OPT Medical Director Jobs
Medical Director jobs on OPT require employers to sponsor work authorization, typically through H-1B visa or O-1A visas after your OPT period. Most roles require an MD or DO degree, active licensure, and several years of clinical experience. STEM OPT extension does not apply to this field.
Find OPT Medical Director JobsOverview
Showing 5 of 229+ Medical Director jobs
See all 229+ Medical Director Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Medical Director roles.
Get Access To All JobsUT Southwestern Medical Center | Dallas, TX
UT Southwestern is the No. 1 hospital in Dallas-Fort Worth and ranks among the top 50 hospitals nationally in 12 specialties ranging from brain to heart to cancer care - the most of any hospital in Texas, according to U.S. News & World Report’s annual Best Hospitals rankings in the 2025 report, nine of our specialties ranked in the top 25 in the nation.
Job Summary
As part of the UT Southwestern Medical Center clinical team in Psychiatry, you will join in an evolving effort to push ahead of the traditional boundaries of medicine, deliver cures and transform patient care. In our growing downtown Dallas campus, we have psychiatrists, psychologists, neuroscientists and many varied students advancing the development of neurotherapeutic interventions for challenging brain disorders, discovering advanced understanding of the causes of psychiatric illnesses and cures. The Department of Psychiatry’s vision is to meet the behavioral health needs of diverse communities across North Texas and beyond by increasing equitable access to psychiatric care and the latest advancements in neuroscience and psychiatry and preparing an effective workforce to achieve these objectives. We are recruiting an outstanding Inpatient Psychiatry Medical Director to join our University Hospital Psychiatry team and help shape this innovative and expanding clinical enterprise.
Position Highlights
- Faculty role within a top-ranked academic medical center and nationally recognized Psychiatry department.
- This position will require direct patient care as well as teaching and supervision of psychiatry residents, medical students, clinical psychology graduate students, and other trainees.
- Access to state-of-the-art psychiatric and neuroscientific research programs, including interventional psychiatry.
- Competitive guaranteed salary with wRVU incentive, comprehensive benefits, PTO, parental leave, and conference support.
Qualifications
- MD or DO degree from an accredited institution
- Completion of an ACGME-accredited residency
- Board Certified or Board Eligible in General Psychiatry
- Eligible for Texas medical licensure
- Minimum of 4 years of post-training experience preferred
- Previous leadership experience preferred
- Training in interventional psychiatry (ECT, ketamine-based therapies, and TMS) is a plus but not required.
- Strong commitment to clinical excellence, education, and multidisciplinary collaboration.
About Dallas, TX
Dallas, Texas is a vibrant, fast-growing metro of over 7.5 million residents, known for its strong economy, diverse neighborhoods, and thriving arts, dining, and entertainment scenes. The region is home to six major professional sports teams. From walkable urban living in Downtown and Uptown to family-friendly suburban communities, abundant parks, cultural attractions, and year-round activities, Dallas offers an exceptional quality of life for professionals and families alike.
Benefits
- PPO medical plan, available day one at no cost for full-time employee-only coverage
- 100% coverage for preventive healthcare – no copay
- Paid Time Off, available day one
- Paid Parental Leave Benefit
- Wellness programs
- Tuition Reimbursement
- Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Qualified Employer and NIH loan repayment program
- Two types of retirement programs, including a lifetime annuity pension plan with a substantial employer match contribution
Security
This position is security-sensitive and subject to Texas Education Code 51.215, which authorizes UT Southwestern to obtain criminal history record information.
EEO
UT Southwestern Medical Center is committed to an educational and working environment that provides equal opportunity to all members of the University community. As an equal opportunity employer, UT Southwestern prohibits unlawful discrimination, including discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, or veteran status.
Contact:
Megan Davis
Clinical Physician Recruiter, Talent Acquisition
Office of Human Resources
UT Southwestern Medical Center
P: 972-449-9836
Email: megan.davis@utsouthwestern.edu
UT Southwestern Medical Center | Dallas, TX
UT Southwestern is the No. 1 hospital in Dallas-Fort Worth and ranks among the top 50 hospitals nationally in 12 specialties ranging from brain to heart to cancer care - the most of any hospital in Texas, according to U.S. News & World Report’s annual Best Hospitals rankings in the 2025 report, nine of our specialties ranked in the top 25 in the nation.
Job Summary
As part of the UT Southwestern Medical Center clinical team in Psychiatry, you will join in an evolving effort to push ahead of the traditional boundaries of medicine, deliver cures and transform patient care. In our growing downtown Dallas campus, we have psychiatrists, psychologists, neuroscientists and many varied students advancing the development of neurotherapeutic interventions for challenging brain disorders, discovering advanced understanding of the causes of psychiatric illnesses and cures. The Department of Psychiatry’s vision is to meet the behavioral health needs of diverse communities across North Texas and beyond by increasing equitable access to psychiatric care and the latest advancements in neuroscience and psychiatry and preparing an effective workforce to achieve these objectives. We are recruiting an outstanding Inpatient Psychiatry Medical Director to join our University Hospital Psychiatry team and help shape this innovative and expanding clinical enterprise.
Position Highlights
- Faculty role within a top-ranked academic medical center and nationally recognized Psychiatry department.
- This position will require direct patient care as well as teaching and supervision of psychiatry residents, medical students, clinical psychology graduate students, and other trainees.
- Access to state-of-the-art psychiatric and neuroscientific research programs, including interventional psychiatry.
- Competitive guaranteed salary with wRVU incentive, comprehensive benefits, PTO, parental leave, and conference support.
Qualifications
- MD or DO degree from an accredited institution
- Completion of an ACGME-accredited residency
- Board Certified or Board Eligible in General Psychiatry
- Eligible for Texas medical licensure
- Minimum of 4 years of post-training experience preferred
- Previous leadership experience preferred
- Training in interventional psychiatry (ECT, ketamine-based therapies, and TMS) is a plus but not required.
- Strong commitment to clinical excellence, education, and multidisciplinary collaboration.
About Dallas, TX
Dallas, Texas is a vibrant, fast-growing metro of over 7.5 million residents, known for its strong economy, diverse neighborhoods, and thriving arts, dining, and entertainment scenes. The region is home to six major professional sports teams. From walkable urban living in Downtown and Uptown to family-friendly suburban communities, abundant parks, cultural attractions, and year-round activities, Dallas offers an exceptional quality of life for professionals and families alike.
Benefits
- PPO medical plan, available day one at no cost for full-time employee-only coverage
- 100% coverage for preventive healthcare – no copay
- Paid Time Off, available day one
- Paid Parental Leave Benefit
- Wellness programs
- Tuition Reimbursement
- Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Qualified Employer and NIH loan repayment program
- Two types of retirement programs, including a lifetime annuity pension plan with a substantial employer match contribution
Security
This position is security-sensitive and subject to Texas Education Code 51.215, which authorizes UT Southwestern to obtain criminal history record information.
EEO
UT Southwestern Medical Center is committed to an educational and working environment that provides equal opportunity to all members of the University community. As an equal opportunity employer, UT Southwestern prohibits unlawful discrimination, including discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, or veteran status.
Contact:
Megan Davis
Clinical Physician Recruiter, Talent Acquisition
Office of Human Resources
UT Southwestern Medical Center
P: 972-449-9836
Email: megan.davis@utsouthwestern.edu
See all 229+ OPT Medical Director Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new OPT Medical Director Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship in Medical Director
Target healthcare systems with established immigration programs
Large hospital networks and academic medical centers sponsor physician executives far more consistently than small private practices. Look for organizations with in-house legal teams or stated commitments to international medical graduates in leadership roles.
Secure your state medical license before applying
Most Medical Director roles require an active, unrestricted state license before day one. Beginning the licensing process early signals readiness to employers and removes a common barrier that causes sponsorship conversations to stall before they start.
Understand your OPT timeline relative to H-1B cap dates
Standard OPT gives you 12 months. If your program is not STEM-designated, plan your job search around the H-1B lottery cycle to ensure your employer can file a petition before your OPT authorization expires and a gap in status occurs.
Position yourself as a clinical and operational hybrid
Employers hiring Medical Directors want candidates who bridge medicine and management. Highlight experience with quality improvement, utilization review, or clinical protocol development alongside your clinical background to differentiate yourself from purely clinical applicants.
Raise the O-1A visa as an alternative to H-1B
Medical Directors with publications, leadership awards, or significant administrative achievements may qualify for the O-1A, which has no lottery and no annual cap. Discuss this option with an immigration attorney early so your employer understands it as a viable pathway.
Document your board certifications thoroughly in applications
Specialty board certification is a common hard requirement for Medical Director roles, and it directly supports H-1B specialty occupation classification. List your certifying board, certification date, and recertification status explicitly rather than burying them in a CV footnote.
Medical Director OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Can an F-1 OPT student work as a Medical Director in the United States?
Yes, an F-1 OPT student can work as a Medical Director as long as the role is directly related to your degree field and your employer is registered with E-Verify. Most Medical Director positions require an MD or DO degree, so OPT authorization typically aligns well with the role's educational requirements. You'll need your employer to sponsor long-term work authorization before OPT expires.
Does the STEM OPT 24-month extension apply to Medical Director roles?
In almost all cases, no. STEM OPT extension applies only to graduates of programs on the STEM Designated Degree Program List, which generally does not include MD, DO, or standard medical degree programs. If your underlying degree is in a qualifying STEM field such as biomedical engineering or health informatics and your Medical Director role falls under that classification, an extension may be possible, but this is uncommon. Confirm with your DSO.
What visa options do employers use to sponsor Medical Directors after OPT?
The H-1B cap-subject lottery is the most common route, though it introduces timing uncertainty. Employers who qualify as cap-exempt, such as nonprofit hospitals affiliated with universities or research institutions, can file H-1B petitions year-round without lottery risk. The O-1A extraordinary ability visa is another strong option for candidates with notable research output, leadership recognition, or administrative achievements. Some Medical Directors also pursue EB-1 or EB-2 NIW green card pathways concurrently.
How do I find Medical Director positions where employers are open to OPT sponsorship?
Migrate Mate specializes in surfacing jobs from employers with a demonstrated history of sponsoring international candidates. Searching Medical Director roles on Migrate Mate lets you filter for sponsorship-friendly employers rather than applying broadly and discovering late in the process that a hiring team has no pathway in place for OPT or visa sponsorship.
Do Medical Director roles qualify as H-1B specialty occupations?
Yes. Medical Director positions consistently meet the H-1B specialty occupation standard because they require at minimum a bachelor's degree in a specific specialty, and in practice an MD or DO degree, as a standard and normal requirement for entry into the role. USCIS has routinely approved H-1B petitions for physician executive positions. Having board certification in a relevant specialty strengthens the petition by further demonstrating the degree-job nexus.