Have you ever wanted to be able to treat patients but not to have to go to the same job every day for years of your life? Perhaps you have always wanted to travel but need also to work on a part or full-time because of financial obligations. If these sound like familiar thoughts, a locum tenens job may be the perfect answer.
A locum tenens job is managed through a physician staffing agency. These agencies work with healthcare facilities to provide vetted, qualified, and quality doctors, nurse practitioners, and mental health professionals to fill in for short or long term vacancies.
In many cases, the locum tenens job is needed if a practicing physician becomes ill, for maternity leave, or because of a vacancy that the hospital, clinic, or practice needs time to fill. In these situations the healthcare facility contacts a physician staffing service to have a professional placed into the position for as long as needed.
New People and Places
A locum tenens job may be a wonderful option for a doctor or nurse practitioner who enjoys meeting new people and going new places. However, and this is important to keep in mind, not all locum tenens physicians do a lot of traveling.
If you want to stay close to home, you can simply limit where you accept positions, and in major urban areas you will typically find you have the options to work as much or as little as you prefer.
Open Minded
One of the important features of having a locum tenens job is the ability to see and experience new options for medical treatment. This also works in reverse, with your professional experience also benefiting the facility you are working in at the time.
Through carefully selecting the facility to work in, it is possible to have the option to collaborate with leading specialists and recognized experts in your area of specialization, something that is not possible without these types of options.
Comfortable with Change
In the locum tenens job you have to have a natural comfort or ability to accept change. Different facilities will have different methods, expectations, and practices, and you will have to be comfortable enough to adapt to that change. While all facilities will be using standard treatment practices, there will be some variation, which is a great learning opportunity.
Taking a locum tenens job is not for every physician. However, for those that are a good match, it is a great opportunity and one that is second to none for professional growth and gaining experience.
