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Proposed idea to potential employer


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I have been offered a full time job with 100% paid PA program tuition by my former employer, a large healthcare system where I worked for 17 years. Our family relocated 4 years ago to a different state. If I were to take this wonderful opportunity, I would need to drive 3 hours one way on Sunday evenings, stay for the week, and drive 3 hours home on Friday evenings. We have children ages 8 and 10, and it would be a difficult thing as a family to decide if they should come with me, stay here with their dad, and of course, the ultimate question, is it really worth the sacrifice to break the family apart - at what cost does career come before, or after, family.

 

In the western part of the state I live in, North Dakota, there is a huge population boom due to the wonderful oil jobs. Five small towns, two of them with hospitals and three of them with clinics, cannot keep up with the demand of services for healthcare. They are desparate for nurses, techs and at present, they are desparately recruiting for family practice physicians. I have proposed to them, hiring PAs, like myself, with a similar deal-they pay my PA program tuition. The incentive for me going to Western ND, as opposed to my former employer's offer, is that there are daily flights to these tiny towns from the city I live in. In the proposal, I included the need to fly me in and out on a daily basis so I can be home with my family in the evening. I suggested they consider doing this for several of their open positions (nurses, techs, etc.) Do any of you reading this have other ideas or things you would suggest I consider if I am given the opportunity to further negotiate? Thank you.

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Keep in mind that in PA school, you will be doing homework all evening and on weekends. It's not just a day job. Those 3 hours of driving are three hours you could be sleeping, working, or hugging your kids. Your family will have to bear with you for this brief period of time, and then things will get better. Otherwise, it'll be more than just two years of struggle while you're in school. Is it possible your family could relocate closer to the school? Maybe you could include that in your proposal to your employer, financial assistance with that aspect. If they're going to pay $100,000 for you to go to school, what's another $10,000 to them to rent a house for you?

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You could take the tuition payment from your employer, get student loans normally, and temporarily relocate your family to be with you--I did something similar (except no one but me was paying my tuition...) rather than driving 2 hours each way.

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Thank you, everybody for your kind and thoughtful responses. As a very emotional pre-menopausal girl the whole mother thing sort of tugs at my heart. You guys are all so smart and keep the emotional side separate from the facts. I have a lot to learn. First of all, though, I gotta get accepted. Trying for the 3rd time in a row this year, to the one and only school that I can go to. We'll see if the door is opened for me this last attempt. Thanks!

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Just Steve, was wondering where you were? Is the blog somewhere else? You are in clinical rotations now, right? Hope all is well!

 

Oh I have been around. The collective thread of random thoughts sorta petered out a bit. On summer break now, clinicals fire up in September. Good luck with your application!

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