This can definitely be hard and is probably one of the greatest challenges of traveling healthcare.  It just isn’t for everybody.  The first week is always the hardest as you are meeting new colleagues, meeting new patients, learning a new documentation system/clinic flow, all while moving into a new place which means unpacking, figuring out your commute, where you will get groceries, workout, and explore. Sounds exhausting, right?! Well truly it isn’t as scary as it sounds. A New Job and Staff At some point, all of us have started a new job, traveling healthcare is no different.  Every place you go to will have some form of an orientation…

Vacation Time Actually, most companies do offer some vacation accumulation. But, yes, sadly the vacation time does not accrue nearly as quickly as a full-time healthcare employee.  However, I argue that this whole experience is a vacation in itself.  Even though I am working, I have always felt like I am on vacation while I’m traveling as most weekends I usually have a trip, event, or something different to experience.  Even on week nights, your commute is new, your housing is new, your community is different, and your whole routine is changed.  So that alone can be a vacation in itself. Accumulating Vacation Time To give you an idea of how vacation time accumulates,…

As you have probably heard, there are some cons to traveling healthcare or as I like to call them, barriers to entry.  As with all barriers to entry, there are often ways to remedy these or better explain these barriers to increase ones understanding or decrease their fear. I hear many fears from other healthcare professionals who are thinking about traveling, and often times these fears tend to be more of a misunderstanding than a fact about traveling healthcare. Don’t get me wrong, there are some cons or work requirements that don’t appeal to everyone, but if it was all easy, everyone would do it. Finding Short Term Housing I get asked…

First off, I want to start out by saying that I have been traveling for almost 3 years now and have always found a place to stay during every contract. I’ve lived in big cities, towns of less than 1,000 people, retirement communities, military communities and every thing in between. And it has always worked out. Even when it seems impossible to find housing yourself, there are always options. Sometimes these options aren’t always the most ideal long term, but you can stay in these locations short term letting you get to know the area a little better. For example, many people stay in a hotel or Airbnb the first…

$$$$$$: Let’s be real , it’s the money.  The income is definitely more, but there are many forgotten benefits that can lead to more money in your pocket. So let’s break them down. Income:Self explanatory. You make more, depending on the assignment, you can make close to double the take home pay with traveling therapy. Click below to see my recent post on the dirty math of traveling healthcare.   Tax Benefits: Much of your income is tax free with traveling healthcare due to the stipends you receive.  This leads to less money being taken out of your weekly income check.  It also can potentially lower what tax bracket you or…