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My Podcast

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Table of Contents

1. Preface

2. Main Article

3. Readers’ Favorite

4. New Video

Preface

Five years ago, as I was planning my research fellowship in Portland, Oregon, the idea of not returning home afterward wasn't an option.

Back then, my schedule was packed with fellowship duties and plans for med school. So, the question "Are you going back home after this?" was pretty rare.

Fast forward to today.

I hear this question almost every day.

And the question has taken a subtle yet significant turn. It’s now:

"Are you going back after this?"

Can you spot the difference?

The word “home” is missing.

Just an interesting observation.

Nowadays, during my clinical fellowship, I frequently hear conversations about how great it is to stay in the U.S.

Reasons? Money and comfort. It’s ALWAYS about money and comfort.

Over the last few years, I’ve also heard many predictions:

⚫ "You'll prefer life in the U.S.”

⚫ “They’ll offer you 2 or even 3 times your current salary.”

⚫ ”After two years, neither you nor your family will want to come back."

Now, with just six months left in my fellowship, it's decision time.

Number 68.

Main Article

I had countless discussions with family, friends, and colleagues about the "stay in the U.S. vs. return home" dilemma.

While every conversation took a different turn, I found that they always came down to the same three elements: money, drive, and heart.

🔵 Money

We all have our own views on money, but let’s focus on how much money you actually need in life.

For me, it's simple: earn enough to meet life's needs.

I've dedicated a whole issue to this topic, but here's the bottom line: more money equals more happiness… to a point.

Specifically, an annual household income of around $75,000 is what you need to be happy. Beyond that, extra dollars won’t add to your joy.

For my readers outside the U.S., remember that this "happiness threshold" varies between countries due to different purchasing powers (e.g., for my Israeli readers: $75,000 in the U.S. isn't the same as 260,000 Shekel in Israel. You need less than 260,000 Shekel to be happy).

Doctors and scientists will probably earn enough to be happy no matter the country they live in.

Some of you will want more than that. And that’s completely fine.

But for me, even if I had more money, that wouldn't cause me to change my lifestyle choices.

Yes, I may live in a different house and upgrade my vacations.

But my medical profession and scientific goals will be the same.

And my car? I love my car! There's no way I’m replacing it. It’s a simple off-road 4x4 that can take me anywhere.

So, for me, money isn't the deciding factor in staying in the U.S.

🔵 Drive

Your “drive” represents what matters to you the most.

Is it comfort?

Perhaps space?

Or is it the availability of products?

These tip the scales toward living in the U.S. Living in the U.S. is comfortable, spacy, and Amazon will deliver anything to your doorstep in 0-2 days.

But what about job fulfillment? Where do you see yourself making a bigger impact?

For me, comfort and convenience are great, but they are not that important.

I want to work in a place that doesn't believe in the word "impossible."

In my field of cancer surgery and research, seeking better treatments is non-negotiable.

My driving force is bringing new treatment options from the lab to the clinic.

🔵 Heart

Take the doctors who chose to stay in the U.S. as an example.

Talking to them, I don’t hear them say, "I stayed because my heart is here."

But can we really feel it’s home?

Recently, I watched University Presidents testify in the congress.

I didn't trust the social media clips.

So I watched the entire thing. 5+ hours of it!

You can watch it here if you'd like.

They said that the calling for the genocide of Jews doesn’t necessarily break University rules. They said that it “depends on the context”.

My opinion hasn’t changed because of this video. I knew that this was the state of affairs long before it.

But for many of my fellow relocators, it was a reality check. Harvard fellows now say they won’t use the Harvard logo on their presentations anymore.

Now, you don’t need to change your mind because of one debate in Congress.

But, like I said, it's a reality check.

It tests your emotions.

Home is where the heart is.

And my heart is in my homeland. No money or comfort can change that.

Readers’ Favorite

In issue #41, my readers got to peek at my monthly expenses while living in the U.S. as a surgical fellow.

New Video

What do I carry in my bag to the OR?

In this video, you can get a peak into the gear I use every single day. Including links.

Epilogue

That’s it for this issue.

Hope for better times.

Shay