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Dear Physician Assistant (PA),

In honor of National PA Week, VISTA wishes to extend a sincere and tremendous thank-you to physician assistants everywhere. From October 6-12th, we’re celebrating National PA Week, which recognizes the PA profession and its contributions to the nation’s health. During PA Week, we hope you’ll have the chance to talk to a PA about what it is they do, and why they're proud to do it.

We recognize even if you haven’t been treated by a PA before, there’s a good chance you will in the near future. There are more than 123,000 PAs working across the country—and according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the profession is expected to grow 37 percent between 2016 and 2036.

One of the things locum tenens physicians enjoy most is the ability to live and work in new cities without committing to living in any one location permanently. This benefit allows physicians and their families to explore new places and potentially scout out their long-term homes.

If you’re looking to try something new, gain flexibility, meet new people, or just earn extra money, locum tenens offers a multitude of possibilities. In previous posts, we’ve talked about how these positions are in high demand, offer better pay equity, and can double vacation pay. Today, we want to focus on the flexibility this type of work provides.

Demand for healthcare practitioners of all kinds has been on the rise. In a recent report by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), data shows that the United States could see a shortage of up to 120,000 physicians by 2030. The same report also notes that one-third of active doctors will be retiring within the next decade, further impacting the supply of qualified physicians.

Not surprisingly, the physician shortage has spiked demand for locum tenens clinicians in several specialties. And while some have turned their gaze to the future - hoping to clear the bottleneck in medical training - we want to address what can be done to meet patient needs in 2018. Let’s look at the four locum tenens specialties in greatest demand below.

Healthy living is important for everyone, regardless of whether you are working in a permanent or temporary role. But when you’re on assignment in a new location for locum tenens work, it can be difficult to stick to your healthy eating habits. But it’s still important to maintain a healthy diet while you’re away. Follow these five travel tips to healthier eating when working locum tenens.

If you are considering a locum tenens position, you probably already know that it can provide you and your family with the opportunity to live and work in locations you’ve always wanted to vacation. Those opportunities can, in turn, allow you to connect with local cultures in ways you simply couldn’t if you were to just spend a few days or even a few weeks there.

Deciding to start working locum tenens right out of residency isn’t something a lot of new physicians do, but it’s a decision Dr. EmmaLeigh Smith, a Family Medicine Physician, embraced wholeheartedly. Almost seven years after she started working locum tenens through VISTA, we caught up with Dr. Smith who is currently working in Portland to talk about her experiences and  why she is “still loving it!”

Dear Locum Tenens Clinicians,

“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.”

-Pablo Picasso 

In honor of National Locum Tenens Week, VISTA  wishes to extend a sincere and tremendous thank-you to locum tenens physicians and advanced practitioners everywhere.

Working locum tenens in the government sector comes with unique professional and personal benefits. You have options across the nation, the flexibility to make your own schedule, plus the chance to give back to deserving populations in potentially exciting settings. And when you partner with VISTA, you have dedicated recruiters by your side, just as passionate about finding the right match as you are about finding a rewarding experience.

At VISTA, we’re just as passionate about our work as the clinicians we place. Our job isn’t simply to fill open assignments and keep healthcare facilities staffed with qualified providers — our job is to build relationships and launch or grow careers. We’re there for our candidates and strive to make the process as smooth as possible.

We shared the inside scoop from a healthcare recruiter previously on our blog. Today’s post puts the spotlight on a Recruiter on the Psychiatry team at VISTA.