There’s no doubt that being a traveling healthcare professional is a challenge. One of the biggest is choosing to take an assignment that separates us from family we love. Being homesick is magnified during the holidays. Even some of the most courageous adventurers take leave from their travels to see relatives. That said, taking a medical job over the holidays can be pretty rewarding. Check out these 7 reasons to travel this winter season.
1. Enjoy winter in a new zip code.
Let’s just get the obvious winner out of the way. Love it or hate it, winter means a change in temperature. Some of us cannot imagine a holiday season without glittery, white flakes, while some of us haven’t even experienced snow. An assignment over the holiday season could mean stepping out of your norm. Want to spend your medical assignment with palm trees on a California beach? Or are you dreaming of white tipped Colorado mountains? Both are possible!
The top 10 states for traveling medical Millennials might surprise you.
2. See family across the nation.
Social media and Christmas cards are great for keeping up with all your relatives, but there’s nothing like spending holidays across the table from those cousins you love. As we grow older, family members follow careers to different states and begin families, making travel near impossible. Coordinate your traveling assignment to the states where your relatives live and you could be passing the stuffing at dinner instead of exchanging quick season greetings over the phone. Maybe it’s time to finally visit your great aunt in Montana?
3. Make amazing strides in your career.
Many traveling medical professionals try coordinating their assignments to fit around the holidays (end before Christmas and begin after New Years). That means working through those times will have you searching for a new assignment at a different time than a lot of others. Less competition for a spring medical assignment in Hawaii? Yes, please.
Want some tips on finding an assignment you’ll love? Check out this post, Digging Dirt: How to Get the Lowdown on a Traveling Medical Job.
4. Avoid seeing the weird and politically charged.
A new traveling job can bring you closer to those you love or grant much-needed distance from those we love, but need a break from. We all have one. A relative who can’t help but mention the horrible decisions of politicians (and before dessert, no less!) Or maybe you have an extended family member who is just a little…off. In either case, a traveling medical position somewhere new could be the easy way out of another awkward Thanksgiving dinner.
Adventures happen between assignments, too. Find out how to take vacations between your travel assignments.
5. More. Money.
Holiday shifts aren’t the most desired, but facilities still need medical staff to care for the injured and ill. The reward for taking an assignment during these times can be great, and you will help grant someone else the privilege of spending holidays with their own family. In fact, Triage has some incredible opportunities and bonuses for extending your assignment or signing up for a new one during the busy holiday season.
6. Avoid the 5-10lbs. weight gain that comes with holiday meals.
Imagine a traditional holiday meal, from finger food to end of meal desserts. Brace yourself. The Calorie Control Council reports the average American may consume more than 4,500 calories during a typical holiday gathering. We’ll spare you the details, but it’s not often those calories are the healthy kind.
It’s hard to stay healthy while on the move. Take these 5 tips for eating healthy while traveling with you wherever you go.
7. Experience a different region’s traditional dinner.
Did you know it’s customary in southern states to have black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day? Hoppin’ John is a Civil War era dish made of rice, smoked bacon and the legumes, which are said to bring luck and prosperity to your upcoming year. Ring in the New Year with an assignment in Columbia, South Carolina near where the tradition probably originated and give the delish dish a try! In the New Mexico, Native American influenced Tex-Mex cuisine means tamales and a whole lot of spice to warm up a winter travel assignment.
Think you all know all the holiday traditions? Think again. Why to travel this winter:Tweet This!
Choosing to accept a travel assignment over the holidays might be a little bittersweet. Even the craziest of relatives can be a bit endearing next to a home cooked meal, but there are so many experiences waiting for you, even this winter. Take a chance, experience a new culture and see your medical career thrive.
Why do you accept traveling assignments over the holidays? Share your story with us in the comments or on our Facebook!