Can Doctors Move States Frequently?

[Technology]

This post should probably be in a different section of FSDN, but I was unsure of where to post it...

Anyways, my question is pretty self-explanatory. I had to ask this because I tend to get sick and tired of the same location after a while – I have lived in New England for 18 years and am excited to move next month!

Although I am nowhere close to becoming a doctor, I am still curious about how accessible practicing in other states is. For example: if I were to finish residency and begin practicing in New York... Could I easily move to another state after ten years, five years or even a few years?

This thread seemed to answer my question, however, the responses did not mention how long physicians typically stay at one hospital before moving to another.
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...-once-you-are-a-practicing-physician.1102279/

If any physician has had any experience moving to another state, please share it with me 🙂 Thank you!

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[terra330]

Any prospective employer will raise some eyebrows if you can't hold the same job for more than a year or two. 5-10 years shouldn't be a big deal though. Beyond that, there's some hassle in that every state has its own licensing board, so you'll have to spend time and money getting new licenses. And from what I've been told, you generally don't want to let go of an old license, since otherwise you'll always be asked why you're no longer licensed in X state.

One exception would be working for the VA (or other federal agency), since they only require you have a license from somewhere in the US.

 

[QuestionsAnswers]

You could look into working locum tenens.

 

[Catalystik]

if I were to finish residency and begin practicing in New York... Could I easily move to another state after ten years, five years or even a few years?

It takes awhile to get a medical license in a new state, which can really drag out if you have malpractice claims against you that need explanation. It is also a long process to get recredentialed to join a new hospital staff.

 

[Technology]

It takes awhile to get a medical license in a new state, which can really drag out if you have malpractice claims against you that need explanation. It is also a long process to get recredentialed to join a new hospital staff.

How long does it typically take to get a medical license?

 

[Catalystik]

How long does it typically take to get a medical license?

It depends on the state. In mine, I've seen it take just six weeks, but for some, up to 6+ months.

 

[Azete]

Also varying difficulty by state. My father in-law loves to tell the story about how he, one of the top surgeons in the Northeast and currently Vice Dean of GME at a major academic institution, bought a vacation home and failed that state's exam.