VISTA Voice

Looking to land the perfect locum tenens position? Even the most talented physician needs to take an organized approach if they want to find their ideal position. Use the tips we’ve provided below to improve your chances of standing out and landing the locum tenens position of your dreams.

With many reasons to love locum tenens work, you may not have even considered the potential benefits you can earn through airline and hotel loyalty rewards programs. But it can pay to take advantage of these perks.

Travel points can add up quickly, giving you the means to fly and stay free when you want to get away for a vacation. Rewards programs for travelers are generally free, and signing up is easy. Once you’ve added your rewards member numbers to your VISTA travel profile, the airline miles and hotel points will accumulate automatically when you travel.

You've just landed your first locum tenens assignment. You're excited about this new opportunity, but at the same time, you're wary. You may ask yourself: “Is locum tenens right for me?” “Will I have a hard time landing back-to-back assignments?” “How will working locum tenens affect my career prospects? ”You have a lot of questions, and fortunately, many have gone before you who can answer them. Let's explore four common concerns that clinicians have when going on their first locum tenens assignment, and see what former and current locum tenens clinicians had to say about it.

The path to finding the ideal career can be a winding one, and Dr. Guo knows this very well. He started his education in computer science before heading to medical school. While there, he was referred to VISTA by a friend who’s done locum tenens work with us in the past. But it wasn’t until he received a few emails from a dedicated VISTA recruiter that he finally started down the path to locum tenens.

Dr. Guo, a former VISTA hospitalist, offers this advice based on his locum tenens experience: "During the time I'm working, I start to plan for my next assignment to minimize unwanted gaps between contracts. It helps to have one or more sites that have an ongoing flexible need without minimum monthly commitments." Dr. Guo kept in touch with our recruiters for three years before finishing his residency program in 2016. Over the years, he’s found locum tenens work through VISTA in California, Oregon and Minnesota. 

Keep reading to learn more about Dr. Guo’s experience in his own words.

Locum tenens is a way of practicing medicine that is appealing to clinicians in many stages of their career. It can help reduce certain stressors that may come with full-time roles. It also provides benefits to those who are just starting their career and unsure of where they’d like to practice long-term.

Working locum tenens provides a way for clinicians to travel to new and exciting locations. For example, you can work in a city you’ve always wanted to visit without making a permanent commitment to live there forever. But, if you love the place, you can continue finding assignments in that location to remain there long-term. There are almost too many advantages of locum tenens to share, but here are just a few unexpected benefits you may not be aware of.

“Family first” is a motto many parents live by, and it’s true for clinicians, too. After all, your family is likely the reason you work so hard. Unfortunately, it can often be challenging to juggle your career and family life, but locum tenens offers a family-friendly alternative to permanent positions by making it possible to choose the hours and locations that work best for you. If you’re looking for a better way to balance your work life with your family life, here’s a closer look at some of the benefits of working locum tenens with kids.

Your significant other plays a major role in your healthcare career. He or she has been with you through the tough times and celebrated your successes by your side. But when you first tell your significant other about potential locum tenens assignments, there are a few things they may want to know. And their understanding of this arrangement will help you make the right decision together. Fortunately, we’ve anticipated four questions your significant other may have about a locum tenens assignment so that you'll be ready with the answers.

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.