Posts By: Sarah Sebesta

10 Benefits of Locum Tenens Work

Posted May 20, 2022 by Sarah Sebesta & filed under Uncategorized.

Locum tenens work provides physicians with a temporary placement outside their own practice. One may work exclusively in a locum tenens position or use this to supplement another position. Here are 10 prime benefits of locum tenens work.

Freedom

Doing locum tenens work gives practitioners a level of freedom they’re unlikely to find in other employment opportunities. Two primary perks of this career path are that it gives physicians the freedom:

To travel: Physicians can pursue short-term locum tenens opportunities in different cities and states. This lets them travel for pay.
To choose your work location: Locum tenens physicians can explore a variety of work locations, from inner-city hospitals to rural physicians’ offices.

Convenient Scheduling

Working full time in the health care field, physicians often face long hours and inconvenient scheduling. This can quickly lead to burnout. Locum tenens work offers scheduling perks for:

Short-term placements: Physicians can pick up work on a short-term basis commitment-free. This means they don’t have to worry about giving notice or explaining their choice to leave if it’s not the right fit. Placements are always temporary.
Part-time work: Physicians can pick up part-time work to fill their free time during retirement, give them some extra money while stepping back to raise children, or supplement their full-time jobs. This is a flexible fit they can use for any reason.

Flexibility

Those who tend to shy away from long-term commitments will find locum tenens work has everything that they’re after. They’ll enjoy two great benefits associated with flexibility, including plentiful options:

With scheduling: Physicians can pick up as much or as little work as needed and take time off between placements for family vacations or simply downtime to recharge.
With the job: Locum tenens work offers lots of opportunities including in small clinics, large hospitals, multispecialty groups, and more.

Powerful Post-Graduation Opportunities

New med school graduates are in the perfect position for locum tenens work. This type of career opportunity offers prime benefits like the chance to:

Sample career options: New physicians may not know exactly what type of environment suits them best. Locum tenens work provides a risk-free way to try out different options and find the right fit.
Pay off student debt: Physicians can pick up locum tenens work alongside their full-time jobs for some extra earning opportunities. This is a great way to pay off student debt fast.

Enjoyable Specialization

Working in a locum tenens setting provides the opportunity to focus on the type of work enjoyed most. This means that physicians can prioritize working:

In particular areas: Physicians can specialize in rural clinics, urban practices, or other specialty areas through locum tenens positions.
In clinical duties: Locum tenens physicians focus on clinical work and don’t deal with the same administrative tasks as staff physicians.

Physicians who are interested in exploring the options available with locum tenens work can check out the latest listings via placement companies like The Talent Society. This company helps connect physicians with the workplaces that need them so both parties can find the perfect fit.

Why Locum Tenens Are Beneficial for Hospitals

Posted April 19, 2022 by Sarah Sebesta & filed under Locum Tenens.

Some physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, and other medical practitioners, known as locum tenens, freelance their work at various health care facilities around the United States. Locum tenens provide valuable benefits to hospitals, clinics, and health care facilities.

What Is a Locum Tenens?

The term “locum tenens” is Latin for “to hold the place of” or substitute for. In other words, locum tenens are licensed medical practitioners of various fields who travel to facilities to substitute for existing physicians or health care staff. Locum tenens contract with hospitals for a set period of time without being full-time employees. Here are five ways locum tenens are beneficial to hospitals.

They’re Cost-Effective for the Hospital

Locum tenens are not full-time employees. Therefore, hospitals don’t have to pay them benefits. Hiring a locum tenens is a good way for the hospital to gain qualified physicians at a fraction of what it would cost them to hire a full-time medical specialist. Hospitals pay locum tenens by the hour, day, or week, and the locum tenens typically pay for their own health insurance.

Locum Tenens Can Turn Into Permanent Employees

Locum tenens often travel to various hospitals to see if they would benefit from working at a specific location and facility. Finding a replacement medical specialist can take a long time for hospital administrators. If the locum tenens and hospital staff find they would be a good fit, the locum tenens becomes the right candidate for the position.

Hospitals Benefit From Staffing Flexibility

Medical specialists contracted with a hospital sometimes take vacations, go on maternity or paternity leave, or volunteer their services. When the specialist takes time off, the hospital may become understaffed. Having a temporary doctor fill in for these short times helps with staffing flexibility.

Locum Tenens Ensure a Positive Patient Experience

When medical staff takes a leave of absence, a locum tenens can help with continued patient care. The patient gets the care they need without putting excess burden and workload on the other medical staff. Patients not having to endure long wait times for care or consultations have a positive experience. Increased patient satisfaction gives the hospital a good reputation for patient care.

Locum Tenens Can Care for Patients in Rural Area

People who live in rural or hard-to-reach areas may go without health care if the hospital is hard for them to reach or the hospital doesn’t have enough staff to send out. A locum tenens working for the nearest hospital can go to the patient and care for them. The hospital benefits by expanding its service area while ensuring they have enough medical staff on-site.

The Talent Society connects world-class locum tenens health care practitioners with high-quality facilities across the nation. Every locum tenens provider is carefully screened with background checks, and their licenses are checked and verified by The Talent Society’s team. Contact The Talent Society today to learn more about their health care facility connections and locum tenens providers.

5 Benefits of Locum Tenens Hospitalist Jobs

Posted January 15, 2022 by Sarah Sebesta & filed under Locum Tenens.

Locum tenens hospitalists accept temporary work at hospitals around the country to fill in gaps created by physicians who are on leave or those who have left their positions. Locum tenens jobs come in many forms, all of which offer a wealth of benefits.

Flexible Scheduling Options

Locum tenens physicians can choose schedules that suit their personal needs, whether this means a full-time position with maximum earning potential or a part-time job that allows for greater work-life balance. As these are temporary positions, it’s easy to try out a particular schedule for a brief period of time and sample some different options. Locum tenens hospitalist jobs can provide extra income around an existing full-time position or allow physicians the flexibility to step away regularly for other opportunities like international work with organizations like Doctors Without Borders.

A Diverse Choice of Work Locations

In 2019, 85% of health care facilities used locum tenens physicians to fill gaps in staffing. Physicians can find locum tenens positions everywhere, from bustling urban areas to remote rural towns. This provides a wealth of options for those seeking new experiences. Physicians interested in travel can use this type of work as a paid opportunity to see new places and experience the many different sides of health care across the United States.

Extra Income

Physicians who want to pick up extra shifts to help pay off student loans or handle other expenses can often find a part-time locum tenens job near their home. This is a great way to fill in schedule gaps with lucrative work. Physicians who are stepping back from full-time work can also use a locum tenens hospitalist job as a convenient way to make extra money. Hospitalists can pick up these jobs as needed for additional income on a short-term basis that’s free from the commitment that a new full-time job requires.

Money-Saving Perks

Working as a locum tenens hospitalist comes with some perks that physicians won’t always enjoy in regular full-time jobs. The staffing agency often covers malpractice and professional liability coverage for locum tenens physicians. When travel is involved, some workplaces will even cover travel and housing expenses for physicians who aren’t from the area.

An Introduction to New Environments

Locum tenens work is particularly appealing to new physicians or those who are considering a major change in their work environments. Physicians who are newly out of med school can take on a variety of locum tenens hospitalist jobs to see what different states, cities, populations, and facilities are like.

These short-term jobs offer an easy way to sample these work opportunities without having a number of job changes. As a locum tenens hospitalist, employers expect the physician to leave after a set period of time, so there’s no need to deal with giving notice and quitting the position if it’s not the perfect fit. Professionals interested in locum tenens work can start exploring local options through The Talent Society. With an extensive job board of positions, there are myriad opportunities to explore.

Medical Moonlighting for Residents: The Pros and Cons

Posted December 29, 2021 by Sarah Sebesta & filed under Locum Tenens.

Moonlighting is working another job outside your main source of income. It’s common in the medical field, allowing physicians and residents to make extra money and experience other work environments while allowing care facilities the chance to supplement staff and see more patients. Medical moonlighting can be a great opportunity for residents who are looking for supplemental income and additional learning experiences. Understand the pros and cons, so you can decide if moonlighting is right for you.

Pro: Get Additional Experience

Physicians at every level of their careers engage in medical moonlighting. When you practice medicine somewhere outside your current job or specialty, you gain experience that you otherwise might have missed out on. Moonlighting can help you keep your skills fresh, can give you an idea of completely different job environments, and can teach you things you might not learn in your residency program. Don’t forget that you’ll meet new medical professionals who can become part of your network.

Con: Sacrifice Free Time

The life of a resident isn’t easy, and moonlighting requires you to give up your already limited free time that you might otherwise spend with family, on hobbies, or resting. Some residents might be tempted to take on a lot of moonlighting work, but that can interfere with research opportunities and other events in your residency program. The best way for a resident to approach this potential pitfall is to set a limit on the number of moonlighting shifts per month, say one to three, while still staying within bounds of the 80-hour workweek limit. That ensures balance, while still giving you the benefits of moonlighting.

Pro: Make Extra Money

Medical school is not cheap, and when you’re a resident, you aren’t yet making the salary that you will as an attending. A major reason residents engage in moonlighting is to help pay down those school loans. Moonlighting can provide financial assistance with other types of debt, too, like with your house or car. It can also be a great way to earn some extra cash to help support your family. While it might be tempting to spend the extra cash on something fun, the most financially wise decision is to pay down debt or save it.

Con: Finding Jobs as a Resident Can Be Complicated

First, your residency program needs to allow residents to moonlight. Some programs don’t, so check before you look for any jobs. Some jobs require board-certified or licensed physicians. Additionally, check on the malpractice insurance offered by any potential jobs before you accept. Malpractice is a real concern for residents and understanding malpractice insurance helps find the right moonlighting situation. As long as you have the right information, these complications shouldn’t prevent you from moonlighting.

Does moonlighting sound like something you’d like to do? You can use moonlighting to try out different work environments and to let a few employers see what employing you would be like. While this type of work isn’t right for every resident, it can be a valuable and enriching experience.