University of Mississippi Medical Center | Jackson, Mississippi
The University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) invites applications and nominations for an academic rheumatologist to join the Section of Rheumatology in the Division of Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine. Three things set this position apart. Visa sponsorship is available for any candidate who needs it: H-1B as a cap-exempt academic employer, J-1 waiver through two separate routes, and permanent residence, all coordinated by UMMC’s Office of International Services. Leadership opportunities are part of the plan: this hire is the first step in a deliberate effort to grow Rheumatology, and the right individual can move into fellowship education, clinical program, research, and section and division leadership over time. Protected research time is built in, supported by the NIH-funded Mississippi Center for Clinical and Translational Research (MCCTR), which provides salary support for protected research effort, pilot grant funding, and structured mentorship to junior faculty. Fellows completing training in 2027, including international medical graduates, are strongly encouraged to apply, as are early- and mid-career academic rheumatologists who want to teach fellows, publish with colleagues, and build a clinical or scholarly niche. UMMC has retained Academic Med to lead this national search.
Rheumatology at UMMC is predominantly outpatient, based in the University Medical Pavilion adjacent to University Hospital and supported by a rheumatology infusion service. Mississippi’s patient population produces a very high volume of systemic lupus erythematosus, vasculitis, inflammatory arthritis, and gout, and the most complex and rare rheumatic disease in the state is referred to UMMC. Rheumatology is among the most undersupplied subspecialties in the country, and the shortage is most acute in the Southeast; the impact of one additional academic rheumatologist here is felt statewide.
The section sits within the Division of Clinical Immunology, led by Gailen D. Marshall, MD, PhD, Professor and Director, Vice Chair for Research for the Department of Medicine, past President of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, and an NIH-funded investigator. Current Rheumatology faculty include the Fellowship Program Director and the Medical Director of the Rheumatology Clinic. The integrated division gives rheumatology faculty daily proximity to allergy and clinical immunology colleagues, translational investigators, and shared research infrastructure, and UMMC’s separate Division of Pediatric Rheumatology at Children’s of Mississippi, the state’s only children’s hospital, offers natural collaboration in transition of care, lupus outcomes, and shared education.
UMMC’s research enterprise is supported by more than $110 million in sponsored program funding each year, and its MD-PhD program received NIH Medical Scientist Training Program designation in 2026. Programs unusually well suited to an academic rheumatologist include:
UMMC offers a competitive compensation plan benchmarked to national academic survey data, with an initial period of salary protection while a new faculty member establishes their practice, and a comprehensive benefits program: a choice between the Public Employees’ Retirement System of Mississippi and an optional retirement plan with immediate vesting, generous personal and medical leave, paid parental leave, occurrence-based professional liability coverage provided at no cost to the physician, and a half-tuition waiver for dependent children at the University of Mississippi. As a state institution, UMMC is a qualifying employer for Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and research-focused faculty may be eligible for the NIH Loan Repayment Program. Academic rank, protected time, and the balance of clinical and academic effort will be commensurate with experience, accomplishments, and proposed role.
Jackson is the kind of place where an academic physician’s salary goes a long way. The metro area’s cost of living runs roughly 18 percent below the national average and housing about 40 percent below, and the average commute is under 25 minutes. Most UMMC faculty families live in Madison, Ridgeland, Flowood, Brandon, and Clinton, ten to twenty minutes from campus, with A-rated public school districts and strong private schools, and faculty children qualify for a half-tuition waiver at the University of Mississippi. As the state capital, Jackson is home to the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, the Mississippi Museum of Art, and the Fondren district’s restaurant, music, and arts scene, with the 33,000-acre Ross Barnett Reservoir and the Natchez Trace Parkway just north of the city. Winters are mild, New Orleans, Memphis, and the Gulf Coast beaches are about three hours by car, and Jackson’s airport, 15 minutes from campus, offers nonstop service to Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Charlotte, Washington, Miami, and Orlando.
Academic Med is a retained executive search firm that works exclusively in academic medicine and healthcare leadership. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Plano, Texas, the firm partners with academic medical centers, medical schools, and health systems across the country to recruit department chairs, division chiefs, deans, center directors, and faculty. UMMC has engaged Academic Med to conduct this search on a retained, national basis so that the Division of Clinical Immunology can reach well beyond its own network. Every inquiry is handled in confidence, every candidate has a direct line to the search team and a complete picture of the opportunity before deciding whether to move forward, and Academic Med manages the process from first conversation through offer. Learn more about the firm’s work in academic medicine executive search.
UMMC has retained Academic Med to lead this national search. All inquiries, nominations, and applications should be directed to Jim Hagood, Managing Director, Academic Med, at jim@academic-med.com. Candidates should submit a curriculum vitae and a brief letter describing their interest and relevant experience. Applications and nominations will be reviewed as received and will continue until the position is filled. Candidates may also apply directly through UMMC’s careers portal (Requisition R00033994). All inquiries will be held in strict confidence.
UMMC is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment on the basis of race, color, national origin (including limited English proficiency and primary language), disability, age, sex (as that term is defined in applicable laws such as 45 CFR § 92.101(a)(2) and binding court decisions), religion, genetic information, veteran’s status and any other status protected by applicable law.
