Locum Tenens Family Medicine Professional Profile

Working locum tenens, which means “to hold the place of”, allows for immense flexibility. The temporary nature of the position gives locum tenens family physicians, include:

• The joy of pairing work with travel
• The freedom from administrative tasks and staff management
• The ability to try out a new area or practice
• The chance to gain specialized experience and hone new skills
• The opportunity to serve a different population of patients
• The change of atmosphere needed to avoid physician burnout

Many general practitioners who specialize in family medicine work locum tenens to:

• Have the flexibility to start a family, spend more time with children or care for aging parents
• Pay off medical school loans, save to open a practice, buy a home or build retirement
• Enjoy perks like professional liability insurance, housing and travel reimbursements
• Find the ideal work/life balance

The range of opportunities for locum tenens providers varies just as widely as that of permanent, full-time family physicians. Locum tenens family medicine doctors work in:

• Private Practices
• Hospitals
• Urgent Care Facilities
• Emergency Rooms
• University Health Centers
• Assisted Living Facilities
• Community Health Centers

Physicians who have fellowships in pediatrics, geriatrics, sports medicine, emergency medicine, hospitalist medicine, palliative care, women’s health or rural medicine may work in even more diverse settings.

Locum tenens pay varies depending on geographic region, facility type and provider credentials. According to the American Medical Group Association survey, median compensation for family doctors in the U.S. was $242,210. Family physicians who work locum tenens average daily rates between about $600 - $800.

With the aging population and growing healthcare costs in the U.S., there is an increasing demand for doctors who can provide generalized care from infancy through adulthood and into older age, but those doctors may not be available. The Association of American Medical Colleges has projected a shortage between 14,800 and 49,300 primary care physicians by 2030.

In addition to the need for more doctors, technological advancements are allowing primary care providers to perform more procedures in offices, clinics and homes rather than in hospitals. Rural areas and inner cities are considerably in need.

Increasingly, healthcare organizations are turning to locum tenens professionals to fill the current shortage. The National Association of Locum Tenens Organizations reported that 94% of healthcare facility managers surveyed used locum tenens physicians during 2017 – up from 74% in 2012. This is wonderful news for locums doctors!

With the flexible schedule, competitive compensation, perks and increasing demand within the industry, the locum tenens lifestyle looks pretty enticing for today’s healthcare professionals. The doors are open for family physicians who want to work locum tenens!