OPT Pulmonary Physician Jobs
Pulmonary Physician jobs on OPT are available at academic medical centers, VA hospitals, and private health systems that routinely sponsor international physicians. Most positions require completing a U.S. fellowship in pulmonary disease or critical care. Your 12-month OPT window is tight given credentialing timelines, so identifying cap-exempt H-1B visa employers early is essential.
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Get Access To All JobsTitle: ASSISTANT PROFESSOR / ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR - CLINICAL, PULMONARY CRITICAL CARE
Employee Type: Faculty
Department: Med-Pulmonary/Critical Care
Campus Location: MEDICINE/NEW ORLEANS
Job Summary/Basic Functions
The LSU Health Sciences Center, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care in New Orleans, seeks a board certified / board eligible physician in Pulmonary Disease and Critical Care Medicine to join our faculty at the rank of Assistant Professor or Associate Professor (non-tenure, clinical track). This faculty member will practice at University Medical Center – New Orleans and will work in the ICU as well as the interstitial lung disease clinic, with a focus on developing a sarcoidosis center of excellence. Work as a general pulmonary consultant is also expected while their interstitial lung disease practice grows. In all care areas, the successful candidate will maintain excellence in patient care, teaching, and research integrity. Academic appointment will be commensurate with professional achievement. Current trainees or junior faculty with an excellent track record of inpatient and outpatient care proficiency are strongly encouraged to apply. Our group thrives on collaboration and looks forward to adding another team-oriented faculty member to our outstanding academic faculty group practice.
Minimum Qualifications
Required Education: MD or equivalent
Other Education if applicable: Completion of ACGME accredited Pulmonary CC fellowship
Certifications or Licenses Required: ABIM board certified/board eligible in Pulmonary, Critical Care, and/or Interventional Pulmonary; licensed to practice medicine and credentialed with all required entities before start date
Additional Information About Our School/Department
Comprehensive benefits are available to eligible employees and their dependents including health, life, dental, and vision insurance; flexible spending accounts; retirement plans; generous annual and sick leave; 14 paid holidays per year; and an employee health primary care clinic. See following link for more details on our benefits offerings: LSUHSC, New Orleans - Benefits
Other employee benefits include a full-service credit union, wellness benefits featuring complimentary fitness center membership for employees and their spouses, employee assistance program, campus assistance program, and pet insurance option. More information about these benefits can be found on this webpage: Additional Benefits
Title: ASSISTANT PROFESSOR / ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR - CLINICAL, PULMONARY CRITICAL CARE
Employee Type: Faculty
Department: Med-Pulmonary/Critical Care
Campus Location: MEDICINE/NEW ORLEANS
Job Summary/Basic Functions
The LSU Health Sciences Center, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care in New Orleans, seeks a board certified / board eligible physician in Pulmonary Disease and Critical Care Medicine to join our faculty at the rank of Assistant Professor or Associate Professor (non-tenure, clinical track). This faculty member will practice at University Medical Center – New Orleans and will work in the ICU as well as the interstitial lung disease clinic, with a focus on developing a sarcoidosis center of excellence. Work as a general pulmonary consultant is also expected while their interstitial lung disease practice grows. In all care areas, the successful candidate will maintain excellence in patient care, teaching, and research integrity. Academic appointment will be commensurate with professional achievement. Current trainees or junior faculty with an excellent track record of inpatient and outpatient care proficiency are strongly encouraged to apply. Our group thrives on collaboration and looks forward to adding another team-oriented faculty member to our outstanding academic faculty group practice.
Minimum Qualifications
Required Education: MD or equivalent
Other Education if applicable: Completion of ACGME accredited Pulmonary CC fellowship
Certifications or Licenses Required: ABIM board certified/board eligible in Pulmonary, Critical Care, and/or Interventional Pulmonary; licensed to practice medicine and credentialed with all required entities before start date
Additional Information About Our School/Department
Comprehensive benefits are available to eligible employees and their dependents including health, life, dental, and vision insurance; flexible spending accounts; retirement plans; generous annual and sick leave; 14 paid holidays per year; and an employee health primary care clinic. See following link for more details on our benefits offerings: LSUHSC, New Orleans - Benefits
Other employee benefits include a full-service credit union, wellness benefits featuring complimentary fitness center membership for employees and their spouses, employee assistance program, campus assistance program, and pet insurance option. More information about these benefits can be found on this webpage: Additional Benefits
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship as a Pulmonary Physician
Target cap-exempt employers from the start
Academic medical centers, nonprofit hospitals, and VA facilities are cap-exempt H-1B visa employers. They can sponsor you outside the annual lottery, giving you a direct path from OPT to H-1B without waiting for the April filing window.
Start the J-1 waiver conversation before OPT ends
If you trained on a J-1 visa, your employer must file a Conrad 30 or interested government agency waiver before your OPT expires. This process takes months, so initiating it during fellowship rather than after is critical.
Confirm credentialing timelines upfront
State medical licensure and hospital credentialing can take three to six months after accepting an offer. Align these timelines with your OPT authorization dates so your work authorization is valid when credentialing clears and you can actually start.
Prioritize fellowship-trained roles that match your subspecialty
Pulmonary and critical care fellowships create strong specialty occupation arguments for H-1B petitions. Roles requiring FCCP board certification or specific procedural training narrow the applicant pool and make visa sponsorship conversations more straightforward with hiring departments.
Ask about the sponsorship process during the interview
Inquire whether the institution has sponsored international physicians before and whether they have an in-house immigration counsel. Hospitals with established sponsorship pipelines move faster and make fewer procedural errors that could jeopardize your OPT or H-1B timeline.
Document your clinical training hours carefully
USCIS scrutinizes specialty occupation claims for physician roles. Maintain detailed records of your fellowship training, board exam results, and procedural logs. This documentation supports a stronger H-1B petition when your employer files before your OPT period ends.
Pulmonary Physician OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work as a Pulmonary Physician on OPT without completing a U.S. residency and fellowship?
No. To practice as a pulmonary physician in the U.S., you must complete a U.S. internal medicine residency and a pulmonary or pulmonary-critical care fellowship, pass USMLE Steps 1 through 3, and obtain state medical licensure. OPT authorizes employment but does not replace the clinical training and licensing requirements that states and hospitals independently impose.
Does working as a Pulmonary Physician qualify for H-1B sponsorship after OPT?
Yes. Pulmonary physician roles clearly meet the specialty occupation standard because they require a medical degree and fellowship training in a specific clinical discipline. Academic medical centers and many nonprofit hospital systems are cap-exempt, meaning they can file your H-1B at any time rather than waiting for the annual lottery. Migrate Mate lists pulmonary physician positions at employers with verified sponsorship histories.
What happens to my OPT if credentialing delays push back my start date?
OPT begins on the start date listed on your EAD card, regardless of when you actually begin seeing patients. If credentialing delays mean you cannot work, you are still consuming your OPT period. If the delay extends beyond 90 days of unemployment, you risk violating OPT terms. Coordinate with your employer and your DSO to document the situation and explore whether a STEM OPT extension or early H-1B filing can bridge the gap.
Is STEM OPT extension available for Pulmonary Physician roles?
Only if your qualifying U.S. degree is in a STEM-designated field, such as biomedical sciences or a related discipline. A general MD or DO degree is not listed under the STEM OPT program's CIP code list. If you hold a qualifying STEM master's or doctoral degree alongside your medical degree, speak with your DSO immediately to assess eligibility before your standard 12-month OPT window expires.
How do I find Pulmonary Physician jobs that specifically sponsor OPT and H-1B?
Many job postings do not explicitly state visa sponsorship availability, so you need to focus on employer type rather than job descriptions. Academic medical centers, VA facilities, and nonprofit teaching hospitals are your most reliable starting points because they are cap-exempt and routinely sponsor international physicians. Migrate Mate filters opportunities by sponsorship status so you can identify qualifying positions without reviewing hundreds of unfiltered postings.