Healthcare Staffing Solutions, Inc. 954-752-9897
Determine Your Community
The Community
Determining where you want to work and play! www.findyourspot.com
You know the areas of the country where you might want to live. Now it is time to get specific. Pick the type of town or city in which you would most like to live. Here are some of the things you should consider:
► Size of community
You probably have a pretty good idea of the kind of environment where you feel most at home. Small towns appeal to some, large cities to others. Still for others, suburban areas combine the best of both worlds. You should consider the kind of environment in which you will be most comfortable, productive and needed.
►Proximity of friends and family
• Do you have friends or family with whom you need to be near?
• What level of contact do you want to maintain?
• What about your spouse's family needs?
• Is jumping on a plane for a visit during the holidays acceptable to you and your spouse?
There are a lot of things to consider in this area. For example, consider whether your parents or in-laws will need you nearby as they advance in age. Be sure to talk openly about these things with your family and friends before you make your decision.
►Employment opportunities for your spouse
The question of whose career comes first is a difficult issue. The ideal move is one that benefits both careers. As a practical matter, however, this is not always possible. If your spouse has a career to consider, it is best to have frequent and open conversations about the subject. There are always trade-offs, as well as a period of adjustment for both spouses, but happy compromises can be worked out.
►General economic and social structure
Do you want to live in a town with predominantly blue-collar or white-collar workers, or a mixture of both? Or perhaps you want to practice in a resort, agricultural, academic, metropolitan or rural community. Are the traditions and customs of a certain area a turn-on or a turn-off? The happiest doctors are those who pick an area where they feel at home.
►Quality of schools www.greatschools.org
If you are planning to have a family or have one already, this is something to think about, even if your children are not yet old enough to go to school. The quality of school varies dramatically from area to area. Plan to call or visit schools in your area of interest. Find out how students perform on standardized tests. Schools often report how much money is spent per student and what the student/teacher ratios are. These facts will help you compare and contrast different school systems. We recommend keeping detailed notes on student/teacher ratios, class size, tracking programs, special programs, etc. Your comparison of different school districts is likely to figure importantly in your planning. For this reason, you will want to make decisions based on facts, not impressions.
►Housing costs
Is being able to buy a home right away important to you, or do you plan to wait a while? In general, if you choose the Northeast or the metropolitan areas of California for example, housing costs will be higher. If you are looking at opportunities in areas such as the deep South and the Midwest, you can expect more moderate housing costs. Housing costs and the availability of the homes for sale can play a critical role in evaluating an opportunity. Remember - if you're not sure of an area, you can always rent.
► Recreational opportunities
Is it important for you to live in a town that has lots of movie and live theaters, restaurants, golf courses, amusement parks, concerts, major league sports teams, etc.? If the great outdoors is more to your liking, you will want to look for opportunities away from large cities. Sailors explore coastal areas; skiers, the mountain regions. Remember to factor the recreational needs of your entire family into your decision.
►Area and patient demographics
Job satisfaction is vital. Consider the area's total population, patient population and payor mix. Is the area's population able to support your presence in the practice you would like to join? Is there a good patient/payor mix; i.e., a diversity in patient population groups and in the payor categories? Is there a particular demographic group that you would like to serve? If you have the desire to perform community service, is there a local population in need of volunteer medical attention? Make sure the people you want to serve are available to be served. Once you have narrowed your search down to a specific town or towns, there are certain things you should research in the community. Good sources for this kind of information can be found online and from local realtors, the town hall, chamber of commerce and the local library. Here are the primary areas to investigate:
►Size
How many people live in the town and surrounding areas? Is the area gaining or losing population? Any one of the four sources above should have this kind of information readily available.
►Economic background and stability
No community is totally recession-proof, but you can help protect yourself. Is the area attracting new businesses or losing businesses? Look at the statistics such as unemployment, growth rate, diversity of industries, average family income, housing sales and availability, and absorption rate for office and industrial estate. This information will give you a good picture of the economic vitality of the area. The economic health of a community may have an impact on the economic health of your practice.
►Cultural/recreational offerings available
Is there a museum nearby? A driving range? Major or minor league sports team? A good theater? Ask around. Look in the yellow pages or go online. Make sure you have plenty of cultural and recreational options for your leisure time.
►Religious choices available
Be sure your needs in this area can be met. Again, realtors are an excellent source for answers to your questions in this area.
The Community
Determining where you want to work and play! www.findyourspot.com
You know the areas of the country where you might want to live. Now it is time to get specific. Pick the type of town or city in which you would most like to live. Here are some of the things you should consider:
► Size of community
You probably have a pretty good idea of the kind of environment where you feel most at home. Small towns appeal to some, large cities to others. Still for others, suburban areas combine the best of both worlds. You should consider the kind of environment in which you will be most comfortable, productive and needed.
►Proximity of friends and family
• Do you have friends or family with whom you need to be near?
• What level of contact do you want to maintain?
• What about your spouse's family needs?
• Is jumping on a plane for a visit during the holidays acceptable to you and your spouse?
There are a lot of things to consider in this area. For example, consider whether your parents or in-laws will need you nearby as they advance in age. Be sure to talk openly about these things with your family and friends before you make your decision.
►Employment opportunities for your spouse
The question of whose career comes first is a difficult issue. The ideal move is one that benefits both careers. As a practical matter, however, this is not always possible. If your spouse has a career to consider, it is best to have frequent and open conversations about the subject. There are always trade-offs, as well as a period of adjustment for both spouses, but happy compromises can be worked out.
►General economic and social structure
Do you want to live in a town with predominantly blue-collar or white-collar workers, or a mixture of both? Or perhaps you want to practice in a resort, agricultural, academic, metropolitan or rural community. Are the traditions and customs of a certain area a turn-on or a turn-off? The happiest doctors are those who pick an area where they feel at home.
►Quality of schools www.greatschools.org
If you are planning to have a family or have one already, this is something to think about, even if your children are not yet old enough to go to school. The quality of school varies dramatically from area to area. Plan to call or visit schools in your area of interest. Find out how students perform on standardized tests. Schools often report how much money is spent per student and what the student/teacher ratios are. These facts will help you compare and contrast different school systems. We recommend keeping detailed notes on student/teacher ratios, class size, tracking programs, special programs, etc. Your comparison of different school districts is likely to figure importantly in your planning. For this reason, you will want to make decisions based on facts, not impressions.
►Housing costs
Is being able to buy a home right away important to you, or do you plan to wait a while? In general, if you choose the Northeast or the metropolitan areas of California for example, housing costs will be higher. If you are looking at opportunities in areas such as the deep South and the Midwest, you can expect more moderate housing costs. Housing costs and the availability of the homes for sale can play a critical role in evaluating an opportunity. Remember - if you're not sure of an area, you can always rent.
► Recreational opportunities
Is it important for you to live in a town that has lots of movie and live theaters, restaurants, golf courses, amusement parks, concerts, major league sports teams, etc.? If the great outdoors is more to your liking, you will want to look for opportunities away from large cities. Sailors explore coastal areas; skiers, the mountain regions. Remember to factor the recreational needs of your entire family into your decision.
►Area and patient demographics
Job satisfaction is vital. Consider the area's total population, patient population and payor mix. Is the area's population able to support your presence in the practice you would like to join? Is there a good patient/payor mix; i.e., a diversity in patient population groups and in the payor categories? Is there a particular demographic group that you would like to serve? If you have the desire to perform community service, is there a local population in need of volunteer medical attention? Make sure the people you want to serve are available to be served. Once you have narrowed your search down to a specific town or towns, there are certain things you should research in the community. Good sources for this kind of information can be found online and from local realtors, the town hall, chamber of commerce and the local library. Here are the primary areas to investigate:
►Size
How many people live in the town and surrounding areas? Is the area gaining or losing population? Any one of the four sources above should have this kind of information readily available.
►Economic background and stability
No community is totally recession-proof, but you can help protect yourself. Is the area attracting new businesses or losing businesses? Look at the statistics such as unemployment, growth rate, diversity of industries, average family income, housing sales and availability, and absorption rate for office and industrial estate. This information will give you a good picture of the economic vitality of the area. The economic health of a community may have an impact on the economic health of your practice.
►Cultural/recreational offerings available
Is there a museum nearby? A driving range? Major or minor league sports team? A good theater? Ask around. Look in the yellow pages or go online. Make sure you have plenty of cultural and recreational options for your leisure time.
►Religious choices available
Be sure your needs in this area can be met. Again, realtors are an excellent source for answers to your questions in this area.