Relocating for Physicians
(Originally published in Doximity Op-Meds, a platform for physicians, on February 16, 2023 as ‘Moving is the Worst. Here’s how to do it better.’ Published here in its original form with a selected Bibliography/further reading at the end.)
I hate moving. It’s the actual worst. Every time I do it, I swear I will never do it again, hire someone to do it, or just throw everything out.
As a medical professional, it’s assumed that you will have to move at some point. Medical training forces us to move to where the jobs are. In 2021, 8% of Americans moved, compared to 25% of physicians who move in the early years of their career. Recent AAMC data shows that only 56% of family physicians stay where they trained. Of the states, California retains the most residents, at 77%, while Delaware and New Hampshire retain the least (34% and 38%, respectively). New York, where I trained, retains about 50%. But overall, about 45% of residents move out of state. Up to 70% of physicians leave their first job within three years.
For a while, I thought it was ideal to carry your home on your back like a turtle. Go where you need to go; never pack or unpack. This was especially true the year I did a fellowship in Long Island, where I shuffled between my apartment in New York City, a second-floor walk-up in Hicksville, and a room in a basement in Stony Brook shared with three college-aged boys. I put 10,000 miles on our car that year. Feeling like a nomad, I swore I would never haul my life around in the back of a car again.
As an immigrant who moved to Canada when I was five years old, back to Hong Kong when I was 11, and then to New York by myself for college, in all, I’ve moved 22 times in my life, with eight times being in medical training alone (three times cross-country). Considering I have moved so many times, I have gathered little bits of wisdom that I hope to pass on to my readers.
Depending on what stage you are at in your career (from college to medical school to residency to fellowship to your first job), your family situation (single, partnered, pets), and where your final destination is, the details will change, but the big picture remains the same. Here are my top five tips for relocating as a physician:
Start planning early.
Give yourself three to six months to find a place to live and figure out transportation options, as well as childcare or pet services if needed.
Research neighborhoods and your commute.
If you have a new job lined up, it will take about three to six months to get licensed in a new state. Gather your college and medical school transcripts and any BLS/ACLS certifications. As you get further on in the process, you’ll need diplomas from residency and fellowship, previous licenses and DEA numbers, and computer logins for CMS.
Find your medical records. Every new place will ask for your hepatitis titers, childhood vaccine status, and TB tests. Every single time. So keep them in a digital file (these days) or have a manila folder with all the hard copies (which I still carry around).
Tie up loose ends.
In terms of work, the end of an era signals housekeeping, such as cleaning out your locker(s), turning in badges, and signing all your notes. Return all your scrubs — you can save one or two sets for sentimental reasons or house painting, but I promise you won’t need twenty sets of scrubs from your old hospital.
If you had a clinical practice, use at least the last four to six weeks to tell patients you’re leaving, let them know who will take over their care, and send a formal letter. I also tried to say my goodbyes to my staff and colleagues over a few weeks (because you may not see everyone every day).
At home, if you’re renting, hopefully the end of your lease coincides with when you leave. If not, speak to your landlord. If you own a home, make plans to sell or rent it out.
If you know your new address, start changing the addresses on your credit card/bank statements about a month in advance. If not, have USPS hold your mail and then forward it, or send mail to your parents’ address, if possible.
You may need to buy or sell a car. If selling, look for your title. If buying, look into registration and changing drivers’ licenses at your new location.
Pack and get rid of stuff (but leave out one to two weeks’ worth of essentials).
My wife says to throw away all your old notes and even most textbooks (they’re all online). We held onto our Step 1 First Aids, with all their highlighted passages and tabs, for years, but you do not need to. Learn from our mistakes. You will never look at it again. Your residency boards will be different books, and you’ll use online question banks.
Sell or donate furniture that generally costs less than $100 (it will cost more than that to move).
Obviously, try to use up perishable foods, soaps, and shampoos, so you’re not carrying half-empty bottles with you. You can and should pack things like spices, small kitchen appliances that are expensive to replace, and nice cutlery. If you have a set of starter dishes, sell or donate those, too.
Keep a suitcase or two of your expensive or non-replaceable items. The less obvious things I would advise having out: a jacket, a blanket, a set of utensils, a bowl to eat from, a refillable water bottle, and some folding chairs. Pack a week’s worth of climate-appropriate clothing, and consider a business outfit plus shoes for orientation or interviews before your stuff arrives. Still, travel light, because everything you bring has to go with you from couch to couch.
We have cats, so we carried a box of litter, several disposable litter boxes, a scoop, and their food with us.
Have a backup plan for all the stuff the movers left behind and that you can’t fit into your car, which inevitably happens. To that end, prioritize when you’re packing! The stuff that must go should be packed first.
Budget for the move.
Moving is expensive, no matter how big or small the move. You get what you pay for, so find the most reliable company you can afford. The person you initially talk to is usually a sales rep and not the people who do the actual moving, so the move usually ends up costing more, no matter how accurate the initial quote is. Movers can cost $5,000–$10,000.
Consider things like packing materials, boxes (which cost us over $100), temporary storage fees, and gas prices. You might have to ship your car. We had to pay to dispose of large furniture items in NYC.
You might need to stay at a hotel or an Airbnb for a few weeks.
All of this can be upwards of $10,000, so budget for it, and use credit card points when you can.
Ask your new employer about a relocation allowance. This is more likely for starting a new attending job. One survey showed 74% of hospitals offer some kind of relocation allowance (it may be rolled into a sign-on bonus, but ask about it specifically). Even if you are not changing states, small moves in-state still accrue costs.
Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.
I am an optimist, but being a physician, I have also seen how the world works. Check reviews and pick movers wisely. Things get lost or broken, movers arrive late, or don’t come at all. Keep extra cash on hand for places that don’t take credit cards. Let someone know your travel plans and check in regularly. New jobs start slowly, and there will be time to settle in, even if you didn’t get there early or don’t have everything prepared in advance. Don’t sweat the small stuff and think of this as just another adventure!
What has helped you better navigate moving? Share in the comments.
Dr. Carmen Fong is a colorectal surgeon who recently moved from New York City to Atlanta, Georgia, with her wife and two cats. When she is not writing, she enjoys cooking, drawing cartoons, and reading about the mysteries of the universe. She can be found on Instagram @drcarmenfong and on Twitter @Carmen_FongMD.