VISTA Voice

For each new assignment, you will need to meet licensing and credentialing requirements. But does paperwork get you down? If licensing and credentialing are taking away from the reasons you love your job and giving you a massive headache, we can help.

Getting through the licensing process varies by state and the type of license needed. While some medical boards can deliver licenses within two weeks, larger states could take several months. It's essential to understand the type of license you will need for your assignment. Here is more information regarding the differences between permanent, provisional, and locum tenens licenses.

A key challenge associated with the physician shortage throughout the United States is finding qualified professionals to handle primary care. Physicians have limitations on the number of patients they are able to see in a set time frame and may focus on specialized areas of medicine. Nurse practitioners in primary care are expected to grow by roughly 93 percent by 2025, a trend that may help relieve the pressure caused by the shortage.

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:

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!”

For physicians who want to expand their horizons and deliver care in different areas of the country, the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact can streamline the licensing process and allow you to act on locum tenens opportunities more quickly. The launch of the Compact is great news—for doctors and underserved communities alike—but it’s still fairly recent, and physicians have questions.

When you work locum tenens, you know you need to meet licensing and credentialing requirements for each new assignment. But does paperwork get you down? If licensing and credentialing is taking away from the reasons you love your job and giving you a huge headache, we can help.

What comes to mind when you think of the Southwestern United States? If it's desert expanse and scorching temperatures, you’re partly right—but there’s a lot more to take in. The Southwest includes Arizona and New Mexico as well as parts of California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado and Texas. No matter where you’re from or where specifically you land, the Southwest has a lot to offer as a new escape with your next assignment as a locum tenens physician, PA or NP.

You’re likely aware of the buzz around the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact. But how does it work exactly, and what does it all mean for you as a locum tenens physician? If you meet the qualifications and you’re licensed in one of the eight principal states designated by the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, you can apply for a letter of qualification and be issued new licenses in any of the participating states.

For locum tenens physicians and advanced practice providers, licensing is part of the job. Whether just getting started with locums work or moving to a new facility, locum tenens clinicians are required to be licensed in each state they work in and credentialed at each site.

While the amount of time licensing and credentialing can take varies from state to state and site to site, keeping the right records and documents in order can go a long way in making it easier.