around the world. We offer a full continuum of services – from primary and preventative care to complex and specialty care, health insurance, a full suite of home health offerings, virtual care, pharmacy, eye care and other health care retail. With former Ascension southeast Michigan and Flint region locations now part of our team, Henry Ford’s care is available in 13 hospitals and hundreds of ambulatory care locations. Based in Detroit, Henry Ford is one of the nation’s most respected academic medical centers and is leading the Future of Health: Detroit, a $3 billion investment anchored by a reimagined Henry Ford academic healthcare campus. Learn more at henryford.com/careers.
BENEFITS
The health and overall well-being of our team members is our priority. That’s why we offer support in the various components of our team’s well-being: physical, emotional, social, financial and spiritual. Our Total Rewards program includes competitive health plan options, with three consumer-driven health plans (CDHPs), a PPO plan and an HMO plan. Our team members enjoy a number of additional benefits, ranging from dental and eye care coverage to tuition assistance, family forming benefits, discounts to dozens of businesses and more. Employees classified as contingent status are not eligible for benefits.
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER
Equal Employment Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer Henry Ford Health is committed to the hiring, advancement and fair treatment of all individuals without regard to race, color, creed, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status, size, height, weight, marital status, family status, gender identity, sexual orientation, and genetic information, or any other protected status in accordance with applicable federal and state laws.
How to Get Visa Sponsorship in Internist
Target teaching hospitals and academic medical centers
Academic medical centers and VA hospitals regularly sponsor international physicians through cap-exempt H-1B and J-1 waiver programs. These institutions have established immigration processes and in-house legal teams that make sponsorship smoother than private practices.
Understand the J-1 waiver pathways available to you
If you completed residency on a J-1 visa, you likely need a waiver before an employer can sponsor you. Conrad 30, VA, and federal agency waivers are the most common routes. Each has different service requirements and timelines, so research early.
Ask explicitly about cap-exempt H-1B eligibility
Hospitals affiliated with universities or nonprofit research institutions often qualify as cap-exempt H-1B sponsors, letting them file year-round without lottery risk. Confirm this status with the employer's HR or immigration counsel before accepting any offer.
Get your USMLE and board certifications in order first
Sponsoring employers will not file immigration paperwork until you clear all licensure hurdles. Prioritize completing USMLE Steps, obtaining your state medical license, and passing internal medicine boards to remove delays from the sponsorship timeline.
Negotiate immigration support into your employment contract
Not all employers cover attorney fees or premium processing. Before signing, confirm the contract specifies who pays filing fees, whether premium processing is offered, and whether the employer will support future green card sponsorship through EB-2 or EB-1B.
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Get Access To All JobsFrequently Asked Questions
Can I work as an internist in the U.S. on OPT?
Yes, but OPT alone only covers the training period immediately after your medical degree. Most internist positions require a residency-trained physician, so you will typically be finishing residency, completing fellowship, or transitioning off a J-1 or H-1B training visa when you enter the job market. Your employer must then sponsor a new work authorization before your current status expires.
Do internist employers commonly sponsor H-1B visas?
Yes. Internal medicine is consistently among the highest-volume specialties for H-1B sponsorship because the U.S. faces a persistent shortage of primary care and hospitalist physicians. Hospital systems, federally qualified health centers, and VA facilities file cap-exempt H-1B petitions year-round, meaning you are not subject to the annual lottery. Browse verified sponsoring employers on Migrate Mate to identify which hospital systems are actively hiring.
What is the Conrad 30 waiver and does it apply to internists on OPT?
The Conrad 30 program allows J-1 physicians to obtain a waiver of the two-year home residency requirement in exchange for three years of service in a Health Professional Shortage Area. If you completed U.S. residency on a J-1 visa, you will need this waiver before any employer can sponsor your H-1B. Each state allocates up to 30 Conrad slots per year, and competitive states fill quickly, so apply as early as your program permits.
How long does H-1B sponsorship take for a physician starting after OPT?
For cap-exempt positions, expect four to eight weeks for standard USCIS processing or two to three weeks with premium processing. However, total time from offer to start date is typically four to six months when you factor in hospital credentialing, state licensure verification, and contract finalization. Start the process well before your OPT expiration date to avoid a gap in work authorization.
Are there internist roles that do not require employer sponsorship?
Very few. Independent practice requires a state medical license and stable immigration status that OPT alone cannot guarantee long-term. Locum tenens positions through staffing agencies rarely offer visa sponsorship. The most reliable path for OPT students transitioning into internal medicine is securing a full-time employed position with a hospital or health system that has an established immigration sponsorship process.
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