Question for any doctors out there (or nurses!) Need help with my book

[ienjoyeatingcake]

Hello, writing a novel so will be vague, but hopefully someone can help!

Character is a surgeon that works at a children's hospital in London and I need a reason for them to transfer to a hospital in the US. What would be good, believable reason for this other than they just wanted a change? Some kind of opportunity needs to come up, a reason to go. Any ideas?

Thank you so much xxxx

Miss Corday! That's it! One day when I have the time I will totally binge-watch ER all over again. Ahh, Dr Doug Ross... ❤️

To learn a new technique. Happens all the time.

So all characters in all novels have to be aspiring novelists?
It may well be that the central character in the book is someone who enjoys cake but a minor character is a Dr.

Yes. That would make their books a lot more interesting and believable. Either something you know or something you have researched extensively. Writing about a doctor when you know nothing about the medical field is just lazy and will not make for great reading.

But the OP is doing her research @XelaM. There really is no need for you to be so dismissive or rude.

Christ, did not expect grief from post like this!

@XelaM before commenting, how about reading my post before, when I have explained (even though I didn't need to) that my book is NOT about a doctor, and that this is just a TINY sub-plus, that does not require extensive research. It will literally be one sentence! I thought I'd reach out to people for a few ideas to get the ball rolling.

No matter what you ask on Mumsnet, there is always someone itching to put you down.

Actually laughing at being called lazy 🤣

" "Write about something you know" was always the advice given to would be novelists back in the day. This reply is not as silly as you think. "

Sebastian Faulks would disagree. V strongly. It's a debate. There is no right or wrong - it's up to the author/OP to make it work, surely.

👍🏻❤️

@XelaM you sound completely nuts. What about people who write crime novels? What about J. K. Rowling? What about the great literary authors who wrote about love having never experienced it? What about virtually every writer in the world?

Novels are not memoirs.

❤️

Does it have to be the US? I think Canada might be easier to work in for UK medics.

Deffo US, but thanks for interesting point xx

How far through training? Are they already a consultant or a specialist registrar ( the 6 years pre cons surgeon typically 30-36)?

It could be a post training fellowship if this was the case, ie they were late 30s but it is like a secondment.

If they are already a consultant surgeon there would be no reason other than choice / more money / to move to US and there would be huge hurdles in terms of exams and licencing.

I would say a fellowship..to gain experience or to learn new technique.
Depending on what speciality your surgeon is in, you can make up a fellowship that gets him to the US to train.
Helpfully he could have done his us medical exams when he was a UK student. Some of my peers did this when we were sitting finals.
Thus sort of circumnavigating the problem of him being able to work there...

Thank you 🙏🏻

Thank you 🙏🏻