22 Mar Tips to Become a Successful Traveling Physician
In these days of shortages for qualified healthcare professionals – especially doctors – many hospitals, and clinics are experiencing staff crunches.
If you’re looking for a fulfilling job that provides plenty of value, travel, and professional opportunity, look no further than being a traveling (locum tenens) physician.
Here are 5 tips to consider for a successful traveling physician experience:
Do In-Depth Research
Researching licenses, facilities, and locations are important elements that contribute to a successful assignment. The more research done in advance, the more prepared a traveling doctor will be to begin working right away.
Facilities are looking for travel doctors to start quickly, so having the right license is essential for booking a specific location or hospital.
Know What You’re Looking For
Whether it’s earning the highest pay or staying in a more moderate climate, every traveling physician has different priorities when choosing an assignment. Practitioners should make a list of their most vital criteria and express these to their recruiter. Typically, locum contracts are anywhere from several weeks to a year – though the most common contracts last 13 weeks. There are typically many opportunities across the country – with rural hospitals and health facilities in need of physicians more than those located in bigger cities.
Organize Your Documents
Once you’ve signed on the dotted line, make sure you receive paper copies of your terms and conditions for the assignment. Many experienced travelers have a binder to keep all of their important documents in order. It should include your contract, licenses and certifications, tax forms, and anything else required in the state you’ll be practicing in. From the time the contract is agreed upon, until your first days on the job, there will be paperwork to complete and forms to fill out. Creating a travel binder can keep you organized.
Drive Instead of Fly
Sometimes a locums assignment calls for flying to the destination, but if driving is at all possible, it’s often more time-efficient and reliable than flights. This is especially true if you have a primary practice and need to optimize your time. The other bonus is having a car so that you can explore the region on your off days.
Stay In Touch with Your Recruiter
Experienced travelers will tell you that the relationship with your recruiter is very important. Your recruiter will be there to answer any questions and can put you in touch with others for questions out of their realm. Check with them to determine what types of paperwork the facility needs before your start date. Or where to find the right housing. You’ll also want to find out about the orientation process – so it’s important to know this upfront.
There are positions available every day throughout the country. At Annashae we’re experienced in partnering with traveling physicians to find great locum tenens positions that fit a wide variety of career needs.
Contact Our Expert Team 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.