Relocation – It's Not for the Weak

by Jarrod Shapiro, DPM Joined Mountain View Medical & Surgical Associates of Madras, Oregon July 2008

The worst part of relocation is the actual moving. As physicians most of us have been forced to relocate several times during college, our training, and early careers. I’ve managed to move 10 times in the past 10 years! Few things seem to test our patience, preparedness, and perseverance better than moving. Additionally, moving is almost always more expensive than we budget for. To this end I wanted to provide a realistic view of the expenses incurred while relocating. This will apply not only to those in my situation (relocation after a short time in practice) but also for residents completing their programs, students, and even practitioners who are moving to new opportunities. Before I dig into the nitty-gritty of moving, I wanted to answer a question I received a short while back.

Ben Olsen, DPM asked this question:

"Prior to moving did you accumulate any documentation in preparation for board certification? Curious how you planned on handling this with the relocation."

This is a great question considering how important board certification is. After I started practice I read through the ABPS certification process (www.abps.org) to figure out what their requirements were. I had already started a list of my surgical cases to track my numbers and categories. Then a few months before I left I started photocopying all of the charts from my surgical cases, in addition to copying all of the pertinent radiographs and OR records from the hospitals. This is actually a very time consuming process which required quite a bit of my personal time. To make matters worse, many of my charts are hand-written because my prior boss did not dictate or use EMR. As it gets closer to applying for the boards I will have to transcribe these records. I would advise any associates at the start of their surgical careers to closely track your cases and copy everything you can just in case. I had a very amicable split with my prior employer (we’re still friends) but it’s not always the case.

Now, back to the move. Listed below is a general breakdown of the direct moving costs I incurred. These are the actual expenses I submitted to my new employer for reimbursement (I negotiated a $5000 relocation stipend into my contract – I should have asked for $10,000 – it would have made the move easier). Keep in mind there are many ways to relocate, and what I’m describing are the choices I made. I could have done it differently, and it would not have been wrong or right, just what was most appropriate at the time.

Here are the particulars of my move. We rented a 24 foot diesel Budget moving truck which I drove from Lansing, MI to Madras, OR (approx 2200 miles). I opted out of their insurance since my car insurance covered the truck. Gas was very expensive at almost $5.00/gal diesel. I paid to fly my wife and son to Oregon and stay in a hotel until I arrived with the truck (traveling across country with a 3 year old is not my idea of fun!). A professional mover may have been easier and would have been slightly cheaper, but they had a 7 day arrival window. I had allowed myself 2 weeks between jobs to move, and I needed to control when I arrived. Additionally, after a comprehensive review of various moving companies, the overall satisfaction rate of patrons was low. I wasn’t about to trust anyone with my stuff!

Direct Moving Costs:

As you can see my direct moving costs were greater than my moving reimbursement. Keep in mind, though, the indirect costs to move. These include house rental deposit and first month’s rent, utility start-up deposits, local cable and internet access deposits, automobile registration, driver license fees, home “moving in expenses” (for example, I had to install a mailbox), and renter’s insurance. These expenses are in addition to my financial aid loans, credit card bills, etc. All of these expenses occurred BEFORE I received my first paycheck. All in all the total direct and indirect relocation expenses came to about $10,000.

Here are some recommendations to make your move less stressful:

1. Negotiate at least a $10,000 relocation stipend into your contract. Request to be given this money BEFORE you move.

2. Plan your move far ahead of the actual moving date if possible. For example, gather boxes, supplies, etc over time.

3. Secure moving help to move out and in, the more the better.

4. Create an address change list to notify all contacts of your new address. This is especially true for financial aid payments. Don’t get yourself in trouble with the autopay feature of your loans.

5. Review all your moving company options, whether it’s U-Haul, a professional mover or a U-Pack moving “box.” Different options are appropriate for different people.

6. Save as much money as possible before the move for the “unexpected”. In my case I wasn’t paid for about six weeks after I left my prior job.

7. Give yourself time to move and learn your new location. Two weeks is not enough if you have to move across country.

8. Save all of your receipts. You can deduct moving expenses on your federal taxes if you move more than 50 miles.

Relocating to a new town, whether it’s 50 miles or 5000 miles, takes a lot of work. With some planning (and a little luck) it doesn’t have to be a terrible experience. What moving tips have you found to be useful? Write in with your experiences.

Jarrod Shapiro, DPM
PRESENT New Docs Editor
[email protected]

***Free Advice***

I am for giving free advice as Dr.Shapiro states so eloquently. I find that it does not hurt too much and I have gotten a few patients by giving a small amount of advice. Plus it makes me feel like I'm giving something back to the community.

John Spina DPM
291 Smith Street
Brooklyn,New York 11231
[email protected]

***Treating all patients***

...I too wish for those days of treating everyone, insurance or not, however, had to go the route to make a living, My family needs to eat, go to college etc. Life especially for beginning pods is tough. Still love podiatry, even though financially sometimes it is rough....I have always enjoyed your articles.

John Shapiro
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