My Locums Story – How I Used Locums to Improve My Skills After Medical School

February 2nd, 2014 2 Min read My Locums Story – How I Used Locums to Improve My Skills After Medical School Blog
Dr RimawiDr. Bassam Rimawi is an overachiever. He started medical school when he was just 15 years old and now he’s completing two simultaneous OB/GYN fellowships at a hospital in South Carolina. If that wasn’t enough, he continues to work locum tenens assignments on the side. When he started medical school, most people were shocked to learn that he wasn’t even old enough to drive. “A lot of people didn’t believe it –they [wanted] to see some ID,” Dr. Rimawi recalls. Though he felt comfortable doing surgeries and taking care of patients when he finished residency training as a board-certified OB/GYN, Dr. Rimawi says he was nervous to immediately start a practice. He found a solution in locum tenens. “With locum tenens work, you can put yourself in any specific situation you like. For example, in my situation, I could say, ‘I just want to do labor and delivery. I don’t want to do clinic, I don’t want to do surgeries for GYN cases and I don’t want to do emergency room,’” Dr. Rimawi explains. “When you go out in the real world by yourself, all of that stuff is just thrown at you. You just have to get ready, open up your arms, and catch whatever is thrown at you. Locum tenens work really gave me the extra self-esteem motivator to get me out there and push me around.” Dr. Rimawi says he was “glowing” when he first began his fellowship — and others began to take notice, especially when he attributed his experience to locum tenens assignments. “A lot of the residents that are here now come and sit with me, because they know that I’ve done locum work. They say, ‘Hey, Dr. Rimawi, can you tell us more about how you did locum work, and do you think I should do it?’” he says. “I tell them that it really guides you in a path where you get to make your own decisions, and it helps you to start off light and just build yourself up.” Though he plans to move on to a large academic program after completing his fellowship, Dr. Rimawi wants to continue doing locum tenens work  to further his medical experience. “I think one of the best things about locum tenens work is meeting new physicians, getting to see different hospitals, and getting to see how they practice medicine,” Dr. Rimawi expresses. “Locum tenens work really gives you that bump to go show your skills at other hospitals.” Learn more about Dr. Rimawi’s experience working as a locum tenens physician in this HealthNewsDigest article.

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Lindsay Wilcox

Lindsay Wilcox

Lindsay Wilcox is a communication professional with experience writing for the healthcare and entertainment industries as well as local government. When she's not circling typos, she's enjoying fish tacos and hanging out with her family.

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