Why Physicians Should Practice Medicine in California

Family physician Sumana Reddy moved from Toronto to California after medical school - and she found a lot to love in The Golden State.

What do you love about practicing medicine in California?

What I love about California is the natural beauty, the tremendous geographic diversity, and the diversity of people," Reddy, who is based in Salinas, Calif., told Physicians Practice. "I can drive a half hour away and have not only a completely different climate, but also a completely different population. I live one hour away from Silicon Valley and I'm working with farm workers. I love my practice population, which is small town, agricultural-based and yet very broad-minded and forward-thinking because it is California. So I can be a rural family doctor and still have a whole range of peoples' perspectives and backgrounds. That makes my practice very refreshing."

What are some things you would change about practicing in California?
"The cost of living is surprisingly high for the level of average income and job opportunity that people have," said Reddy. "It does make it difficult to recruit physicians to this area even though it's such a beautiful area. I think that would be the number one disadvantage of being in California."

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