Time to Move on...

I'm more or less set on going to Iowa next year, and the three following. The question is, where do I plan on going afterwards, for medical school? The University of Iowa has an excellent medical program, one of the top in the nation as a matter of fact. But there lies one problem in all of this: I don't know how long I can take it here in Iowa. I'm not from here, and while I've lived here for pretty much most of my life, I hold no loyalty to this place. In fact, ever since I came here I've been waiting to leave. Snow? Below zero temperatures? No Beach? No. This place really is not for me. Which is why I'm glad I picked the profession I did.

Wherever there are human beings, there are bound to be doctors. The job is not tied to a specific geographic location like say an oil driller or a corn planter might be. Likewise, it allows for easy permanent settlement. An established doctor in a community has arguably some of the best job security you can get. He is simply too invaluable to let go. It's such a blessing to be a doctor because of the sheer amount of options you are given at your fingertips. One of those options I would instantly pursue would be moving down somewhere south. If I was a doctor today, I would probably head somewhere like Atlanta or southern Florida. I'm a big city type, and it's no big secret that that region is a hot spot for retirees. Or, in other words, an area with an ENORMOUS demand for doctors. But before I think about where I want to settle once I am a doctor, there is still the big question of medical school. There are very fine programs across the United States, and I certainly would not like to tie myself strictly to Iowa.

There are some really nice medical programs on both of the coasts, including Stanford on the west and Boston College in New England. Hell, even a college in Chicago or something. All of those places would be really nice to attend, and surely a change from Cedar Rapids or Iowa City. Maybe, sometime really down the road, if everything plays out like it should, I’ll come back and do something nice for the community, because of course I can not forget about the place that aided me in becoming an actual doctor.