Working Locum Tenens as an Emergency Medicine Doctor

December 19th, 2012 2 Min read Working Locum Tenens as an Emergency Medicine Doctor Blog
At CompHealth, we love hearing about how the locum tenens lifestyle benefits our healthcare providers. We recently interviewed one of our physicians, Elizabeth, who has been working locum tenens for three decades. Elizabeth is married and has two children, and she says that working locum tenens has been an extremely valuable experience for her family. "I love it," she says. "I've been doing it off and on for 30 years and I really enjoy it."

Choose Your Own Adventure

Elizabeth began working as a locum tenens physician after completing her residency, and spent two years traveling the country and trying new settings. The benefits Elizabeth enjoys working locum tenens include choosing the location she wants to go and the type of practice she want to work with. This unique flexibility provides opportunities to learn and grow professionally. Elizabeth put her locum tenens career on hold for 20 years to raise her children, but now that they're out of the house, she's back on the road with CompHealth and loving it more than ever. Her husband has retired from his job as a firefighter, adding an exciting new dynamic. They choose locations based on places he's always wanted to go, and are able to travel together and explore new areas. Elizabeth loves it because they can go to a new community and really become a part of it -- they're not simply tourists.

The Flexibility of Locum Tenens

One unforgettable travel experience occurred when Elizabeth's father-in-law was extremely ill. Her husband wanted very much to be with his father during such a difficult time, but he lived in Pennsylvania, several states away from them. So Elizabeth got a Pennsylvania license and took a position in the state so her husband could spend long periods of time at his parent's home with his dad. Elizabeth's father-in-law never recovered from his illness, and her husband was able to be with him when he died. This had a profound effect on him and he will always be grateful that the flexibility of locum tenens allowed him to say goodbye to his father and be with him during his final hours.

Opportunities for Learning

Locum tenens provides Elizabeth with plenty of learning opportunities. She says that it takes dedication to start at a new facility and join a team that already has traditions and systems in place. Elizabeth feels that the medicine part isn't challenging, but learning the new electronic medical records system can be. For example, when Elizabeth was working at a facility in Wyoming, she had to learn a whole new system on a Saturday night and start working the very next night. She diligently studied the new information, and was able to learn the system and had no problems with it as she transitioned smoothly into her new role. For Elizabeth and her husband, locum tenens is a way to explore the country and learn new skills. They enjoy working with CompHealth because the representatives are good at finding Elizabeth jobs in the locations of her choice. "It's been a very positive thing for me," she says. To learn more about how locum tenens can benefit your career and help you experience new parts of the country, see our locum tenens information page. Or check out our available emergency medicine jobs today.

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