Prepare Your Medical Practice for Vacation (Without 9pm Charting)

Let’s avoid:

• 9pm note-finishing marathon the night before you leave.
• logging into your EMR from the beach.
• being technically “away” but mentally still in clinic. You deserve (and need!) it.

The key is simple but it is intentional: start with your schedule and start earlier than you think.

1. A Few Weeks to a Month Out: Be Strategic

If you do procedures with predictable follow-ups, look ahead.

Book cases that don’t routinely require rechecks during the time you’re away. Avoid stacking treatments that are more likely to generate calls or issues while you’re gone.

This is small planning that prevents big headaches (and stress).

Being proactive rather than reactive in your scheduling creates freedom (and not just before vacay!).

2. Time Block to Freedom

Leading up to vacation, add dedicated wrap-up time blocks to your calendar. Not on your last day. Earlier.

Use those blocks to:

• Finish charting
• Review results
• Clear your inbox and task list
• Finalize referrals

If you typically squeeze in phone visits or admin over “lunch” (IYKYK), consider blocking that time during the week before vacation. Reduce interruptions and protect working hours for actual work.

And consider blocking time on your first day back. Things will inevitably come in wile you’re away. Planning ahead for it really cuts down the dread on return.

3. Take Back Time Where You Can

Real talk: the week before vacation is not the week to attend every non-mandatory meeting.

If you’re presence isn’t required, decline it. Guilt-free.

If you control your schedule and a patient cancels, consider not filling that spot in the final days. Those 10–15 minute pockets are gold for getting more tasks done.

This is what being effective looks like – not just efficient.

4. Don’t Forget Life Prep

We all know – clinic isn’t the only thing that needs preparation.

Make a list for trip logistics and schedule time for:

• Groceries
• Packing
• Pet drop-off
• Travel details

No 10pm emergency runs to Walmart for beach towels this time.

This life hack changed my life: create a reusable packing list in your Notes app (or list app of your preference). I have one with base essentials plus add-ons for cold vs warm trips. No decision making. Just follow the list.

5. The Week Before: Protect your Plan

When your blocked wrap-up time arrives, and this can be hard, don’t compromise.

Letting the “it’ll just take a minute” things creep in will take over those precious minutes.

6. The Last Day: Set your GT(F)O time

Choose a realistic leave time and stick to it.

If something urgent comes in, fair, gotta handle it. If it’s not urgent and finishing it means staying an extra hour? Let it wait. You did the work to prepare your medical practice for vacation. Trust that preparation.

Send clear, succinct handover notes if colleagues are covering. Make sure your team knows exactly who to contact for what.

Then (the goal and the dream):

Turn on your away message.
Log out and close the computer.
Drive away to freedom.

7. If You Must Log In While Away

Let’s be honest, sometimes it happens.

If you absolutely must log in, set a strict time limit. Use Parkinson’s Law to your advantage to avoid letting it spiral into a big chunk of stolen vacation time. Consider setting a timer. When it goes off, log out.

Defined time prevents unconstrained time drain.

Prepare your medical practice for vacation = leaving work at work.

It’s about being intentional.

We want a practice that supports a great life – not quietly tethering you to your inbox from a lounge chair.

What are your best vacation-prep pearls? Share and we’ll add them to the list.