Budawang

Reading these posts makes me think the US is a land of extremes. Would it be correct to say the US offers some of the best and some of the worst the world has to offer? Unfortunately, the media like to report the bad stuff and this is why the international image of the US is in the dog house these days. At least it is in Europe/Australia, probably not in Somalia, Guatemala or Liberia.

Personally, I'm looking forward to spending my next vacation in the US Southwest. If nothing else, it should be cheap and the scenery is magnificent.

Manc

That's just it,

if you've moved from Bridlington to New York then it's fantastic.

if you've moved from London to Ashland Kentucky then it's wank.

hobbes79

I've come round to believing the difference between the UK and the US isn't that large. What you gain in the US (more expendible income, cheap cars, etc) you lose in other areas (shite health care, etc). So it's swings and roundabouts. Brits based in the UK do appear to view the US with rose tinted glasses. The strong pound/weak dollar helps to flatter to deceiver... I've had numerous friends and family come over saying "things are SOOOO cheap here!". They don't seem to thoroughly appreciate when I earn dollars and spend dollars, it's all the same to me!

But overall, I prefer the US. To be incredibly blunt, I'm rather materialistic. I like big cars and the chance of having a big house. From where I moved in the UK (Surrey), for the price a 2-bed semi there I can buy a 4-bed detached here... and that's vaguely in the Boston area... hardly known for being cheap.

I consider the sacrifice I make with regards to things like lack of vacation worth it. But that's just a personal opinion.

I'm in the priveleged position of being able to live in either.

I slightly prefer the US, so I'm in the US.

Bennett

A surprising number of negative comments here...for me things have been great, but I had a few advantages. A married a USC and leveraged her credit to build my own (qualified for a mortgage in a year or so). Credit unfortunately is key here for so many things... We lived with her mum for a while to build up savings and get work, and that also helped.

I get into the right network for my career with my first contact - since then I've had opportunities thrown at me that I couldn't have seen for a decade in the UK. I'm a junior doctor and work less hours for more pay and have written articles, published research, run clinical research trials and lectured medical students. I have my own business on the side as well. I'm going into sub-specialty training (because I don't have the medical school loans that need the big-bucks to pay back) and from there, who knows...

I live in Upstate NY and love the seasonality. It's cold without being damp in the winter, and you get proper snow (sometimes a little too much, but that's what SUV's are for!). Summer is hotter and longer than the UK despite this. Cost of living is much less. My quality of life is pretty darn good.

I do miss the British tele, some of the food (can't get a decent curry around here for love nor money) and some of the other bits of everyday living (US banking and mobile phone services need some work...). On the whole though I'm pretty happy.

I _might_ go back at some point to retire, if and when the currency rates sort themselves out. If my career lets me go back to do research/teach I could do that as well. I'm keeping all options open, which I think is part of the trick to being successful here - you need a different mentality to make the most of it. Acting "British" in the US will hold you back I think...although the accent helps most of the time I have a weird feeling I was a Yank trapped in an English body (weirdly my US wife feels more at home in the UK...go figure).

So all-in-all I think the American Dream is working out for me. At the very least I've done more in the last couple of years than I could have done in a decade or more back in the UK - mostly because the system and people aren't set up to allow you to expand in the same way. Success isn't seen as something to sneer at, it's seen as something to congratulate. People won't tell you it can't be done, they'll help you find a way to make it happen. I had no idea about this until I came over here, and was very pleasantly surprised.

I agree wholeheartedly that you have to find a place that works for you, and you have to be willing to live with the inevitable imperfections that will be there. For the moment I'm in a good place

Bennett

Poppy girl

I agree wholeheartedly that you have to find a place that works for you, and you have to be willing to live with the inevitable imperfections that will be there. For the moment I'm in a good place

Bennett[/QUOTE]

That makes 2 of us at least lol

Lord Lionheart

The other thing is that people who have been here a few years are still in their honeymoon period. Being asked where you are from on a weekly basis, the hot weather etc. is still a novelty.
Be interesting to see answers after 10 - 15 - 20 years after the novelty has worn off, been through some financial ups and downs, parents are getting older etc.
It's also so subjective as to if you are a doctor moving to be with a spouse in comfortable surroundings, a cushy company transfer, a housewife of a well paid executive or came here with sweet fanny adams and made a go of it all alone.

meauxna

Ah, but you had your dashing good looks to rely on.

Lord Lionheart

Not to mention my intelligence, charm and wit............... which is exactly why I still have SFA

Ozzidoc

Nice to see you on this site, and interesting to read about your situation. I'm amazed at how far ahead one can get with research in the US compared to the UK.....although I suspect (and in my limited experience) that research protocols are a little more flexible in the US.

When you say junior doctor, I'm assuming that you mean resident, right? SpRs (ST3s) get to lecture med students at my UK school Interesting comment about working less hours for more money - Ob/Gyn ST3 could expect to work max 56 hrs (some are doing 48hrs!!) for about £48K

Can I ask what sub-speciality training?

Irn-bru

Hello and welcome to the forum
Congrats on your success glad it worked out for you.
So am I

madeofkent

As someone who has yet to make the leap but has Visa in hand and is leaving very shortly here are the things that worry me, Crap telly goes without saying... Crap hoildays what's that about! I am looking at jobs which BOAST 1 weeks hoilday...look at the small print and your not even allowed to take it together! forget going home, health care and I'm not even talking about if you have medical insurance or not, if you don't your screwed and if you do they will screw you, completely unnecessary procedures and charges. what if my husband is sacked, dies or we want to devorce where does that leave me and children? I'm on a L2 so bye bye USA, Rubblish food, education and closed mindedness, one thing I have learnt on visiting is you can't have a debate british style flinging arguments left, right and centre, they take it as a personal attack on them and therefore America (free speech my backside)and the most mind boggling for a secular state RELIGION don't even go there!
Humour! cold and heat

However up sides people who are actually upbeat and don't moan about every bloody thing, Food yes I know that was in the last bit but some of the food is amazing, smaller class sizes (where I will be living anyway) even if not as great educationally, a sense of community (Britian had that when I was young) bigger houses, cheaper living costs, big cars, children being brought up to feel that they can live the American dream if they work hard enough... and its an adventure. Oh and spelling color and center the way I think they should be spelt!
and remember we are all British and its part of our culture is to see the negitive side and make a joke about it, americans don't and so don't joke about them!

simongb

Yes, the US is crap is many ways. Endless, boring suburbs, no good curry, it can really be the 'land of the bland'. Public transport is shite, which really bothers me. In the UK I took the bus, train everywhere. Didn't own a car and I was 23 when I left. Where I live now, I can walk to most places though, which is nice. However, I work in a job where I make great money, long vacations, finish at 3pm and I have a lot of prospects. In fact, I am about to take 12 weeks paid leave to go back to the UK to take care of my sick parent. I own my own home and I will have it paid off in about 10 years, I own my car outright, I have savings. I have a great pension plan and awesome healthcare. I go back to the UK two or three times a year and take another vacation somewhere else. So, things are good here in many ways. I don't know if I can give that up. I think the term is 'golden handcuffs'. For all the newbees to the US, it took me 16 years to get here though and I have had some REALLY hard times up til now.

veryfunny

You are certainly right when it comes to networking, that is so important. Glad, that all is working out for you.

Thydney

Good for you! I hope you continue gis a job

simongb

LOL...