Finding your fit: Things to think about before making a move

There's a lot to consider in picking a city in which to live and practice. Good research can help ensure you find the best place for you.

By Julie A. Jacob, AMNews staff. Nov. 4, 2002.

The promise of a better life someplace else often has been called the great American dream. Don't like where you're living? Just pack up and move somewhere new.

Doctors have those dreams, too, and like many Americans, they will probably move to a new city at least once during their careers, said Geoff Staub, director of physician marketing for Cejka & Co, a physician recruiting firm in St. Louis.

But it's important to think through the reasons for the move and do enough research beforehand to ensure that the new city turns out to be the right fit, say physicians who have relocated.

About 50% of physicians recruited through CompHealth, a physician search group in Norwalk, Conn., relocate to other parts of the country, said Larry Stewart, CompHealth's president.

Physicians move for "practice style, money and compensation, but those are no longer the No. 1 factors," Stewart said.

Lifestyle for both physicians and their families also has become an important factor, he said. "Physicians are much more interested in having a better quality of life."

For example, he said, one physician he helped relocate accepted a position in a town that had several stained-glass shops and clubs because his wife enjoyed making stained glass.

"You want to make sure there is a fit ... with social and cultural needs," Stewart said.

There are many factors a physician needs to consider, ranging from practice opportunities to lifestyle and the city's economic stability, Staub said. "Check everything out, from the services available relative to the hospital ... to the more personal and lifestyle issues." [...]