Moving to the USA from South Africa as a doctor or someone who works in the medical industry can be overwhelming and stressful, and you may not be aware of all of the steps that you need to take to ensure that your life and work there go smoothly from day one. Here are some of the top steps that you should take when you decide that you want to move to the USA as a medical professional.
Take an Online Degree
Maintaining your career in the United States is important so that you can support your family and live the lifestyle that you would like. Not only this, but you may be passionate about medicine and be reluctant to give it up once you move overseas. However, sometimes, the qualifications that you take in other countries are not recognized in the US, or you may find that you need extra qualifications to succeed there. You may also decide that you want to choose a different specialism to work within when you arrive in the United States. If that is the case, you should consider looking for an online healthcare degree that can help you to advance your career and can allow you to gain all of the skills and knowledge that you need to thrive. For instance, if you work in nursing, you may decide to take or work up to taking an ADN to NP online as this will allow you to work as a nurse in practical settings and can ensure that you will feel passionate about your work while you are in the USA for many years to come.
Research Your City
You should not rush into moving to the United States, as this is a huge change for you and is often permanent. Some cities have more opportunities for medical professionals than others, and you should look around for a city where your career will be able to thrive and where nurses and other healthcare professionals are in demand. Instead of simply moving to the United States without a second thought, you must conduct ample research into the state and city in the US where you will be living, as not all states and cities in the United States are similar. You must remember that the farthest distance between two states in the USA is over 5,000 miles. You should make sure that you look into the job market of the city in question, as well as the salary for medical professionals within that state. This will then prevent you from disliking where you move and will ensure that you can find a city that suits you and your family and where you will be happy.
Make Connections
Being alone in a new country can be daunting. You may struggle with the constant pressure of finding a job and progressing your career in the US without a few people to guide you, whether they act as mentors or simply professional friends. Before you travel to the United States, you should make connections with some people living there. There are many opportunities to do this online, whether you use forums or social media to do this. You may also have colleagues who can put you in touch with connections in the USA. By doing this, you could find people who are in the same position as you and who have also decided to move over to the United States from South Africa or another country. This will then help you to feel fully supported as you move across the world and will ensure that you have ready-made colleagues and acquaintances to guide you through your first weeks or months in the USA.
Look for Accommodation
Moving to a new country without somewhere to live can be worrying, and you may be unable to start looking for a job without a permanent place to live. Not only this, but if you live somewhere you hate, you may not be able to concentrate on work and lack the energy you need to do your job well. It would help if you tried to sort out your accommodation before you get on your flight across to the USA, or you may find that you constantly need to move jobs because you are unable to find accommodation close to your workplace. You can do this by getting in touch with a realtor who may be able to match you with a great property, even if you have never seen the property in question before. Luckily, most property deals are now conducted across the internet. This means that you will likely not be short of options if you look to rent or buy a place to live through online property search websites. This will then allow you to see pictures of your accommodation before you set foot on your flight.
Look for a Job
You should also ensure that you have a job waiting for you when you move to the USA, even if this is not the job you want to hold permanently. Similarly to housing, there are now many job search websites that will allow you to look for and apply for jobs remotely. Not only this, but there are also industry-specific job boards that can allow you to narrow the search to just positions within the medical industry. Looking for a job before you go is often the best course of action, as this can prevent you from struggling to find one when you get there or from having a large gap in your resume. Going straight into a job when you land will also enable you to keep up with the changes occurring within the medical industry.
If you are thinking about moving to the US, there are many opportunities for healthcare professionals, and most positions are in demand due to an aging population and a reluctance to take up medical careers. However, there are many steps that you need to take when moving to the US to ensure that you and your career can flourish.