Locum tenens in the healthcare industry refer to medical and healthcare providers that are assigned to work temporarily in a healthcare establishment. While this arrangement is somewhat popular in the United States of America, a good number of folks still don’t know much about this medical career.
Therefore, in this article, we will talk about certain things that you don’t know about practicing locum tenens to enable you to understand this career better.
Let’s get started…
All Healthcare Facilities Hire Locum Tenens
This field is still growing and has helped the healthcare industry a great deal. A lot of these facilities hire these temporary physicians each year for different reasons. Some of the reasons they hire these professionals include maintaining the satisfaction of patients, relieving the burnout of physicians, and remaining well-staffed during emergencies and busy periods, or getting a temporary staff while looking to hire permanent staff.
These Physicians Work in Every State in the U.S
Irrespective of the State your facility is located; you can still get a locum tenens physician. This is because these professionals work in every state in the United States. For some communities, especially those in rural settings, the only healthcare providers they see are these physicians.
Below is the list of the top 10 states in the U.S. where locum jobs are common in no particular order:
- New York
- California
- Texas
- Pennsylvania
- Florida
- Wisconsin
- Ohio
- Illinois
- North Carolina
- Minnesota
This Alternative can become Your Full-Time Career
Many doctors are in search of career alternatives that will help them overcome certain occupational roadblocks such as career burnout, fatigue, and limited time with patients. As the gap between physicians and patients widens, these listed career roadblocks are expected to become more devastating.
Thankfully, with this alternative, a doctor can still enjoy their lives and still enjoy a great career. Hence, they don’t have to choose their jobs over their private lives.
You Can Choose this Option at Any Time in your Medical Career
Some people think that this option is only for those who are retired; however, this is not true. While locum tenens is a viable option for healthcare professionals that are about to retire, yet one can engage in it at any time in their career. Click here to learn how to enjoy your life even in retirement.
A recent study shows that about 20% of residents practice as stand-in staff immediately after they are done with their medical training. One of the reasons that many of these individuals choose this option is to sample the settings as well as the locale of healthcare facilities. They can then decide where they will become permanent staff in the future.
Another reason some folks prefer to serve as stand-ins is that it allows them much more flexibility. Hence, they get to enjoy their lives without being burdened and weighed down with the responsibilities of working as permanent staff.
Physicians who are mid-way in their career choose this option as a means of increasing their earnings and skillset. They also do it for the same reason we mentioned above; flexibility.
These Physicians are regarded as Independent Contractors
Unlike full-time physicians that are employees, these part-time workers are regarded in the same way independent contractors are by the facilities they work with.
Hence, they do not enjoy the benefits of full-time staff. They also get to settle their taxes themselves. In other words, they don’t have their taxes deducted from their pay for each assignment. Rather, they get a form called the IRS 1099-MISC wherein they will report their annual income. Visit here to see what this form looks like.
You Can Move to a New Assignment Location with Pets and Family
One of the issues most full-time healthcare staffs complain about is limited time with their family. Due to their busy schedule, they hardly have time for their family as well as pets.
However, if you choose this career option, you can go along with your family and even pet to your new assignment location. This is a brilliant way to convert work into vacation, thereby giving you enough time to spend with your loved ones.
You Get the Same Reward (if not more) as Permanent Staff
We discovered that 80% of healthcare personnel believe that working as stand-ins offer the same or more reward as permanent staff working in the same position.
Doctors who choose this option have testified that they love their work since they have to deal solely with their patients instead of administration that most full-time doctors are burdened with. Also, this freedom allows them to focus on certain medical missions as well as other personal passions.
Apart from the above, locum’s physicians in some cases receive better financial remuneration since they are paid by the hour. This wage in most cases is higher than that of traditional positions.
Conclusion
If you have been on the fence on whether to practice locum tenens, we hope the above reveal will help shape your decision.
