06 Oct Should You Get a Locum Tenens Position After Completing Your Residency?
Congrats! After putting in hours and hours, consuming gallons of coffee and getting by on 3 hours of sleep a night you’ve completed your residency. And if you’re like many newly-minted physicians, the question now is – “What do you I do next?”
While everyone is different, it’s often quite common for young doctors to feel a bit disoriented and confused once they’re no longer part of a structured residency program.
The good news is you don’t need to make a permanent life-decision right out of the gate about the type of medicine you want to practice for the rest of your career. Which is why for many new attending physicians, going the locum tenens route can be a great opportunity.
In fact, it’s been documented that almost 30% of surveyed physicians started their careers working locum tenens out of residency – with work/life balance being a deciding factor. And it’s no wonder, when you factor in flexible schedules, higher pay, and the opportunity to travel and experience new places and work environments.
So here are a few of the early-career benefits that locum tenens can offer:
You Get Time to Plan your Career
It takes some time for most physicians to evaluate their long-term career goals. So by entering into locums out of residency, you’re able to see what practice environment, location or specialization is best. It can also save you from entering into a long-term contract while building a deeper skill set. This “try it before you buy it” aspect is one of the key reasons many new physicians choose locum tenens.
The Pay is Good
Locum tenens positions pay well from day one – even for new graduates. A hard-working locum can potentially earn close to double that of a resident colleague. In many cases, every quarter-hour worked beyond an 8-hour day is considered overtime and is rewarded with additional pay. What’s more, locums may get additional pay when being on call for a hospital – even if they’re not called in. All of which means a locum tenens physician can earn $200 to $300 an hour or more depending upon location – a great benefit to those paying off student loans.
The Job Market is Very Healthy
The demand for healthcare professionals remains at an all-time high. One of the main reasons has been the COVID pandemic. But it’s also true that as Baby Boomers age, they require more medical attention. With an anticipated shortfall of 150,000 doctors in the next 10-15 years physicians will be in great demand all across the country – and the need for locum tenens providers will be high. This will open up a wide range of opportunities nationwide to travel and explore.
Better Work/Life Balance
Locum tenens offers physicians the opportunity to control their work schedules, location, and vacation time. Many locum physicians work for several weeks or months at one location and then take some time off – making it easy to find that balance between work and home life. Many locums practitioners say they find it easier to remain engaged in their careers without feeling overworked or burnt out
Reach Out to the Experts at Annashae Today
At Annashae we’re dedicated to the placement of highly-skilled clinical practitioners in short and long-term positions. As a nationwide medical staffing and consulting firm, we provide a range of services that enable our candidates to quickly find the career opportunity that fits their needs. For information on how you can further your clinical career, contact us today.