Clinical practice is incredibly rewarding, while also being very demanding. Early in my career, I didn’t quite understand the value of taking time to recharge outside of the clinic. There is always pressure to ensure you have clinic availability, increase your collections and income, and perhaps a sense that there is never quite the right time to travel the world. The truth is, taking time away to travel makes me a better clinician. I come home with a love for various cultures around the world and a deep appreciation for a career that has allowed for the financial freedom to experience it.
In the last few years, I have traveled the world through my running journey, completing marathons in Berlin, London, Paris, and Tokyo. Tokyo was the most unique because the Japanese culture is so different from American culture, in many significant ways! It can be scary traveling so far from home, especially not knowing the language, but most countries have English translations for public transportation. Google Translate is also a beautiful thing! I had the opportunity to experience a traditional Japanese tea ceremony, explore a bamboo forest, and visit beautiful Japanese temples. The most surreal moment in this crazy running journey was the opportunity to run the 2024 Summer Olympic marathon course in Paris during the Olympic Games. A nearly deleted email in French that landed in my inbox at the end of April turned into my first trip to France and Disneyland Paris.
Last month, I traveled to Europe for two weeks with my 15-year-old daughter as she performed with Indiana Musicians Abroad in London, Paris, Switzerland, Germany, and Austria. Seeing my child’s eyes open to the world is something I will never forget. We enjoyed high tea in London, met royal pups belonging to a Yeomen warder at the Tower of London, sailed on a Seine River dinner cruise, took a gondola to the peak of Mt. Pilatus and an alpine slide down the Swiss Alps, visited Neuschwanstein Castle, saw the birthplace of Mozart in Salzburg, and ended with a performance in Mirabell Gardens where the Sound of Music was filmed.
How in the world do I manage to take off enough time to make these trips happen? I am fortunate to work in a practice with flexibility and providers who support each other through all things, which is worth its weight in gold. I typically work Monday-Thursday, so for the first half of 2025, I added 14 Friday clinics to account for time off this year with my travels to Japan and Europe. It is truly the best of both worlds. I work hard, and then take every opportunity I can to get out and enjoy this beautiful life!
My long-time patients have come to know me as the world traveler, so many visits are spent trading stories about where I have been since I last saw them, where they have traveled, or where we dream about going next. I cherish these relationships with my patients. It is so important for me to know them as more than “just a number on the schedule” and for them to see the human in me beyond the white coat. Trust is built in these conversations, which in turn translates to a better patient-provider relationship. As I approach my 20th year of clinical practice, I will always take the trip, then come back renewed and ready to give my best self and share my stories with my patients.
Jennifer M. Conner, MPAS, PA-C, has been a dermatology PA for over 19 years and practices in Indianapolis. She served in the U.S. Army for 11 years as a medic, Medical Specialist Corps officer, and battalion physician assistant. Jennifer is a past president of the Society of Dermatology PAs, founding trustee of the Dermatology PA Foundation, and is proud to be a founding member of the Elevate-Derm Scientific Advisory Board.
