Making a Career Switch
You’ve worked as a healthcare provider for most of your career. But now? Now, something is calling you. Maybe you’ve seen colleagues thrive in locum tenens roles, enjoying the flexibility of working at various hospitals and communities while earning extra income. Or perhaps changes in your personal life have inspired you to seek a schedule that allows you to work three months and take a month off to focus on what matters most to you.
Whatever your motivation, transitioning to full-time locum tenens work could be the next – and possibly the best – chapter in your healthcare career.
What’s Stopping You?
Many healthcare providers find themselves carefully considering this decision, weighing practical questions and next steps. How challenging is the shift from employee to locum? How long does the process take? What potential obstacles might arise?
The good news is that the transition is relatively straightforward and can be accomplished in manageable stages.
Your First Move
Begin by selecting a locum tenens partner. For those with expertise in a specific medical specialty, working with a recruiter who focuses on matching your unique skill set to the right opportunities is essential. If you have experience in emergency medicine, consider a locum service that specializes in placing providers in emergency rooms, for example. When you partner with Wapiti Medical Staffing, you gain a team that truly understands your strengths and is committed to finding roles that align perfectly with your skills and career goals.
While signing up with multiple agencies may seem appealing, we suggest partnering with a single locum recruiting service. Building a strong relationship with one recruiter allows them to thoroughly understand your preferences and find opportunities that align perfectly with your needs.
Reach out to the service and request a consultation with a recruiter who specializes in your field. During the discussion, express your interest in thoroughly exploring both the advantages and challenges of the role, as well as how your skills and experience can be effectively utilized.
During your conversation with the recruiter, be clear about your geographic preferences/constraints, the type of schedule you’d like, including how many days you’d like to work each month, your compensation requirements, as well as any reasons that would prohibit you from accepting a position.
This focused approach often leads to better-matched opportunities and faster placement.
Talking Compensation
Your pay may exceed your expectations; therefore, it’s important to understand that managing the ‘business side’ of locum work requires careful attention to detail.
Most locums earn a good percentage more than their permanent counterparts. Understand that this factors in housing allowances and travel reimbursement in addition to flexibility. You also could be eligible for overtime pay or additional compensation from taking an assignment on short notice.
You should know that many healthcare providers enjoy working as locums more than as full-time medical facility employees, even from the start of their careers: Becker Hospital Review reported in 2024 that these providers “are choosing to work locum tenens earlier in their careers; 81% started working locum tenens either right out of training or mid-career.”
Skills: You Have Them. They Want Them!
Your healthcare skills are primary in a hospital’s mind when they onboard you as a locum. Yet understand that working as a locum requires additional competencies, skills that are a bit “softer” than those you received during your medical training:
- Adaptability: you’ll need to learn new EMR systems quickly.
- Flexibility: you’ll need to navigate different hospital protocols.
- Personal skills such as building rapport with new healthcare colleagues every few weeks or months.
You can begin developing and refining these skills by taking on additional shifts in different units within your current facility. These experiences will enhance your adaptability in diverse healthcare settings and boost your confidence as you transition to locum practice.
Final steps towards locum work
- Take a look at your current contract, focusing especially on any non-compete clauses/notice requirements.
- Connect with one or more locum recruiters to explore how your expertise can advance your career while meeting the critical needs of rural hospitals seeking skilled providers like you.