Job Juggles

As indicated by the picture... I am all up in the air...

With the risk of one of my potential employers knowing about my other possibilities, I share the following with you, because I believe in transparency for health care and in my personal/professional interactions.

Currently I am doing some part-time work (about one day a week while I get oriented) at Brooklyn Body Works - an outpatient practice in Williamsburgh, Brooklyn. I have committed to cover two full weeks at the end of October while one of the owners/PT's is on his honeymoon. So this commitment has to factor in to my decisions. I personally feel inclined to "keep my feet wet" with my manual therapy skills and stay sharp with examination/interventions, because as great as reading non-stop and studying is, it simply is not the same as working with real patients and all the curveballs that happen in real life.

The rest of my time is spent on working out and studying for the board exam which I will not take until I am fully prepared this time (that $400 price tag warrants that if nothing else).

But I have to figure out what I am doing with my life... so I have been juggling out the options out there.

So last week I interviewed at two places on the same day, knowing little about either as they were both recommended by a colleague (STAR) and a professor, respectively.

The practice that was recommended by the professor actually offered me a position the next day and wanted me to start pretty soon. It seemed like a good work environment and I know my professor enjoys working there. But it would have been a similar commute as HSS which was nutty long. With no disrespect to them I was more excited about the position that my colleague recommended. So I unfortunately had to decline the offer they made to me and I had a follow-up observation day with STAR PT so I can get to know them a little better and vice versa. It was a great day that I spent there, I very much am excited about the possibility of working in such a warm and friendly environment with a large emphasis on mentorship (they are actually in the process of setting up an ortho residency which is something I really want to do). Bottom line is they let me know they were interested in working with me and I will be meeting with them next week to discuss details.

Now for the other options which mainly circle around the fact that I could use a little change from NYC:

• An ortho residency in Jacksonville, FL which I am waiting for my letters of recommendations to get returned before completing the free application, so I add an option with no real risk...
• Moving to Boston with one of my best friends, his wife, and their son (my godson). There is going to be a job fair next Friday and I have reached out to a few people I know in Boston as to available positions and housing. Oddly enough one of the practices that just got back to me is also named STAR PT (cue dramatic music)... Now, I am a pretty die hard Yankee and Jets fan and a New Yorker through and through so Boston has a natural rivalry with me, but I am capable of looking past that as I hear overall it is a great place to live.
• Traveling PT... which would probably have me moving around to a few different cities throughout the US every few months. I am waiting to hear back from one of my other colleagues who has taken part in this type of unique experience to discuss some pros and cons (he is from Boston so he can't fully be trusted... but I will also get some valuable info about that silly town)

It's def. better to have a ton of options than very few or none at all... bottom line is I need to find the best mix of continuing my evolution as a clinician with the highest potential for my own quality of life... because a happy Bo is a productive Bo

I am excited for what comes next but still have that darn licensing exam hanging over my head...