Traveling Surg Tech Couple Reaches Goals on the Open Road Part I
They are spouses and best friends: Mike and Jennifer M. -- plus their adorable wiener dogs Dodger and Daisy(!) -- have criss-crossed the U.S. as a team.
Mike and Jennifer M., are a married couple who have been exploring the United States as traveling Surg Techs. They are both clearly loving life, and they were happy to share their experiences and wisdom with us.
Making the Most of a Travel CST Career
Mike and Jennifer are originally from Omaha, Texas, which is less than two hours from where the borders of Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas meet. Both are National Board of Surgical Technology (NBST) certified and worked for many years at the same hospital, serving as preceptors to new generations of CSTs. However, Jennifer eventually started to feel an itch.
“I made Mike start traveling. Our kids were grown and we’d spent years at the same hospital. It was time to get out there and see the world.” - Jennifer
Mike and Jennifer are currently on a six month assignment in Texas, with American Traveler - but they haven’t always been that close to home. Since starting their travel career, they’ve completed travel CST jobs in Nebraska, Kentucky, Nevada, and Wisconsin. When asked about their favorite travel assignment or memory, they had a hard time choosing!
“We’ve made really good friends. I loved the mountains in California. But really, everywhere we go I’m obsessed with something!” - Jennifer
Mike’s favorite place thus far in his travel career has been Madison, Wisconsin. He and Jennifer were on a CST travel job at a large university hospital where Mike had ample opportunity to impart his knowledge and experience to residents. Plus, Jennifer added, Wisconsin in the summer is beautiful!
Mike and Jennifer don’t content themselves with just staying in the locations of their travel jobs. They use their assignments as jumping-off points for other adventures. For example, they spent time kayaking, paddleboarding, and hiking in Lake Tahoe, California, while on an assignment in Reno. They road-tripped and went antiquing while on an
assignment in Kentucky. They even planned a visit to Salem, Massachusetts, for Halloween! One of Mike’s favorite road trip activities is stopping at local microbreweries to get a sampling of the local flavor.
How They "Do" Their Traveler Housing
Mike and Jennifer didn’t really leave home when they started their careers as travel surg techs - instead, they bring it with them! This travel team opts to take the and hit the road in their .
“As you’re traveling the country, you leave behind lots of friends and family. This way, you don’t leave home behind too. ” - Mike
Mike and Jennifer aren’t the only ones calling their trailer “home.” Dodger and Daisy, the couple’s adorable Dachshunds, have visited at least 13 states with Mike and Jennifer since this great travel adventure began.
Travel is Advancing Their Surgical Tech Careers
Mike and Jennifer were both CST preceptors in their permanent surgical tech positions prior to traveling. Mike’s main specialty is orthopedic surgery. Jennifer likes diversity in her cases, but is particularly skilled in general surgery, plastics, and gynecology.
Hitting the road as travelers has only enhanced their skills and experience. Both CSTs love training new techs - and, according to Mike, they’ve precepted on every travel job so far! In fact, their most current travel assignment came about because a hospital needed preceptors to train new techs fresh from finishing their schooling. Mike and Jennifer’s reputations preceded them, and the hospital requested them specifically!
Traveling and Working as a Couple
When asked about the upsides and downsides of traveling and working with a partner, Mike laughed. He had nothing but good things to say on the subject!
“To me, you become the best of friends. It’s not just because we’re husband and wife. I hate to say it, but I think we are each other’s best friends. We do everything together. I think if people worked together like this, they’d have have stronger marriages.”
Jennifer agreed with Mike’s assessment, and added that the two laugh a lot and go out of their way to support each other.
Jennifer and Mike have more tips on what to look for in a travel nursing agency and in a recruiter, especially when you work as pair. There is more from Mike and Jenifer, read part 2!
Last Modified On: Feb 14, 2019
The next stop on your traveler journey awaits.
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