Decisions, decisions...

While cleaning up the icons on my computer desktop recently, I came across a spreadsheet named "Louisa.xlsx.' As anyone who knows me can tall you, I am a master list-maker, and will create spreadsheets for just about any occasion-wish lists for my next home, address books for Christmas cards, to do lists for my wedding, bringing home my baby, etc. Anyhow, there sat the spreadsheet that I had created and consulted when I was considering my current job.

As I reviewed the document, I was initially surprised by it simplicity. To give an idea about how elaborate my creations can become, I had evaluated potential residency programs on a l000-point system, considering more than 60 different factors. (Excel rocks!)  Instead, I based this equally great decision on a simple list that evaluatedthe 20 qualities that were most important to me.

Surprisingly, my current position had a lot in common with my former practice. They both offered a collaborative working environment, reasonable hours, some level of autonomy, and a good salary with reasonable benefits. Actually, I shouldn't  be too surprised-my former practice wasn't a bad place, just not the best place for me. Also, considering lifestyle for my family, both areas offered a good cost of living, racial diversity, and a Catholic church nearby.

So what made me choose to leave my community of seven years? While there were several factors (five in all) in Louisa far outshone my old position, it really came down to the one non-negotiable factor that sat at the very top of my list-valuing people over numbers. I needed to work in a place where the mission serve was at the forefront. Community health embodied that mission, and I knew that I would finally be able to practice the type of medicine that I believed best reflected my core values.

(To satisfy your curiosity, the other four qualities that assisted my decision to start a new career were: limited call, a sense of altruism, the opportunity for professional development, and community safety. Pretty impressive, in my opinion.)

Did Louisa have everything on my list? Well, no, but that's life. There just aren't a lot of shops or restaurants in this small rural town, and I was moving into a much smaller medical community where I didn't know anyone. But to have 17 out of 20 qualities on a list? I don't need to create a formula to know that's pretty darn close