The majority of physicians are familiar with the concept of locum tenens jobs, but most don't stop to think whether these temporary assignments might work for them. We work with physicians at every career phase, from recent graduates to those beyond retirement age -- I'm the first to admit that locum tenens is not for everyone.
Here are a few pros and cons of locum tenens to consider before signing up for an assignment.
The Pros
Set your own schedule -- Physicians love that locum tenens assignments allow them more flexibility because they can set up their schedule however they want. You can work locums full-time; you can work weekends or a couple of weeks each year. You can keep your full-time job and moonlight two or three times a month at another practice. You can even plan your work around family vacations or take an entire summer off if you want to.
Test drive a new job -- Most people never have the chance to try out a job before signing a contract. If you want to work at a rural clinic, but have spent your career at an urban hospital, locum tenens is a risk-free way to give it a shot. If you want to make sure the facility's culture fits your personality, you can take a temporary assignment before packing up and putting down new roots.
Earn extra income -- Most physicians do locum tenens for the money. Though it depends on specialty and location, many hospitals are willing to pay more for a great doctor to fill in. Even if you're picking up only a few extra shifts through the year, the extra cash adds up. Some of the doctors we work with use this income to pay for their children's college tuition or even fund medical missions.
See the country -- If you've always wanted to experience a white Christmas but currently practice in Florida, a locum tenens job is your chance to head to the mountains -- and get paid for it. Once your work week (or even your shift) is over, you can explore a new part of the country or just get to experience a new place like the locals do.
Focus on medicine -- When you take temporary jobs, you don't have to worry about loads of paperwork or endless meetings. You can focus on taking care of patients. For doctors who've spent years owning their own practices and dealing with the business side of medicine, this is especially appealing. Recently, said "When I am home, the bills are paid and I have no distractions. At work I can focus on my patients, and at home I can focus on my family. I no longer have to waste any time or energy focusing on the business of medicine."
The Cons
Time away from family -- It's not easy to take a job hundreds of miles away from your family and friends, especially if you have young children. To make it easier, some locum tenens doctors and others take their entire family on assignments. However, most just take shorter assignments so they don't have to be gone long. Even when there are no options for seeing your family while you're away, the good news is that when you're home, you're home.
Too much travel -- If airports and long car rides aren't your thing, the idea of traveling across the country for a short-term job may be unappealing. Fortunately, you don't actually have to make a 12-hour road trip if you don't want to. Some doctors we work with take locum tenens jobs so they can drive home on the weekends. Others work in cities with easily accessible airports so they can quickly fly home whenever they want to.
Out of your comfort zone -- As a locum tenens doctor, you have to be quick on your feet. You'll be working with a different electronic health record systems, meeting a brand-new staff, and learning another list of policies at every facility. You'll also work with patients you've never seen before, and may even treat conditions you may have never encountered. While it isn't easy to be the new kid on the block every few months, forcing yourself to be flexible and learn new things can help you from burn out from the daily grind of your full-time job.
Locum tenens assignments may not work for everyone, but you may discover that these temporary jobs scratch an itch you never knew you had. Whether it's trying a new position, getting paid to travel, or putting patients first again, the pros of locum tenens far outweigh the cons.
is the president of , a subsidiary of the medical staffing agency CHG Healthcare, and has nearly 20 years of both physician and nurse staffing experience.