Finding a job in Texas - Houston, Dallas, Austin, & San Antonio

I have met quite a few people from Texas over the years, and I always ascertained where they are from within the first minute of meeting them.  Simply put, Texans are proud to be from Texas.  Very proud.  Well, there is plenty about this sweeping state that demands her citizens’ allegiance.  If you are a physician who is considering a move to the great “Lone Star State,” then read on.  Given the size of the state, I have broken this article into four sections—Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio–discussing each metro area separately.

Dallas/Fort Worth

This metro area, often referred to as The Metroplex, is the economic and cultural hub of North Texas.  Several corporate headquarters are located in the metro, as well as numerous businesses in the IT industry including Texas Instruments, Electronic Data Systems, AT&T, and Verizon.  In addition to a healthy economy base, The Metroplex boasts the largest airport in the state of Texas, the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, which makes international travel easy for physicians with family overseas or who simply enjoy international travel.  With gentle winters, impressive sky-lines, art districts, farmers markets, trendy shopping centers, a classic television show named after the key city, and great Tex-Mex cuisine, this metro area is certain to provide a stable economic backdrop for the ambitious physician.  

Houston

As the largest city in a state where “everything is bigger,” Houston is truly unlike any other major city in the country.  The metro area has a growing multicultural population with plenty of culture found in the both the renowned Houston Museum District and the Theatre District.  In fact, Houston is one of only five cities in the country to offer year-round productions in each major performing art.  However, fear not if you prefer stadiums to theatres, Houston has professional sports teams in every major professional sport.  Additionally, this bustling city is a reputed health care hub, home to the Texas Medical Center.  This massive center is the largest concentration of healthcare and medical research centers in the world; it looks like a small city from an aerial view.  With 45 medically related institutions, there is something for almost every type of specialist within the center.  For example, it is the international leader in heart surgeries.  So, regardless of your specialty, you’re sure to find the right position in a major city where everything—even the opportunities—are bigger.

Austin

Well, it’s the state capital for a reason.  In 2006, Money magazine ranked Austin as the Number One Best Big City among “Best Places to Live,” while MSN called it the “Greenest City in America.”  Additionally, CNN Headline News (Travel & Leisure) ranked the city second for “best people,” which refers to personality attributes like friendliness.  So, why the lengthy list of awards?  Basically, it’s a big city that has managed to capture the characteristics of Small Town, USA—a clean place where there’s plenty of fun, plenty of job opportunities, and plenty of friendly people.  Known as the “Silicon Hills,” the area boasts such high-tech companies as Apple Inc, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, and Samsung.  Some of the biggest employers in the area are The University of Texas and the SETON Healthcare Network, a family of hospitals in the metro area—which is great news for physicians who want to practice in a city with clean air and friendly neighbors.

San Antonio

This Texan city, second only to Houston in size, is considered the “cultural gateway” to the American Southwest.  It is a huge tourist destination, as it is home to the SeaWorld San Antonio and Six Flags Fiesta Texas theme parks.  It is also rich in history with famous sites to visit such as the Alamo.  And if you’re a sports fan, then you probably think of one thing when you hear San Antonio— the San Antonio Spurs, a successful NBA team who beat out the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2007 NBA Finals.  On a slightly less exciting but slightly more relevant note, the city has several job opportunities for physicians.  As the leader for the entire South Texas area, Austin boasts the South Texas Medical Center—the only research and care provider of its magnitude in the region.  So, if you appreciate a bustling city with plenty of Southwest charm, consider San Antonio as your next practice locale.