From Sea to Shining Sea

Originally, I thought I would be starting a new job this week. I’m so happy I’m not. It was a bit of a rollercoaster ride getting here though!

The Search

Often, with locum work, a job is found and agreed upon a few months prior to the start date. I work with two locum agencies. Doing so provides me a broader range of job offers. I told my recruiters that I would like to have a job near my mother in Ohio for September through December and starting January 2022, start traveling again.

One of my recruiters reached out in April with a job offer in Oregon. We presented me with a start date in January. Simultaneously, we were looking for a job for Sept-Dec.

Ohio Option #1

One of the first offers was an outpatient position about 3.5 hours from my mother’s place. I offered 4 days a week instead of 5. They countered and asked if I would work 3 days. Heck yes! More time with my child? I’ll take it. They offered to pay for a hotel as our accommodations. I found an Airbnb in the area and suggested that instead. That way, I could get set up in one place for the duration of the contract. Now that a child is in the picture….so is their crib, diapers, toys, etc. I did not want to move all of that every week. I also didn’t really look forward to a 3.5-hour drive twice a week but I did like the possibility of a 3-day workweek.

Ohio Option #2

While option 1 was being discussed back and forth, my recruiter from the other company reached out with an urgent care option 3.5-hours in a different direction from my mother’s place. They were looking for a physician to work 8-10 twelve-hour shifts a month. I figured I’d at most want to do four shifts in a row. That would cut down the 3.5-hour drives from weekly to about every other week. More pros included fewer workdays, freedom to create my schedule, and a higher hourly wage.

This option moved quickly and within a few days, I had an interview. The interview went really well. They even actively helped me look for child care options. I started filling out paperwork for credentialing and handed in the days I wanted to work in September. However, a few days later, they decided that they only needed night shifts covered. … Well obviously that wasn’t going to work.

Ohio Option #3

While option #2 was falling apart, my recruiter was already working in the background to find a backup option. Usually, hospitals or clinics reach out to the locum company with a need for a doctor. However, my recruiter and her co-worker flipped the script and started reaching out to clients around Ohio. A clinic 50 mins away took the bait. At this point, I was already in Germany. So instead of telephone interviews, we did Zoom calls to avoid international charges.

The first interview was with the CEO and COO. It went well. The second interview was with the medical director. It went well also. A few hours after that interview, the medical director called me back and asked if I would seriously consider a permanent position. I told him that I am a traveler and I could commit to four months. They were looking for at least a 6-12 month commitment. With that, this option was over.

Many, many options

After option #3 fell through, I reconnected with my agent from the first agency. I had told her about option 2 when it seemed like that was going to happen so she didn’t need to continue looking for Sept-Dec. Since we weren’t finding an option in Ohio, I opened up our search to everywhere. Within a few hours, I had so many options emailed to me. There were offers including New Mexico, Colorado, New Hampshire, Kansas, and Washington. I really liked the Washington offer but getting a license in Washington can take several months.

Simultaneously, my other agent really wanted to get me placed somewhere (I’m pretty sure they get paid a commission for placing physicians). She called me with an option in Indianapolis. I got really excited because one of my best friends and former co-resident/roommate lives and works in Indianapolis. The office looking for a locum was located RIGHT NEXTDOOR to the office of my friend! I was so excited.

An interview was scheduled a few days later. I know I mentioned that the other interviews went well but this one didn’t only go well, it was also a lot of fun. I instantly connected with the ladies. The work environment they described sounded great: a very diverse patient population with many non-English speaking patients. I like caring for patients from different cultures and working with translators. My friend and I discussed all the fun we would have if/when this option worked out.

Of course, the Indianapolis job was just too good to be true. They wanted me but there was an issue with licensing which wouldn’t allow me to work there in time.

Running the numbers

After the Indianapolis job fell through, I decided to run some financial numbers to see if I could afford just not working for the remainder of the year. Having saved most of the money I earned in South Dakota, falling into a lower tax bracket if I didn’t make any more money this year and that freeing up the money I had put aside for taxes, I was fortunate enough to be able to afford to extend my maternity leave!

If the perfect job had presented itself (the Indianapolis job was indeed my favorite), I would’ve liked to be back in the office seeing patients. My mom guilt would likely be a bit reduced for a job I truly enjoyed rather than just working any job. I definitely could have found just any ole job if I wasn’t the one being so restrictive. However, I refuse to work more than 4 days a week while my child is so young. I didn’t want to go to such a remote area that child care options weren’t available. Additionally, I wanted to be somewhere new and not work somewhere I’ve worked before. I’m grateful that I am in a position to be that picky.

So, I have extended my maternity leave through the end of the year! I’m back in the US for a few weeks before heading back over to Germany until shortly after Christmas.

2022

The job I mentioned at the beginning of this post, the one in Oregon, worked out! I am scheduled to work in a Family Medicine Clinic four days a week starting in January through July 2022. I’m currently in the process of finding an Au Pair to come live with us.

I am beyond excited to spend a few more months full-time with my child and family/friends. It’s great that I have new adventures to look forward to in January.

The process of finding a locum contract might seem messy and stressful. However, I actually find the journey rather exciting and thrilling. It can definitely be an emotional roller coaster to imagine yourself in various places from coast to coast in a 24 hour period. The process is not for everyone. But as of right now, it’s exactly what I want and need.

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