VISTA Archived Blogs

f you’re a locum tenens clinician, accepting a new assignment can be a big decision. Add in a temporary relocation for an extended locum tenens assignment, and the decision can get more complicated. If you’re married or in a serious relationship, you’re not the only one making it!

Was there a day before Google was a verb and the answer to every question was just a search away? The Digital Age has put information at our fingertips. Unfortunately, not all of that information is accurate or useful, and when your search relates to your health, it can be downright dangerous.

What comes to mind when you hear the term Department of Defense? If you’re a clinician, there are a handful of simple but powerful reasons to consider adding DoD to the acronyms on your resume.

Locum tenens is ideal for hospitalists looking for a flexible schedule and virtually no cost of living. A typical assignment will last for three months, or approximately six weeks of seven-on/seven-off shift work. With the potential to make around $160 an hour (up to $170 for procedures) and have travel and lodging covered, it’s a lucrative opportunity. However, the reality is that adjusting to a new assignment in a new location with a new team comes with unknowns.

Burnout is not a new issue impacting the healthcare community, but it is getting worse. A recent Medscape report found that physician burnout jumped from 40% back in 2013 to 51% in 2017. Three out of four doctors say work stress prevents them from getting enough sleep, more than half are overweight or obese by reported BMI (Body Mass Index) and 41% have considered quitting.

To err is human. Most of us have our own collection of horror stories involving travel—forgetting key belongings, remembering some version of “the stove is on” as you’re about to board your flight. And even when you are prepared, sometimes bad luck can still find you.

If you’ve heard that practicing locum tenens is synonymous with being a traveling doctor, don’t let that scare you off. The chance to travel is seen by some as an advantage of the locum's lifestyle, but that doesn’t mean it’s a requirement!

The physician shortage in the United States is not going away anytime soon. New data from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) supports previous estimates, projecting shortages between 40,800 and 104,900 doctors by 2030. That means job opportunities will always be abundant, and a career in locum tenens can open doors wherever you want to go—so when looking ahead to future work, the choice is truly yours.

Summer months bring vacation to mind (whether you’re fresh out of school or not). Taking time off is important to work-life balance, but if you have student loans to pay off or you’re like the majority of Americans who leave vacation days on the table each year, maybe it’s time to try something different.

Accepting a job in a new place can be incredibly exciting! We’ve talked about perfect summer locations, Southwest scenes and other places across the country worth visiting. But when it comes to making a permanent move, we know it can get complicated. In fact, sometimes it doesn’t work out.