Flexibility is the main reason why I’ve been practicing locum tenens since it allows me to create the schedule that fits my lifestyle. It feels great being able to decide for myself if I’m willing to make a nice lump sum in the next several months or to take off and travel. I know I can do it without asking anyone’s permission – this is the greatest thing of all!

Why I decided to become a locum tenens physician:

I really enjoyed my first hospitalist job after the residency. I was so eager to come to work every day and after several months I started picking up extra shifts. At that time I thought to myself: “Wow, this is the best job ever! I have so much time off and I can make extra money, too, if I want.”

The first realization of one of the many limitations of full-time employment came when I requested a vacation for August to travel to Europe with my wife and my daughter. We had been dreaming about this for quite some time.

I always enjoyed traveling. Previously I had periods in my life when I had time to travel but never could afford it. Then during the residency my vacation time was limited and usually took a form of “staycation.”

I finally was able to afford to take my family to Europe and stay in a nice hotel instead of a hostel during my medical school when I was traveling on a tight budget.

I sent an email to our program coordinator requesting vacation. Her response:

“Unfortunately, you can only use your paid time off in September and forward.”

“But my daughter starts her preschool this year.”

“I am sorry, Doctor, we had so many requests for the summer months that we cannot accommodate them all. Please apply earlier next time.” (This was the end of January!)

The next aha moment came when I met a locum tenens physician who helped our program with the extra coverage after one of our hospitalists moved out of state. He told me he traveled a lot – 30 countries in the last several years.

I asked him if he had to take a hefty pay cut. He said, not at all and that he made 40 percent more in the current year compared to his last year of being a hospitalist full time.

I invited him for lunch and we spent several hours talking about his experience with locum tenens. At that point, I realized I needed to quit my permanent job and switch to the full-time locum tenens.

My initial thought was that I’d give it a try for a year and then decide if it’s worth it. Needless to say, I haven’t thought of going back to full-time employment since then.

The truth is that a permanent hospitalist schedule definitely gives you some flexibility and perceived amount of time off compared to let’s say outpatient work (although you still essentially work 40 hours/week) and, of course, a residency schedule.  Locum tenens takes it to a whole new level and makes you a true master of your time.

My current lifestyle and schedule:

Over the years of practicing locum tenens, I have tried several approaches and came up with my own schedule which is mostly determined by my kids’ school breaks. I tend to work more in the spring and fall when I make probably close to 70 percent of my annual income. I schedule fewer shifts during the winter and pretty much take the whole summer off.

Since the weather in the Pacific Northwest is extremely depressing in winter, I take my family to Hawaii for about a month to recharge and relax.

Next year we plan to spend several weeks in Thailand once my toddler grows up a little more to tolerate a longer flight. I’ve heard great things about the weather in winter there, plus my wife and I both love Thai food.

Summertime is my favorite — I take on average about two months off during my kids’ summer break and we spend it on the Mediterranean coast where we rent an apartment and use it as our home base from which we visit at least one interesting destination in Europe (we went to Rome and Florence last year).

Now, this is just an example of how you can design your lifestyle. Clearly, if you are single or your kids are not in school yet or your family nest is empty, you have even more flexibility. Some physicians I’ve met traveled the world while working locum tenens.

Others rejected the 7 day on/7days off mentality to work less and enjoy more time with family or work on entrepreneurial ventures, develop new skills or focus on their favorite hobby.

Another group of physicians that I’ve encountered prefers to generate high income without caring much about work-life balance or traveling.

The best thing about the locum tenens is that your life now is under YOUR control. YOU DECIDE how much money you want to make or how much time off you need and just follow your own plan.

Give locum tenens a try!:

Whenever I talk with employed physicians I always encourage them to at least give it a try with the locum tenens work. Although it might seem to be a little unpredictable, the job market is favorable for physicians due to the physician shortage.

There’s always a need for the hospitalist coverage across the board so you won’t be sitting without a job. Another misconception is that you have to travel all the time in order to work locum tenens. But with the proper preparation, you can find enough local jobs to sustain full-time work in your area.

I understand that making the first step can be difficult, that’s why I created this website to help you make the transition much smoother, avoid possible pitfalls and make the most of every hour you work.

Why have YOU decided to start working locum tenens? What is the most appealing aspect of it?

If you haven’t done any locum tenens yet, what is holding you back?

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