A growing number of medical professionals are working locum tenens because of the many benefits it brings. Physicians choose locum tenens as a career path to travel to desirable destinations, give back to rural communities in need, and support our nation’s veterans by delivering excellent healthcare, to name a few. However, as more professionals become interested in locum tenens because of their advantages, it’s also important to know what to expect to determine if working locum tenens is right for you.
Benefits of Working Locum Tenens
In addition to traveling and doing good in vulnerable communities, working locum tenens brings many other benefits. To enjoy all that locum tenens has to offer, make sure you partner with an experienced recruiter that can take care of the logistics so you can focus on practicing medicine. This includes:
1. Competitive Compensation
Compensation for locum tenens physicians can vary greatly. Many practices are willing to pay well for qualified doctors. Your recruiter will help identify the best opportunities for you based on what you want to earn.
2. Experienced Licensing and Credentialing Assistance
Your recruiter will also be able to assist with licensing and credentialing to make sure you're qualified for work. You'll be able to obtain licenses more easily to work wherever you travel and stay current on certifications.
3. Paid Housing and Travel
One of the most significant advantages of locum tenens work is the ability to travel more freely. Locum tenens work offers many chances to travel and even plan vacations to coincide with the assignments. Your recruiter will help you locate an assignment based on individual travel preferences and help procure paid housing.
4. Medical Malpractice Insurance
Recruiters will help obtain the best possible medical malpractice insurance coverage for locum tenens professionals. They'll also make sure you fully understand your policy before agreeing to it. This helps ensure that physicians aren't going into their next job unprotected.
5. Flexible Work Schedules
Another key benefit of working locum tenens is having a flexible schedule. One of the pains of being a full-time physician is the need to be consistently on call and work long hours. Your locum tenens recruiter can locate work based on what works for your specific schedule so you'll only work where and when you want to work.
6. Onboarding Programs Before Assignments Start
Before beginning a new assignment, workers must undergo an onboarding process to familiarize themselves with the facility and the work environment. This process could be daunting on your own, but a recruiter can help facilitate the onboarding process and make it more efficient. Recruiters will let you know who you'll be working with, how a facility operates, and other details about the specific assignment. As a result, you'll be able to go into every job sufficiently prepared.
Questions That Recruiters Can Answer
As you begin searching for locum tenens work, your recruiter will locate the best match based on your goals and needs. In addition, they'll be able to answer certain questions such as:
What's the contract length?
Many locum tenens workers will have one concern from the start is how long a contract will last. They'll want to know where they're going and for how long before agreeing to work, but a recruiter will make it clear how long a contract will be. You'll never be pressured to take on an assignment if it’s not right for you.
Are hours guaranteed?
Before beginning work, locum tenens physicians will also likely want to know that their work is guaranteed. Additionally, they may want to know if they'll be required to be on-call and if they're able to receive overtime pay. Assignments can vary from practice to practice, but a recruiter will ensure you're never in the dark regarding what you can expect in terms of work hours. Recruiters will determine precisely how many hours you can expect to work, whether you'll need to be on-call based on the facility's policy, and whether you can receive overtime. Based on these details, you can further pin down the ideal assignment with the help of your recruiter.
Is the healthcare facility open to contract extensions or repeat assignments?
If a locum tenens physician enjoys a particular facility, team, and/or location, they may want to continue working there in the future. Recruiters can determine whether a facility would be open to extending contracts for more extended work periods or giving professionals access to repeat work. Thus, locum tenens professionals develop a healthy long-term relationship with certain practices and their staff without compromising any freedoms that ordinarily come with this type of work.
What can I expect on my first day?
Locum tenens professionals want to go into each assignment knowing exactly what to expect. A recruiter will let professionals know who will greet them on that first day, where exactly they're going, the facility's dress code, and many other details that help physicians get off on the right foot. Subsequently, physicians can always make a good impression from the start of an assignment, as they appear prepared and well-informed about how a particular facility and teamwork.
Know What to Expect When Working Locum Tenens with an Expert by Your Side
Clinicians getting into locum tenens work should consider working with a locum tenens expert to handle the many business aspects of practicing medicine. This allows them to spend more time and energy on treating patients and growing as a provider. If you would like to get started on finding the right job for you with the help of our recruiters, visit the VISTA job board to find the ideal assignment based on your preferences and requirements.
