I was recently sitting across from a foreign ambassador at a dinner event, hearing some of the most fascinating stories of their careers, when I realized I was living in a fascinating story myself, right then and there. Later that evening, while I was replaying the night in my head, I found my mind wandering back to over a decade ago when I first heard about this job, and just how long of a slow burn it took to get here.

I learned about this job back when I was in grad school, and my initial reaction was “sign me up immediately”. I was devastated to learn that there was a minimum experience requirement of 5 years, and unlike everything else in healthcare, the government actually sticks to their hiring rules. What a gut punch to learn that your dream job, allowing you to practice and travel the world existed, but you need to wait half a decade before you can even try and get your foot through the door. I signed up for email notifications, went on with my life, and continued to dream.

After graduating I worked in a large Primary Care practice that was all about volume, and after burning out about 2 years in, jumped over to a hybrid inpatient/outpatient hospital based practice, focusing mostly on cardiology. Although I really enjoyed that job, when I got an offer to work as a hospitalist as an independent provider in Southern New Mexico, I jumped at the opportunity. The money was fantastic, the autonomy was unparalleled, and eventually I was able to lure over some great providers to join me, which made the job really special.

Although joining the State Department had been a dream of mine from the get go of my advanced practice career, life happens. Having kids, my wife getting a great job also as an Nurse Practitioner, money and savings starts to improve. Eventually, you get comfortable, and the thought of globetrotting starts to lose it’s appeal, even if we still loved to travel. I rolled right through the 5 year experience mark with little fan fare, and wouldn’t even read the vacancy announcements because I was so comfortable.

Then COVID happened. Wow did COVID really change my outlook on life. Being shut in, not able to travel, working in a hospital seeing patient after patient die. It really impacted me. I started to get a little bit of island fever, and I realized just how much I valued travel and experiencing new things. Then, like a ray of sunshine, my inbox filled with a notification that the State Department would be hiring providers again, and for the first time since having the required experience, I considered applying.

I’ve discussed this in another post, but even the thought of applying involved a lot of conversations with my wife, and a thorough discussion of the ramifications for my family. Ultimately, I decided to go for it, which began a 20 month odyssey from application to orientation that has been cataloged on this very blog, and leads us right to the present. Definitely not a job you can just jump into on a whim. By the time you are hired, you’ve had a lot of time to think things over.

It feels so weird to think about where I was a decade ago, and where I am now. Never would I have guessed the things I would be able to do, see, and learn. The incredible travel opportunities I’ve already had and will continue to have as a result of the role. I realize I am very new to this world, and the rose colored glasses are yet to come off, but even as a newly minted employee, the things I have gotten to experience even at this early stage could never be matched by a lifetime of work back in the U.S. Dining with foreign dignitaries, touring medical facilities as the Medical Attaché representing my country, sampling camel meat, all while still getting to practice in the medical field. There is nothing else like it for someone that prizes travel and interesting life experiences.

I say all this to sort of decompress some of my thoughts, but also to highlight that the wait is worth it to my readers waiting in the wings to apply. It takes a really long time to get this job, even if you have the experience. Although it definitely isn’t for everyone, if you have an adventurous spirit and don’t mind moving your life around the globe every 2 or 3 years, it is totally worthwhile. The blending of work, travel, and interesting cultures is hard to beat.

Having said that, I promise it isn’t all rainbows and sunshine, and next week I’ll take some time to highlight some of the negatives that come with the job. Thanks for stopping by. –Nick