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Role profile · Biotech & Medicine

Physician-Scientist / Specialist Researcher

Lead clinical and translational research at an academic medical center or in industry, with a publication and leadership record behind you.

Role profileWhat U.S. employers hire for. Not a specific job opening. Fit the profile? Get matched with U.S. companies that post real roles and gigs.

Code WORKWITHUS unlocks the O1DMatch Starter plan at no cost. The eligibility check is an AI review of your background, not a legal opinion.

At a glance
FieldBiotech & Medicine
Usual visa pathO-1A (extraordinary ability)
Who hires this profileAcademic medical centers, research hospitals, pharma clinical development
Market pay (data, not an offer)BLS 2025 national median for physicians and surgeons: USD 275,930
Work typeFull-time roles, contracts and short gigs with U.S. companies
How to get matchedFree eligibility check, then a profile with code WORKWITHUS

About the role

This profile is written for people already doing this work at a high level. U.S. employers that hire it include academic medical centers, research hospitals, pharma clinical development. The sections below cover the work, what those employers screen for, and how a career like this maps to the O-1.

What you would do

  • Lead clinical or translational research programs
  • Design trials and analyze outcomes
  • Publish and present
  • Mentor fellows and junior researchers

What U.S. employers look for

  • MD or MD/PhD with a strong research record
  • Publications in your specialty
  • Leadership roles in societies or trials
  • Licensing path for any clinical work

How this career maps to the O-1

An O-1 is judged against your field. People in this role usually build their case from evidence like this:

Scholarly articlespapers and citations
Judgingpeer review and grant review
Awardssociety awards and grants
Critical rolePI or department leadership

Pay

BLS 2025 national median for physicians and surgeons: USD 275,930. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025). This is market data to help you benchmark, not an offer from O1DMatch or any employer.

Visa path

O-1A for research-heavy physicians. Clinical training roles usually use J-1 or H-1B; several states now have new licensing pathways for internationally trained physicians.

O1DMatch

Fit this profile? Here is how to get matched

  1. Run the free eligibility checkA short AI review of your background against the eight O-1 criteria. Most of what you enter carries into your profile.
  2. Create your profile with code WORKWITHUSTell us your field and the work you do today; every O-1 case is judged against your field.
  3. Upload your evidenceAward letters, press about you, contracts, pay records, judging invitations. Each file is sorted under the criterion it supports, and your criteria map shows what you already meet and what is one document away.
  4. Meet U.S. companiesEmployers on the platform post full-time roles and short gigs. Gigs you confirm with verified companies count toward the U.S. itinerary your petition needs.
  5. Get to an attorney-ready caseIf you have no U.S. employer to file for you, the platform shows agents that can petition. When your score reaches 75 with the key pieces in place, we connect you with an immigration attorney.

Code WORKWITHUS unlocks the O1DMatch Starter plan at no cost. The eligibility check is an AI review of your background, not a legal opinion.

Listings in this role family

Each listing is modeled on a real U.S. posting; the employer is not named. Apply through O1DMatch to be matched with employers hiring for this kind of role.

More Biotech & Medicine role profiles

How the agent-based O-1 works, from law firms

You do not need a single employer to file for you. A U.S. agent can petition for work with several employers. These explainers come from law firms, including ours, and from the regulation itself:

Read our plain-language guide →

Common questions

Is this a job opening?

No. This is a role profile: a description of a kind of role U.S. employers hire international talent for. It is not a vacancy at a specific company. If you fit it, O1DMatch helps you build the O-1 case and meet U.S. companies that post real roles and gigs on the platform.

Do I need one employer to file my petition?

Not necessarily. An O-1 must be filed by someone in the U.S., but that can be a U.S. agent filing for work with several employers. If you have no employer who can file, the platform shows agents that can petition on your behalf.

What does code WORKWITHUS give me?

It unlocks the O1DMatch Starter plan at no cost: your full eligibility breakdown and recommendations, your evidence map, and access to apply to roles and gigs from U.S. companies on the platform.

Does a high score mean my visa will be approved?

No. The score shows how your evidence lines up against the criteria. USCIS decides every case, and an attorney reviews yours before anything is filed. No outcome is promised.