In this issue
of our series on Medical Careers, we discuss Locum Tenens.
What is Locum Tenens?
Locum Tenens is temporary employment for physicians. It's
usually a temporary position where you're filling until
the position can be filled permanently.
Locum Tenens has only existed for about 30 years, but
the number of physicians who take advantage of it is steadily
increasing.
What you get paid for Locum Tenens
The pay for Locum Tenens varies depending on medical specialty.
It can range from $400/day for family practice to $1500/day
for a radiologist or anesthesiologist. To see how this compares
with standard salaries, select the physician specialty in
the drop down box in the left column of this page or visit
our Physician
Salaries page.
The specific pay rate varies by the company that hires the physician
- you can find a short list of Locum Tenens companies below in the
resources section.
Why would I consider
Locum Tenens?
There are two main reasons for a young physician to practice medicine
this way. First, Locum Tenens gives you the option of trying out
different medical practices. Most medical students and residents
don't learn about different types of medical practices, so when
they finish residency it's hard to know where to go. With locum
tenens you try out different types of practices - or even the
practice you think you want to join - before committing to a long-term
contract.
The second reason
you might take a Locum Tenens position is that you want to travel.
These positions open up anywhere in the country, and you can get
up and go there. This often means the Locum Tenens spots are filled
by young, mobile physicians who can uproot themselves for a few
months or year at a time.
How do I find
a Locum Tenens position?
Since this is a temporary position, you will go through a Locum
Tenens company. In addition to some of the locum tenens companies
listed to the right, several LT companies are registered through
NALTO. The National Association
of Locum Tenens Organizations (NALTO) is, as the name suggests,
a national professional organization that deals with Locum Tenens
issues and ethics.
Positions for specialities are also outlined in online resources.
For example, you can find information on family
practice jobs and neurology
jobs on this site.
Concerns with
locum tenens
Obviously, when negotiating
a locum tenens position make sure that malpractice insurance is
somehow included in the mix. There are also considerations for
your insurance tail if you are leaving a practice to do locum
tenens.
While locum tenens
is usually thought of a short-term position, the contract can
sometimes be a year or longer. Especially for these "long-term"
locum tenens positions, be sure that standard benefits are part
of your package.
Locum
Tenens Resources - a list of several resources
