Choosing to Work in Colorado

I have always wanted to go to Colorado, especially to visit the parks and go hiking. So, I decided to get licensed there. I am only interested in working there during summer months since I hate the cold. Unfortunately, Colorado doesn’t always have a plethora of locum tenens job options.  So, when a family practice opportunity became available starting in July, I jumped on the opportunity.

The site is in a small town called Limon, which is 1 hour east of Denver. I have worked rural health before, but lately I prefer being within 1 hour of a large city. One benefit of working rural health is that you aren’t swamped with patients the way you are in urban areas. For instance, at this site, patients are scheduled in 30-minute intervals. The average amount of patients seen per day is 10-15 per provider. This means, I won’t get burnt out.

Working in rural areas means there is a limited supply of housing options. The site has a house they use for their locums, but it is currently in use. Thus, I will be staying in an extended stay hotel for at least the first month. This isn’t my normal preference. Especially, because none of the hotels in Limon have a kitchenette.

They secured a Holiday Inn Express for me to stay in. I am provided with a suite which is nice, so the room is spacious. It does have a microwave and kitchenette. The hotel also has free breakfast as an option.

I asked for my agency to send me a hotplate so I can at least cook some things on a frying pan. They did not hesitate and sent me a $50 amazon gift card to purchase the hot plate and frying pan which I appreciated. Just a reminder – that you don’t get what you don’t ask for. I don’t mind staying at this hotel because I actually need to accumulate some points for this hotel brand, so I can use when I travel to Asia later this or next year.

It’s the first time I am working outside of Florida and not with the geriatric clinics in 2 years. I have to admit that I am a bit nervous about the transition. I am looking forward to working in a new state and having some new experiences.