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

Locum tenens jobs search is a tool for physicians from MomMD.

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