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[wegie]

So an awesome job just came up in the US just a few hours from my ideal location. Its at a great institution and is a perfect job for me.

I'm not sure if I'm ready to head back to the US. I'm also not sure about possibly applying as I'm about to complete my probation in England.

Hmmmm.

AFTDJ!

What S_E said!

We came very close to a US move this year, when WH was a finalist for a pretty senior post at a major university endowment. He lost out in the end to the other (US) candidate, but we had got to the stage of looking at housing costs, health coverage (rather important given that it was just after I'd had an ovarian cyst removed), and quality of life issues. On housing, the US won hands down (not exactly difficult when pitted against Richmond upon Thames' £500 a square foot ;-); quality of life leant more towards the UK; healthcare came out as a tie, mainly because the endowment had "free" health insurance. 

But. The sums only worked out because WH would have been paid very well indeed. On a professorial package, we would have had to have thought a lot longer and harder about the pros and cons, and it's by no means certain that the US would have won unless it was a lower cost of living area.

[crumpet]

I think I will AFTDJ. Its always good to have options, even if I don't take them. Who knows, I may crave returning to the US in 6 months!

My concern about probation is that I don't want to give my department the concern that I'm trying to get out. I love my job, my colleagues, and my department. I'm just not keen on the location. Should I worry about the impact of applying elsewhere pre-probation?

[drspouse]

Why are you going to tell them?

[crumpet]

I don't plan on telling them...but I assume they'll find out if I make it to interview stage. Its probably a long shot though -- its a very prestigious department so I probably have no need to worry!

[observer3]

At my last job in the US, my salary was effectively going down each year because our health insurance costs at my state university were roughly doubling each year. My friends who are still there say it has gotten worse since then.

And even with insurance, I had to pay a ****load each year to reach the deductable and then high percentages on doctor visits and most prescriptions etc.

I have no complaints about the NHS. It isn't perfect, but better than facing unpredictable costs every single day.
I wouldn't go back unless I could get 100 % health coverage at a reasonable price. I think that means I am not going back.