We spoke with a few physicians and asked what advice they would share with other doctors about working locum tenens. Here’s what they had to say:

                                 Just Try It

[caption id="attachment_6058" align="alignleft" width="150"] Dr. Thomas O'Mara[/caption] “Just give it a try and see what happens,” Dr. O’Mara says. “I thought it was giving a three-month, a six-month or a year commitment to a place and then having to move or stay there. You can do as little as a weekend or a week, or if you want to go do a month or six months and move somewhere, that’s fine, too. There are all kinds of different opportunities. Find somebody you get along with and have a good feeling about because you'll need to work with that person. It’s not all about money; it’s not all about benefits.” Read more about Dr. O'Mara here.

 

                                 Focus on Relationships

[caption id="attachment_6170" align="alignleft" width="150"] Dr. Monica Anselmetti[/caption] “Work with a company on the level of CompHealth,” Dr. Anselmetti shares. “I would recommend CompHealth first because of all of the support they give and the personal relationships. They stand behind their physicians.” Read more about Dr. Anselmetti here.    

                                 Improve Your Skills

[caption id="attachment_5695" align="alignleft" width="150"] Dr. Val Jones[/caption] “Locum tenens allows you to keep your skills current without being over-committed,” Dr. Jones explains. “With locum tenens I’m able to see the patients, be active in clinical medicine but not get in over my head in terms of time commitments. Being a locum tenens physician actually improves your skills and makes you a better physician at whatever you do short-term or long-term.” Read more about Dr. Jones here.

 

                                 It's All About Freedom

[caption id="attachment_6293" align="alignleft" width="150"] Dr. Beverly Ricker[/caption] “Most of the perm jobs I’ve seen, or that friends have, are not as secure as they think they are,” Dr. Ricker says. “I just think the freedom (of locum tenens) can’t be beat!”  

   

                                 Flexibility is the Key

[caption id="attachment_7255" align="alignleft" width="150"] Dr. Johnny Shen[/caption] “As long as you're open to things and know the medicine, you'll be okay,” Dr. Shen says. “You have to be open and flexible. At the end of the day, you just have to take care of patients.” Read more about Dr. Shen here.    

                                 Open New Horizons

[caption id="attachment_5929" align="alignleft" width="150"] Dr. John Thieszen[/caption] “You’ve got to try it. Talk to someone you trust who’s doing locums or call a friend who does it,” Dr. Thieszen says. “There are so many great reasons to try locum tenens, but you won’t know it until you try it. It will open up your horizons for everything else you do, because you'll know all the different opportunities out there.” Read more about Dr. Thieszen here.  

                                 Plan Your Own Schedule

[caption id="attachment_6306" align="alignleft" width="150"] Dr. Harmych[/caption] “During the planning stages of developing my own practice, there’s a lot of unknowns and that requires a lot of flexibility,” Dr. Harmych explains. “Locum tenens gives me the flexibility to be able to plan jobs around important opportunities.” Read more about Dr. Harmych here.  

Make it Work for You

[caption id="attachment_6307" align="alignleft" width="150"] Dr. Tina Passalaris[/caption] “Be bold and make the jump if you are unhappy with your current situation,” Dr. Passalaris says. “You can make locums work any way you want locums to work for you. All you need to do is convey what you want, and it happens. That’s it.” Read more about Dr. Passalaris here.