Career and Life Planning Guidebook for Medical Residents

Recommended Tool Evaluating Geographic Location Use this tool to: • Identify how climate, geographical features and other factors may influence your individual level of happiness. • Prioritize geographic regions which may influence your happiness. http://md.careers/E-07 Special Interests Many doctors have special interests and hobbies. Take them into account when looking at job options. For example, if you love to snow ski, taking a job in Southern Florida will mean a long and expensive commute to get to the ski slopes. But a job in Vail, Colorado would give you access to the ski slopes on a few minutes notice. Imagine the difference those two city choices will make in your budget and the frequency of enjoying skiing. What are your hobbies, or what hobbies did you have before you started your training? You will likely pick them up again. Do you want your favorite activities to be close at hand? What you enjoy doing in your spare time should be a very important factor in where you choose to live. Take the following interests for example; scuba diving, snow skiing, going to live theater, surfing, hiking, rock climbing, walking on the beach, mountain biking, kayaking, fishing, boating, waterskiing, and visiting museums. Not all of these can be done in every location. Where you choose to live may influence how often you get to do the things you love. Geographic Location Have you thought about what part of the country would be best for you? Does all of your family live in the mid-west? If so, how often do you and your kids want to see them? Would you like your family to help with babysitting? How close you live to your family can have a huge effect on your budget. When I want to visit my parents, I load the family into the car, without any luggage, and drive 30 minutes to spend the day with them. If they lived across the country, I would need to buy four airplane tickets and I would see them a lot less frequently. SECTION II: T MINUS TWO YEARS CAREER AND LIFE PLANNING GUIDEBOOK FOR MEDICAL RESIDENTS 142