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Why CompHealth
Locum Tenens
Internal medicine is meaningful work, but it can also be demanding. Between long shifts, heavy workloads, administrative tasks, and life outside of medicine, many physicians reach a point where they want more control over their schedule, their career, and their time.
CompHealth helps internal medicine physicians find locum tenens and permanent opportunities that fit their professional goals and personal lives. Whether you want schedule flexibility, higher earning potential, better work-life balance, or a new long-term role, our team can help you explore internal medicine and hospitalist jobs that give you more control over how you practice medicine.
Why internal medicine physicians choose CompHealth
Every physician’s career looks different. Some want the stability of a permanent position. Others want the flexibility of locum tenens work.
CompHealth helps you find the path that’s right for you.
Flexibility
CompHealth offers locum tenens and permanent opportunities across the country, including full-time, part-time, local, and travel options. For physicians seeking greater autonomy, locums can be especially appealing.
“The reason I chose locum tenens is that it allows me to create my own schedule,” says Dr. Rafael Rojano Marino. “It allows me to be flexible for my family, work around my time, and most importantly, fall in love again with what I was training for.”
Higher earning potential
CompHealth offers access to competitive internal medicine physician salary opportunities, including permanent roles and locum tenens assignments. Locums can be a strong option for physicians who want to supplement income, pay down student loans, build savings, or increase short-term earning potential.
Pay can vary based on location, assignment type, schedule, patient volume, facility need, and experience. Your CompHealth recruiter can help you compare opportunities based on your goals.
Curious about locum tenens pay?
Learn how pay and salary work for locums
Dedicated support
Finding the right role takes more than searching job listings. CompHealth provides personalized recruiter support and helps with:
Licensing
Credentialing
Travel assistance
Assignment details
Job matching
They know exactly what they’re doing. They have experience, the personnel, and the personality to connect with you at a different level than anybody else.
Locum tenens vs. permanent internal medicine jobs
Choosing between locum tenens and permanent internal medicine jobs depends on what you want your career to look like now and in the future. Some physicians use locums to explore different practice environments before choosing a permanent role. Others use it to supplement income, create more flexibility, or build a full-time career.
Benefits of locum tenens internal medicine jobs
Locum tenens internal medicine jobs allow physicians to work temporary assignments at hospitals, clinics, and other facilities that need coverage.
Benefits can include:
Flexibility
Travel opportunities
Higher income
Reduced administrative burden
Schedule control
For many hospitalists, one advantage is being able to focus more on patient care and less on workplace politics.
“I basically show up and do my work and make friends,” says Dr. James Stone. “I don’t have to worry about if surgery is not referring patients to us, if there’s another group in the hospital, or if they’re getting more visits than we are.”
Dr. Marino adds, “Locum tenens has allowed me to give myself enough time to find that connection again and do what’s best for somebody when it comes to patient care.”
Benefits of permanent internal medicine jobs
Permanent internal medicine physician jobs can be a strong fit for physicians who want continuity, predictable benefits, and the opportunity to grow within one organization.
Benefits can include:
Stability
Long-term patient relationships
Benefits packages
Leadership opportunities
Permanent roles may also offer a path to medical directorship, academic medicine, committee leadership, or teaching.
Which path is right for you?
If you want more control, variety, and time between assignments, locum tenens is worth exploring. If you want a stable schedule, benefits, and a long-term role in one organization, a permanent position may be the better fit.
A CompHealth recruiter can help you compare both options.
Internal medicine salary and career outlook
Pay for internal medicine jobs can vary by location, experience, schedule, facility need, and role type. Permanent positions typically offer a base salary, benefits, retirement contributions, paid time off, and potential bonuses. Locum tenens jobs are usually paid hourly and may offer higher short-term earning potential, especially for physicians open to high-need areas, call coverage, weekends, or travel.
For internal medicine physicians and hospitalists, locums can also be a practical way to supplement income, pay down student loans, build savings, or create more financial flexibility. Many assignments include travel, housing, licensing, credentialing, and malpractice support, so the full value of an opportunity can go beyond the hourly rate.
Internal medicine job demand
Internal medicine physicians and hospitalists remain in demand nationwide as hospitals and healthcare organizations manage staffing shortages, rising patient complexity, and coverage gaps.
That demand creates opportunities for physicians seeking permanent stability, flexible locum tenens work, or part-time roles that better align with their personal and professional goals.
See your demand
View the top 10 in-demand specialties for locum tenens
Burned out? Explore flexible internal medicine careers.
Internal medicine can be deeply meaningful work, but it can also be exhausting. Heavy workloads, administrative burden, lack of autonomy, inadequate work-life balance, and the emotional weight of patient care can take a toll.
Burnout often builds when physicians feel like they have little control over their time, schedule, workload, or practice environment.
With this lifestyle, I’m able to make my own schedule. I can be gone for three days, a week, or two weeks, but I choose when. Then I can come home and have time to be with my family, and we can do things that otherwise would be impossible.
How locum tenens can help
Locum tenens can give internal medicine physicians more control over their careers by offering:
More schedule control
Time off between assignments
Location flexibility
Opportunity to test new practice environments
“Locums can change with my changing needs,” says Dr. Paymon Kayhani. “When my wife and I want to travel, we can make adjustments to do just that, and I think that locums is the best path that really allows you to do that.”
Frequently asked questions
Locum tenens is temporary physician work that helps hospitals, clinics, and healthcare facilities cover staffing gaps. Assignments can be short- or long-term, local or travel-based, and full- or part-time.
For internal medicine physicians and hospitalists, locum tenens can offer more autonomy, more choice in where you practice, and a chance to try different care settings.
The highest-paying states for internal medicine physicians can vary based on demand, cost of living, facility needs, and rural or urban market conditions. Rural and high-need areas may offer higher pay or additional incentives, while urban markets may offer more practice variety, academic opportunities, or specialized care settings.
For locum tenens jobs, pay can also depend on assignment length, schedule, patient census, call coverage, weekend or holiday needs, and how quickly a facility needs coverage. A CompHealth recruiter can help you compare opportunities by location, pay, schedule, and overall fit.
Yes. Many internal medicine physicians work part time through permanent, locum tenens, telehealth, or flexible practice arrangements. Part-time internal medicine jobs can be a good option for physicians who are balancing family responsibilities, reducing burnout, transitioning careers, or seeking more control over their schedule.
Find an internal medicine career that works for you
Your career should give you the flexibility to practice medicine in a way that supports your schedule, priorities, and life outside of work.
Whether you’re looking for locum tenens assignments or a permanent role with long-term growth, CompHealth can help you find opportunities that fit your goals.