VISTA Voice

You don’t have to look hard to find work after completing your residency or fellowship. Demand for physicians and advanced practice providers is high across the board — from coast to coast, in urban and rural areas and every practice setting. But the first assignments you take on can help set the pace for your career. It’s important to take time to consider what you want, and prepare yourself to transition from residency to reality.

Even though you just graduated, you’re already off to a great start! You’re here, exploring what locum tenens could mean for your professional path. Now keep up the good work, and check out the following tips as you take on the world and begin your search for locum tenens work you’ll love. 

Every physician’s professional journey looks a little different. While it starts with years of education and a passion for patient care, you never know where your path can end up taking you. Dr. Hope Eliot discovered locum tenens later in life, after more than 25 years of working in the same practice and growing weary of the pace. Following her first encounter with VISTA back in 2006, we maintained dialogue for five years, answering her questions and helping her see the possibilities of a more flexible lifestyle.

Dr. Hope Eliot accepted her first locum tenens assignment in September of 2011 and went from “in a rut” to on the move, checking states off her wish list and enjoying new adventures. She spent the next five years working locum tenens exclusively with VISTA, completing some 13 assignments with several returns and extensions before settling down for full-time work in a new home, with a new grandson nearby.

Keep reading to learn about Dr. Eliot’s partnership with VISTA and success with locum tenens in her own words. 

Doximity recently released its second annual Physician Compensation Report, drawing on the responses of more than 65,000 licensed U.S. doctors across 40 different specialties to provide the most comprehensive view of physician compensation available. Despite the education and training required to practice medicine, there’s seemingly no exception when it comes to the gender wage gap. In fact, on average, the gap is greater in medicine than in other industries.

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 Jahan Yu, a Recruiter on the Psychiatry team at VISTA.

Yá'át'ééh! That’s “Hello” in Navajo, or “Welcome!” If you’re looking for something different out of your next locum tenens assignment, we invite you to explore the Navajo Nation. Its awe-inspiring scenery, remarkable history and beautiful traditions make for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

What’s more, you would be making a difference for a deserving population, and you can get started with any active state license. Keep reading to learn about what you can expect from a visit to the Navajo Nation.

You don’t have to look hard to find a blog, Twitter feed or Pinterest board covering healthcare topics. Savvy doctors use social media to showcase their thought leadership, reach patients, expand their professional network and, yes, have some fun.

If you want to stay tuned into what like-minded professionals are sharing and discussing, or you’re looking for some inspiration to start or build your own social following (at a personal or practice level), this list is for you.

In today’s healthcare environment, imaging is central to preventative care, diagnosis and treatment. New imaging technologies can enable life-changing possibilities — but not without the necessary manpower behind them.

Not so long ago, demand for radiologists was low. This was due to a large pool of residents in the specialty, suppressed imaging with the recession and growing use of teleradiology, which allows for the distribution of imaging studies nationally and even internationally. However, things have changed drastically in the last few years and even with teleradiology, demand for radiologists is back up. 

Editor's note: This post was originally published March 30, 2016 and has been updated for accuracy and timeliness.

While many of those that work in the healthcare profession know that March 30th is National Doctors' Day, there is a lot that’s unknown about the origins of Doctors’ Day.

Doctors’ Day dates back to the 1930s when a physician's wife in Georgia, Eudora Brown Almond, had a luncheon to celebrate the important role that physicians have always played in the local community.

Editor's note: This post was originally published March 13, 2017 and has been updated for Match Week 2018.

The Match is something every doctor remembers. Years of school, intense study and preparation lead to this moment when medical students learn where they will spend their next three to eight years or more in specialty training.

Match Week 2018 is around the corner, with Match Day on Friday, March 16th. To all medical students heading into Match Week — congratulations! No matter what happens, you’ve worked hard to get here and should be proud of your accomplishments.

Doctors don’t have a lot of free time, but they do need to stay informed and keep their minds sharp. In addition to continuing education opportunities and the day-to-day lessons of clinical encounters, there’s another place to turn to learn something new and helpful. Podcasts!  

Podcasts are a great way to absorb information at your convenience without investing your full attention. They’re also a smart way to spend time traveling to your next locum tenens assignment, on your daily commute, while exercising or out for a walk, with your morning coffee… the list goes on.