Physician- Fall 2027

Seeking physician services for the Fall 2027 Semester at Sea Voyage

Term of contract: September 6, 2027 - December 22, 2027

Location: Shipboard, sailing on the MV World Odyssey. Itineraries are always subject to a variety of changes both major and minor, before and during the voyage. Please reference semesteratsea.org for the most updated itinerary.
Assignment type: Independent Contractor

Details

The Physician plans, coordinates, and evaluates total patient care for voyage participants.

Prior to the voyage

The Physician participates in regular calls with ISE personnel and the Health Team. They also participate in a multi-day, in-person orientation in Fort Collins, CO. With assistance from the ISE Health Services Coordinator, the Physician reviews applications for the following positions: Physician Assistant/Nurse Practitioner and health team support liaisons. The Physician, along with members of the Health Team, participates in the pre-voyage medical clearance process to ensure all voyagers are medically cleared for the voyage. The Physician may be required to complete an online sexual assault training program. The Physician will also prepare presentations for the faculty/staff orientation on the MV World Odyssey. 

During the voyage

The Physician, with the support of the Crew Medical Team, provides two daily clinics for voyage participants. The Physician serves on a rotating on-call schedule for situations that require attention. The Physician is a member of the shipboard emergency response team. They will be responsible for making educational presentations to voyage participants regarding in-country health issues. The Physician works collaboratively with the ship's medical personnel (physician and two nurses), as well as with the ISE Medical and Mental Health Consultants. The Physician also provides guidance to the Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant, Counselors, and Medical Liaisons. 

Experience & Skills

The Physician will be currently licensed to practice medicine in the United States and is either an M.D. or D.O. The Physician should have 10+ years of full-time medical experience in college student health, family practice, emergency medicine, or internal medicine/pediatrics. The Physician should have a wide range of diagnostic and treatment experience with adults and children and should have the ability to perform minor emergency services. The Physician should have a competent skill level in basic life support, advanced life support, intubation, and cardiac care. They should have a board certification in a specialty and ACLS plus current or previous certification in ATLS. The Physician should have excellent interpersonal and communication skills and the capacity to relate effectively to program constituents. The Physician should have training or participation in diversity, inclusion, and equity initiatives. 

Ideally, they should have experience practicing emergency medicine/family medicine/urgent care in remote areas and knowledge of or experience in tropical medicine/travel medicine. 

Additional Requirements

The Physician should be available for a full semester assignment; have lawful U.S. work authorization; have or be able to obtain a valid passport, required visas, and any vaccinations as directed by a health care provider or required by the program; and be able to successfully pass a background check. (Passports must be valid for no fewer than six months post-voyage. It is recommended that U.S. Passport holders have no fewer than 15 blank visa passport pages.) 

Malpractice Insurance

The Physician will be covered under Semester at Sea’s medical malpractice insurance policy and will be added as an additional insured under Semester at Sea’s general liability insurance policy.

Contractor Payments

For services rendered, the Physician receives a total payment of $14,000, paid in three equal installments during the voyage (includes services payment of $12,500 and pre-voyage Medical History Form screening payment of $1,500). The physician will also receive a travel payment of $2,300 to help defray the cost of travel to and from the ship. This payment will be paid on the first voyage pay date. A W9 and invoice must be submitted to ISE to receive payment. As an independent contractor, ISE has no obligation to withhold any state or federal income taxes, social security, or other taxes from payments to the Physician. The Physician is responsible for any taxes they may owe to any relevant country or jurisdiction. 

Additional Information

This contract will include the following:

• The opportunity to request to sail with an adult companion and dependent children/teenagers for an additional fee. Companion and dependent children/teenager requests are subject to availability (capacity) and contingent upon health and safety regulations. Dependent children must be five years old or older at the time of embarkation;

• Opportunity to apply to be a Trip Liaison (a faculty or staff member who works with providers on our field programs to ensure expectations are carried out by the providers as planned, to serve as a point of contact for field program participants and to evaluate and respond to any health or safety issues while on the field program), and receive ISE in-country field programs for a free or reduced price;

• Passage, room, and board on the Vessel during the Term of the Agreement; and

• Medical Emergency and Evacuation insurance coverage.

Application Deadline: Please submit your contractor application in the ADP system on or before Tuesday, September 1, 2026, 11:59 p.m. EDT. 

Please direct your questions to Human Resources at hr@isevoyages.org. Please, no phone calls.