Working as a "traveler" in the United States attracts individuals who have no dependents, or other reasons which keep them in one location. It also pays better. It allows you to live in parts of the US you might not otherwise have reason to visit, and, because your licensing is arranged for you, and your housing and your relocation costs are paid, it is made easy for you. Finally, you meet new people, make new friends, and learn how things are managed (or mismanaged) in different hospitals.

Working in the Middle East is, in many ways, like a long-term "travel" assignment:

• With a minimum contract of one year, the assignments are longer than the usual 13-week contracts in the US, but one year is still short.

• As in the US, housing is provided by the hospital, and includes furnishings, basic linens, basic housewares, and utilities.

• Relocation airfare is paid, as is healthcare.

• And while travellers in the US earn a higher salary and may receive some tax breaks, income in the Middle East is tax-free.

There are also significant advantages for those travellers who want to see new places, meet new people, and have new experiences. Working in the Middle East is geographically and culturally unlike anything you will see in North America or Europe. The desert is stark and beautiful, the patients will intrigue you, and your colleagues will be from places as varied as Australia, Palestine, Ireland, and South Africa. You can camp in the desert or you can pursue more Western interests: golf, salsa dancing, etc.

Finally, working as a traveller in the US, you are not paid for vacation time. In Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, you get 54 days of paid vacation per year. That's almost two months of vacation each year, during which time you can see the Pyramids, ski in Switzerland, or hike the Great Wall of China.

So why not do some real traveling?