Tuesday 7 February 2012

Five Resolutions for Your Locum Tenens Career

Happy New Year! What’s on your list of career resolutions? If you are a locum tenens physician or are considering locum work, why not resolve to take a few simple steps to prepare for your next opportunity. Here’s what our recruiters recommend.

Locum Career 2012

Refresh your CV. If you haven’t reviewed your CV in a while, chances are, it could use updating. See our tips and ensure that you’ve added all of your new skills, licenses and other relevant information since your last update.

Enhance your skills. CME is a must, and if you’re going to do coursework, focus on classes that improve your skills and marketability. If you’re a hospitalist, consider procedures training. If your specialty demands other skills, make this the year that you get up to date.

Contact your References. A new job typically means reference checks—so when was the last time you reached out to someone you’re listing as an employment reference? If it’s been a while, a New Year’s greeting is a great excuse to reach out and renew that relationship. Remind the individual that you are still listing them as a professional reference, and consider asking them to write a newly dated reference letter.

Check-in With Your Recruiter. While you’re doing outreach, renew that relationship with your recruitment professional. Even if you have worked with a firm in the recent past, a periodic check-in is a good idea. Have your personal circumstances changed? Do you have more or less availability than you have had in the past? All of this information will help you and your recruiter build a plan to keep you happily employed throughout the year. (See our tips for building strong recruiter relationships).

Review your Licenses. Up to date licensure info is a must. Do you have yours handy? January is also a good time to get started on new licenses if you seek to move to or work in a new state in the New Year. Locum Leaders can help get you started. We’ll often reimburse you for your license costs if you work for our firm in a new state.

Good luck in 2012! We look forward to hearing from you—and working with you—in the New Year.


Friday 3 February 2012

Locum Tenens Physicians: Requirements and Benefits

Today, most healthcare facilities look forward to hiring physicians for Locum Tenens positions as it not only helps in fulfilling their staffing needs, but also helps in bringing down the costs associated with permanent recruitment for any position.

The term Locum Tenens is derived from Latin and is a healthcare phrase used for fulfilling a permanent position lying vacant due to a vacation, ill health or maternity leave of the permanent employee. Sometimes, the hiring of professional medical staff is also done on locum basis during periods when the influx of patients increases during specific months of the year.


This type of position benefit medical students who are freshly out of their residency and also to the experienced healthcare professionals. The duration of an assignment can be anywhere between four to fifty-two weeks in a year. Professionals starting their career take locum hiring as a bonus that can help them in getting assorted kinds of practice experience. The doctors and specialists who have been working for many years use locum positions for cutting down their work gradually before retiring.


The basic requirement and essential criteria for locum tenens jobs include U.S. residency training, work permit for the United States and one or more valid medical practice licenses. These positions also require fulfilling requirements such as an active Federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration along with clearing any drug screening and criminal background tests.


Most locum positions are generally filled by the physicians with the help of physician staffing agencies, which can be easily found and contacted online. The medical experts, who are looking for locum positions, have their CV’s forwarded to suitable employers by the staffing agency and a follow up is done by the recruiter of the agency from time to time.


Once selected, screened and hired, physicians start practicing in the respective healthcare facility for a period of time under a contract. Locum Tenens physicians are free to schedule and plan their working hours and week offs. Another benefit a physician rules is the choice of selecting the desired location to work before applying for a job in the medical field.

For more information on opportunities for Locum Tenens and the hiring essentials, please visit the website http://www.locums4you.com/