you’ve always told me that your ultimate career goal was to do what you’re doing now—run an entire hospital. You, yourself, said you weren’t cut out for everyday patient care.”
“And my drive to get ahead has provided you with a good life. Don’t you forget that.”
“I’m not denying it, Dad. I appreciate all you’ve done for me and I love the life you’ve given me. But it’s time for me to guide my career without your help.” Something she should have done the day she’d entered medical school, except she hadn’t even broken away from him then. She’d stayed at home, gone to the university and medical school where her father taught because it was easier for him. And while that wasn’t necessarily her first choice, she always succumbed to her father when he started his argument with: “Your mother died giving birth to you and you can’t even begin to understand how rough that’s been on me, trying to take care of you, trying to be a good father—”
It was the argument he’d used time and time again when he thought he was about to lose her, the one that made her feel guilty, the one that always caused her to cave. But not this time. She’d made the decision first, then acted on it before she told him. And this time she was resolved to break away, because if she didn’t she’d end up living the life he lived. Alone. Substituting work for a real life.
“And it’s not about going into an administrative position, Dad.” Now she had to drop the real bomb, and it wasn’t going to be easy. “In fact, I have something somewhat administrative in mind for what I want to do next.”
“Why do I have a feeling that what you’re about to tell me is something I’m not going to like?” He looked straight across at his daughter. “I’m right, am I not?”
Juliette squared all five foot six of herself in her chair and looked straight back at him. “You’re right. And there’s no easy way to put this.” She stopped, waiting for him to say something, but when he didn’t she continued. “I’m going to resign from my position here at the hospital, Dad. In fact, I’m going to turn in my one-month notice tomorrow and have a talk with Personnel on how to replace me.”
“You’re leaving,” he stated. “Just turning your back on everything you’ve accomplished here and walking out the door.”
“I’m not turning my back on it, and I may come back someday. But right now, I’ve got to do something on my own, something you didn’t just hand me. And whether you want to admit it or not, all my promotions have been gifts. I didn’t earn them the way I should have.”
“But you’ve worked hard in every position you’ve had, and you’ve shown very good judgment and skill in everything you’ve done.”
“A lot of doctors can do that, Dad. I just happened to be the one whose father was Chief of Staff.”
“So you’re quitting because I’m Chief of Staff?”
“No, I’m quitting because I’m the chief of staff’s daughter.”
“Have I really piled that many unrealistic expectations on you? Because if I have, I can back off.”
“It’s not about backing off. It’s about letting go.” She didn’t want to hurt him, but he did have to understand that it was time for her to spread her wings. Test new waters. Take a different path. “I—We have to do it. It’s time.”
“But can’t you let go and still work here?”
“No.” She shut her eyes for a moment, bracing herself for the rest of this. “I’ve accepted another position.”
“Another hospital? There aren’t any better hospitals in Indianapolis than Memorial.”
“It’s not a hospital, and it’s not in Indianapolis.” She swallowed hard. “I’m going to Costa Rica.”
“The hell you are!” he bellowed. “What are you thinking, Juliette?”
She knew this was hard on him, and she’d considered leading up to this little by little. But her dad was hardheaded, and he was as apt to shut out the hints she might drop as he was to listen to them. Quite honestly, Alexander Allen heard only what he wanted to hear.
“What I’m thinking is that I’ve already made arrangements for a place to stay, and I’ll be leaving one month from Friday.”
“To do what?”
Now, this was where it became even more difficult. “I’m going to head up a medical recruitment agency.”
Her dad opened up his mouth to respond, but shut it again when nothing came out.
“The goal is to find first-rate medical personnel to bring there. Costa Rica, and even Central America as a whole, can’t supply the existing demand for medical professionals so they’re recruiting from universities and hospitals all over the world, and I’m going to be in charge of United States recruitment.”
“I know about medical recruitment. Lost a top-rate radiologist to Thailand a couple of years ago.”
“So you know how important it is to put the best people in situations where they can help a hospital or, in Costa Rica’s case, provide the best quality of care they can to the greatest number of people.”
“Which leaves people like me in the position of having to find a new radiologist or transplant surgeon or oncologist, depending on who you’re recruiting away from me.”
“But you’re already in an easier position to find the best doctors to fill your positions. You have easier access to the medical schools, a never-ending supply of residents to fill any number of positions in the hospital and you have connections to every major hospital in the country. These are things Costa Rica doesn’t have, so in order for them to find the best qualified professionals they have to reach out differently than you do. Which, in this case, will be through me.”
It was an exciting new venture for her and, while she wouldn’t be offering direct medical care herself, she envisioned herself involved in a great, beneficial service. And all she ever wanted to be as a doctor was someone who benefited her patients, and by providing the patients in Costa Rica with good health-care practitioners she’d be helping more patients than she’d ever be able to help as a single practitioner in a clinic. In fact, when she thought about how many lives only one single recruited doctor could improve, she was overwhelmed. And when she thought of how many practitioners she would recruit and how many patients they would touch, it boggled her mind. “It’s an important job, Dad. And I’m excited about it.”
“Excited or not, you’re throwing away a good medical career. You were a fine hospital physician, Juliette. In whatever capacity you chose.”
“You were, too, once upon a time, but you traded that in for a desk and thousand-dollar business suits. So don’t just sit there and accuse me of leaving medicine, because I’m not doing anything that you haven’t already done.”
“But in Costa Rica? Why there? Why not investigate something different closer to home, if you’re hell-bent on getting out of Memorial. Maybe medical research. We’ve got one of the world’s largest facilities just a few miles from here. Or maybe teaching. I mean, we’ve got, arguably, one of the best medical schools in the country right at our back door.”
“But I don’t want
