I told my senior partner.
There are a series of small steps in this process, each of which seems to make it more real, and each of which makes it that much harder to back out of, even if only psychologically. They slowly cement it in your mind that this is not just something we’re contemplating, but rather something that is actually happening. The first was telling my parents. The second was registering on the Nefesh B’Nefesh website. And now, I finally decided it was time to tell my senior partner at my cardiology practice.
We sat down in his office, as we do sometimes to discuss medical or practice-related matters. And we talked about a few peripherally important office issues. Then I let it drop. We’ve decided to move to Israel next year. Because my senior partner is Jewish, he at least recognized the motivation. But the surprise and shock were palpable. Despite the fact that it would pose some very big challenges for the practice and therefore for him personally, he was gracious and understanding. We decided not to make it “public” to the rest of the practice quite yet. We had several details that would have to be worked out later – financial, legal, and ownership issues relating to the practice, but at least we as a group could begin planning for next year when I won’t be there. And the fact that we have a strong personal relationship will help us navigate those issues.