Relocating yourself and your family can be very stressful. This is especially true when you are a Medical Resident relocating to start training. While some stress is inevitable, here are a few tips you can try to decrease the effects of a move:
Inquire about your Program's relocation assistance. While the majority of Residency programs do not offer comprehensive relocation assistance, some do provide cost-sharing or, less frequently, fully-paid benefits. Remember to also clarify what administrative assistance they can provide you with. Many programs have specialists available to help you with administrative and licensure issues to help reduce your to-do-list.
Create a checklist and plan ahead for the move. Moving can become a logistical nightmare if you don't plan ahead. Create a checklist of what needs to get done and knock out tasks ahead of time if possible. Think about things like utilities, subscriptions, mail, licensing, account address changes, and banking.
Declutter your house ahead of time for an easier move. Consider trying a 3-pile system to downsize your belongings: 1-pile of items you want to keep, another to donate, and the last is items destined for the trash.
Brace for a financial impact. Moving often comes with added expenses that can pile up if you aren't careful. Ahead of your move, brace for housing and utility deposits, hotels, dining out, transportation costs, and possible cost-of-living increases.
Enlist your realtor's help. Many realtors can connect you with resources for everyday living that can make your life easier, like contacts for utility connections and information on local schools and shopping.
Pack smarter and plan for logistical issues. There are several things you can do to reduce the possibility of common issues encountered during a move:
Clearly label boxes with both the contents and destination room when you pack so they can be quickly delivered to the correct room at your new location.
Document all your higher value items prior to packing for insurance/replacement purposes.
Be sure to take vital documents, as well as a box of first day items with you, to ensure that you have what's necessary for daily life upon arrival. This eliminates the potential for issues that may arise if movers are delayed or items are lost in transit.