Have you relocated for a lab job? What made you decide to make the move? Was it a good one?

I have relocated twice in the past ten years.  First because my spouse took a job in a different state and the second was because I took a job in a different state.  I really did not like the place my husband moved us to.  Had trouble finding a job I liked as well.  I made a career change into Lab IT and relocated to work for a company that sells lab software.   That has led to a very satisfying career in consulting.

In August of 2007 I accepted a travel phlebotomist assignment at a Medical Center in Conroe,Texas. From day one the assignment was a nightmare. There was a severe shortage of phlebotomist. The phlebotomy supervisor needed leadership training. She was very verbally abusive. She had no problem with verbally abusing me in front of patients. It was a 13wk assignment but i was burned out the first wk. No 15 min breaks, not to mention lunch break. Shift was 4am til 1230pm. I wouldn't get off til after 230pm or later. Two of the lab managers were nice caring people from the Philippines. I met with the lab managers on several occassions about my supervisor's unprofessional conduct to no avail. Despite my supervisor's poor leadership skills she was a very skilled phlebotomist. Maybe this is why nothing was done about her behavior.

To make matters worst, the staffing agency that i was assigned with ripped me off for compensation and referral bonus. I discussed this matter with the staffing agency. The allied health staffing manager failed to address the situation in a timely manner which lead to my resignation. Conroe,Tx is a great place to live. It's right near Houston. I currently reside in Miami and would love to relocate to Houston. The cost of living is lower in Houston and there's a bigger job market. Therefore, i would have relocated to the Houston/Conroe Texas area because of the bigger job market and cheaper cost of living, not to mention the slightly cooler weather.

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Richard Covington

Used to live and work in Canada, moved to Oklahoma March of 2001, will be here 8 years in a few weeks. It was a big adjustment at first- it's a small town compared to where I use to live. It's a decent approx 300- size hospital compared to the 1500 hospital bed in Canada. Laboratory staff have a culture of their own. We have quite a lot of problem but it's getting better through the years. Technologists are generally professional and united and support staff is always a challenge to deal with. It's a pretty laid-back community, scarce night life, few restaurants,  no malls but just an hour or two to big cities if you are a shopaholic, and the less traffic here is a favorite of mine. I always thought that I won't last here but lo and behold I'm still here! LOL! I don't take "regrets" easy but I'm fine here for now- it's my journey!  I been considering doing some travel assignments but the offer has to be lucrative, I have a few but I wasn't impressed! Meanwhile, I'm still saving lives here and at the same time striving to have fun and making the most out of it!