Tell me of Eau Claire

[William2]

Well, took a huge plunge and applied to the Mayo Clinic Health System err Hospital? in Eau Claire. I applied for ICU as i seen there was an opening. I was surprised by a few things: Pay was advertised at 28.93 minimum?! That's ~$6 more than I make now.

Hours of work are 64-72? 8hr shifts in the ICU? How does that work? Good, bad, indifferent?

What's the area like?

I like the fact that I'm a short drive from camping and recreation sites, close to the cities if i ever desire that headache of driving/parking again. Close to Duluth (more recreation). And its similar size to Bismarck, ND. Yet cheaper?

Is this a happy place to live? And work?

[Traveler5]

I love Eau Claire. There is a lot to do. Check out Volume one online. It's an online magazine and let's you know everything that is happening in town. Don't forget it is only a short drive to the twin cities as well! And yes, it is a very affordable city to live in. There is a strong college presence, but it's not as over powering like it is in, say Madison, WI. In the summer people use tubes and go down the river, often with alcohol (no glass bottles allowed!). You are not far from a bunch of summer fests as well. Country and Rock Fest are about 40 minutes away, Country Jam is basically in town. There is a bike trail that goes all over Wisconsin and you can access it from Eau Claire. There are tons of places for good eat too! The old town area is a lot of fun to explore and yet there is a larger shopping area not far either. The mall is respectable but again, only 2 hours from the Mall of America. I'm trying to think of what else... As you already said there is camping near by. There are several state parks within an hour drive. There is a bus station hub there so if you don't want to drive somewhere you have access to that. You are a bit over an hour from an Amtrak station (Tomah is the closest I think). They have a taste of Eau Claire every year that is fun. There is live music once a week in the summer, for free, near campus.

I've never worked at the hospital but I know a bunch of people that do and I've never heard any bad things. Except the usual about not getting a holiday off they wanted due to a set rotation or something like that...