Locum Tenens has become a popular experience among physicians, embraced by early-career hospitalists and more experienced physicians. In this article, we will delve into what being a Locum Tenens Hospitalist means and the reasons for its widespread popularity and acceptance.
What Is Locum Tenens?
The Latin phrase Locum Tenens translates to ‘one who holds the place.’ In the medical world, it refers to a physician who is temporarily attached to a hospital or healthcare facility. In recent years hospitals tend to hire more Locum Tenens Hospitalists than permanent physicians because they are flexible and able to accommodate more patients under their care.
Why Hospitals Prefer Locum Tenens Hospitalists?
According to an annual review conducted by the National Association of Locum Tenens Organizations (NALTO), Locum Tenens Hospitalist is the leading specialist in the temporary staffing market. One of the reasons for this massive upsurge in popularity is that cost-conscious hospitals are always looking to save money wherever they can.
With Locum Tenens Hospitalists, they benefit from hiring skilled and experienced physicians who can handle a high volume of patients and deliver high-quality treatment. But the hospitals do not have to pay for their health insurance, retention, and retirement benefits, as well as curbing costs related to training and career development.
So while Locum Tenens Hospitalists may temporarily consume more salary, it is a massive cost-cutting operation for cash-strapped hospitals in the long run.
Why Do Physicians Choose To Be A Locum Tenens Hospitalist?
Physicians who are in the early stages of their career use Locum Tenens Hospitalist as a means of gathering experience while they figure out what direction their career will take. Experienced veteran physicians utilize Locum Tenens to finish their career on their terms, to focus solely on clinical care of patients, and working as many hours that they wish to.
The Chief Benefits Of Locum Tenens Hospitalist
- Flexibility:The biggest advantage of being a Locum Tenens Hospitalist is that you get complete control of your work location, shift schedule, and length of the assignment. If you are a physician who has other commitments outside medicine, like raising a family or maybe even working another job, Locum Tenens Hospitalist will give you the ideal flexibility to meet all your targets.
- Salary: Considering the numerous benefits that Locum Tenens Hospitalist offers, the pay scale is comparable and sometimes even higher than permanent hospital positions. Average Locum Tenens Hospitalist salary rates vary between $100-200 per hour, and the high salary reflects the massive demand in the market for covering vacancies in hospitals.
- Opportunities and Experience: Locum Tenens Hospitalist offers you a great chance to expand and enhance your professional network and gain a lot of experience in a short period of time. It allows you to work with diverse patient segments and devote your time to your chosen field of professional interest.
In this regard, you might be interested to learn about the experience of Dr. Jeanne Cabeza, who has worked as a Locum Tenens Hospitalist for many years. She says that Locums has allowed her to pursue her other fields of interest apart from practicing.
She wanted to work for marginalized communities, and she volunteered across the world for Doctors Without Borders. She says, “ I don’t really think that would be possible and easy unless I was doing Locums. I work when I need to, and then I can do these other things that I enjoy.”
Final Thoughts
Locum Tenens Hospitalist gives you the option to control where you work, how much you work, and the payment rates you accept. It allows you to experience different locations, systems, and fields before settling on your chosen one. The freedom and fluidity of experience in Locum Tenens Hospitalist is why their use in hospitals has skyrocketed in recent years. It doesn’t look like there will be a change in that upward trend any time soon.
