VISTA Voice

For those who love to travel, having a permanent, full-time job often means feeling tied down. This doesn't have to be the case, though. For medical clinicians, there is an option that allows for traveling while working: locum tenens.

Having an effective locums tenens recruiter working on your behalf is very useful when landing and traveling to different assignments. They have a specific skill set that helps them understand clinicians’ and they are adept at being the liaison while attending to the clinician’s needs. There are key traits to look for in these types of recruiters to ensure success in your locum tenens career:

Editor's note: This post was originally published March 13, 2017, and has been updated for Match Week 2019.

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 2019 is around the corner, with Match Day on Friday, March 15th. 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.

As self-employed, independent contractors, locum tenens clinicians don’t have access to a traditional employer-sponsored retirement plan, such as a 401(k) or pension plan. But that doesn't mean that they should not or cannot save for retirement, they just need to find alternatives to ensure long-term financial stability.

Many myths circulate around locum tenens work, causing qualified practitioners to avoid this exciting career path. It can also keep clinics and other healthcare centers from finding the professionals that they need. Therefore, it is vital to continue debunking these fallacies so that the truth about locum tenens becomes more widely known.

Just like the medical industry itself, trends in physician recruiting are constantly changing. This reflects adjustments in the demand for particular specialties. As such, locum tenens clinicians can use this information to plan their assignments for the year ahead.

As we enter tax season, it’s important for locum tenens clinicians to plan accordingly to avoid surprises. When working locum tenens, you are considered an independent contractor, and there are a few things to know when filing your taxes.

What is an independent contractor?

An independent contractor is someone who is considered self-employed. This means they will receive a Form 1099-MISC and are subject to self-employment tax. Additionally, independent contractors are paid without taxes being held. They may be required to pay quarterly estimated taxes or taxes on the amounts paid throughout the year.

As an independent contractor, you have distinct advantages and challenges when preparing your taxes. Here are a few tax planning tips to help navigate the upcoming tax season:

There are a number of benefits to working locum tenens, notably the ability to travel from state to state for various assignments. The downside: you may need to obtain a medical license in the state you choose to work.

The licensing process varies by state. While some medical boards are able to deliver licenses within a two-week period, larger states like California and New York could take several months. The Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC) can even help clinicians become licensed in multiple states sooner than through standard licensure.

Despite the state-specific requirements or route you take, there are a few factors that hold true for every locum tenens clinician when getting licensed in a new state:

Whether you’re considering locum tenens or just starting your journey, you can learn a lot from experienced locum tenens clinicians. These three clinicians chose VISTA because of the personalized service, assistance with licensing and certifications, and location flexibility. Here’s what they had to say:

At VISTA, a locum tenens recruiter’s job is two-fold: we are dedicated to connecting facilities with highly qualified providers and we’re passionate about helping clinicians find the perfect opportunities to grow their career. Whether there’s a travel emergency or a licensing issue, we work to ensure the process is as smooth and stress-free as possible. To get an inside look at the role of our dedicated recruiters, check out a day in the life of VISTA recruiter Xi Feng from our Hospitalist team: