Try locums; you will like it… you will see (with apologies to that famous medicine man, Dr. Seuss)
Our lead story: Many new physicians overlook locum tenens as an early career option, but it offers freedom, connections, and diverse experiences that can boost a young doc’s career. If you’re looking for flexible work without long-term commitments, find out how locums could be just what you need.
Also in CME 42: A physician compensation and productivity report shows significant pay hikes for hematology, oncology, and other specialties; AMA shares EHR inbox stress relief tips for residents; Medicus highlights the benefits of supplementing permanent work with locums; why emergency medicine physicians take less time off, and how 65% of physicians say telemedicine has improved patient relationships.
Continue your locums education with Locums CME 42 below.
Locums Can Be a Great Early-Career Choice
September 26, 2024 | LocumTenens.com
Healthcare providers often overlook the full potential of locum tenens early in their careers, but it offers significant advantages, including flexibility, higher pay, and the chance to balance career growth with personal well-being. While typically seen as a mid-to-late-career option, locum tenens can be just as beneficial for those starting out, offering diverse experiences across various healthcare settings.
Here are two key reasons why:
- Valuable connections: Most locums work with recruiters, and having a broad network of seasoned professionals can help a new physician or APP quickly understand their professional goals along with what the industry needs.
- Professional growth: Locum providers hone their skills by working in various locations and with many different patient populations and medical approaches, all of which quickly build resumes.
Physicians and APPs throughout their careers also appreciate these two advantages of working locums:
- Higher pay: Salaries are often higher than those of permanent positions, and many assignments include allowances for relocation, housing, CME, and other benefits.
- Less paperwork: Most locums work with an agency that handles tasks such as credentialing and billing. All assignments are temporary, which reduces the breadth of administrative work locums must do on-site.
For those providers seeking short-term commitments and career variety without long-term obligations, locum tenens can be the ideal path for both personal fulfillment and professional development.
Your Locums Prescription
Compensation Watch: Increased Pay for 15 Specialties
October 3, 2024 | Hayes Locums
According to Sullivan Cotter’s Physician Compensation and Productivity Report, which analyzed 2023–2024 data from 306,000 professionals nationwide, some specialties see higher physician compensation in complex areas with high-demand patient needs. The most significant increases include:
- Hematology and oncology: Median pay $456,632, up nearly 10% over the past year
- Endocrinology and metabolism: $285,660, up 8%
- Radiation oncology: $550,000, up nearly 8%
- Pathology: $424,744, up almost 7%
- Geriatrics: $273,025, up more than 6%
- Pulmonology: $375,003, up 6%
- Urology: $530,557, up almost 6%
- Anesthesiology: $498,973, up nearly 6%
Knowing these median pay levels can be a useful negotiation tool for locum physicians when discussing compensation with recruiters. Another key factor for physicians is the link between pay and work relative value units (wRVUs) assigned by the facility. As wRVUs—an indicator of physician productivity—increase, compensation often follows. For example, hematology and oncology saw wRVUs rise by more than 5%, leading to a corresponding increase in median pay.
4 Benefits of Working Locums While on Staff
October 3, 2024 | Medicus Healthcare Solutions
Staff physicians and APPs are finding success working locums assignments alongside their permanent positions. They can receive all the benefits of working locums without disrupting their permanent roles:
- Increased income: Locum tenens assignments provide supplemental income, allowing providers to reach financial goals such as saving for a home or paying off medical school debt while maintaining the stability of a permanent salary.
- Experience in new settings: Locum tenens assignments expose providers to a variety of practice settings, patient populations, and advanced procedures, enhancing their expertise and versatility beyond what their permanent roles may offer.
- Expanded professional networks: Locum tenens introduces providers to new colleagues across different regions, while permanent roles foster long-term professional relationships. Both can lead to future career opportunities and collaborations.
- Addressing physician shortages: By working locum tenens, providers can help bridge physician shortages, particularly in underserved areas, ensuring continuous patient care without disrupting their full-time roles.
Having a permanent position that provides a consistent salary allows providers to use their locums assignment to support specific goals such as home ownership or paying down medical school debt. A locums assignment connects providers to a breadth of new colleagues while maintaining a permanent position supports deep connections, and both can lead to career opportunities.
Physician Wellness Retreat
3 Actions Every Resident Should Take to Mitigate EHR Inbox Stress
September 26, 2024 | American Medical Association
EHR management is a big part of the workweek for resident physicians and an equally impactful contributor to their stress. According to a 2023 report of more than 2,000 residents across 22 healthcare organizations, a fifth of residents spend at least six hours of off-site time on EHR activities. This stress does not just impact residents; other studies have confirmed the challenges physicians face in managing EHR requirements. Managing the EHR inbox can be key to reducing these challenges with these steps:
- Pass challenging cases to supervisors: Questions about a medical decision, a complicated patient relationship, or available resources should all be presented to a supervisor to take the lead on.
- Seek help from a colleague: Programs understand the unique challenges for both residents and locums and are there to offer support and guidance.
- Ensure coverage: All team members should communicate when they will be unavailable to monitor their EHR inbox so that others can cover for them. This lowers the risk of a patient safety hazard.
The AMA offers more advice, including the nine-step toolkit “A System-Level Approach to EHR Inbox Reduction.”
Considerations for a Successful Locums Assignment
September 27, 2024 | American Medical Association
AMA Healthcare Physician Solutions’ advice for physicians transitioning to new jobs is equally valuable for those seeking an ideal locum tenens assignment. To ensure a successful match, there are a few important considerations to keep in mind.
First, even though locum assignments are temporary, it’s crucial that the facility’s vision and the physician’s personal goals and values align well. Finding a place where both priorities and personalities mesh well makes for a more fulfilling experience for everyone involved.
Next, understanding the service area’s needs and the facility’s resources is key. Locum physicians are brought in to address specific staffing gaps, so knowing the broader context of the community and the facility can make a difference. It’s also helpful to ask questions in advance about the organization’s office setup, processes, and available technology to avoid any surprises.
Finally, expectations and compensation should be clearly outlined upfront. Both the locum physician and their agency should agree on the scope of work and time commitments. Being familiar with compensation trends also ensures that the duties align with industry-standard rates, making the arrangement fair for both the physician and the facility.
Telemedicine Finds a Post-pandemic Foothold
September 26, 2024 | McKnights Long-Term Care News
According to a 2021 survey of nearly 2,000 physicians, they have continued to use telemedicine as a key tool even after pandemic lockdowns were lifted.
About 65% of surveyed physicians were satisfied with their patient relationships when maintained virtually. They also appreciated how telemedicine platforms integrated with their EHRs. Though this research focused on ambulatory, office-care settings, many of the findings were consistent with what is understood of telemedicine in long-term and post-acute care.
Studies like this validate the expanded use of telemedicine and the likelihood that it will continue to grow. The technology can help with routine exams and complex cases where additional opinions are needed, but it isn’t easy to schedule an in-person appointment. It can also help underserved populations, such as those in rural areas.
Emergency Medicine Physicians Are Overworked—Locums Could Help
October 1, 2024 | Becker’s Physician Leadership
Emergency medicine physicians report taking less time off than their colleagues in other specialties. According to two AMA studies:
- Nearly 76% of emergency medicine physicians take less than three weeks of vacation annually; other surveyed physicians regularly take more. Nearly 31% in emergency medicine reported taking at most five days.
- About 40% of emergency medicine physicians at academic medical centers said they work even on their days off, spending more than 30 minutes working each vacation day. Only about 14% of emergency medicine physicians in private practice reported working while on vacation.
Increasing support from locums physicians could be part of the solution to overscheduled emergency medicine teams.
Doctor’s Notes
Working Locums Helps Pay Down Medical School Debt
October 2, 2024 | CHG Healthcare
In a recent CHG Healthcare survey of 500 physicians about the impact of medical school debt, 20% of respondents said they work locums, in addition to their permanent positions, to help them pay off their debt as soon as possible. Overall, about 26% of physicians reported having never had any medical debt.
Medical school tuition has grown substantially over the past two decades, increasing more than 90% when adjusted for inflation. This has resulted in more physicians with outstanding debt than ever before. Almost half of those with outstanding school debt owe $250,000 or more, up 11% from a similar study conducted by Weatherby Healthcare in 2019. Nearly 70% of those with outstanding debt owe more than $150,000.
An interesting trend is the gender divide in the amount of debt and how long physicians expect to pay it off. Nearly half (46%) of male physicians owe more than $250,000, compared to 38% of female physicians. While women tend to carry less debt, they expect to take longer to pay it off—32% of female physicians anticipate needing up to 10 years, compared to 29% of men.
Majority of Millennial Physicians Say Pay is Not The Driving Factor in Choosing a Specialty
September 27, 2024 | Becker’s ASC Review
Recently, Becker’s ASC Review summarized Medscape’s “Millennial Physician Compensation Report 2024,” which surveyed 7,000 millennial physicians. One key finding was that nearly 20% reported taking on medical-related work beyond their staff position. This included medical moonlighting, locums, and picking up additional shifts.
Nearly half (49%) feel they are paid fairly, with those in some specialties reporting higher-than-average satisfaction: psychiatry and anesthesiology (61% happy with their compensation), dermatology and emergency medicine (60%), and general surgery (50%).
Notably, only 23% of respondents cited pay as the main factor in choosing a specialty, while 48% said it was a minor factor, and 29% considered it unimportant in their decision.
Disruptors and Innovators: 3 Big Changes in the Medical Industry
September 24, 2024 | Becker’s ASC Review
Declining reimbursements, telemedicine, and AI are three significant trends in healthcare that are impacting physicians. While the first is a disruptor, with the right approach by physicians, the other two can be innovators.
Over 16 years, from 2005 to 2021, physician reimbursement rates per Medicare patient decreased by around 2%, and cuts are likely to continue. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently proposed a 93-cent (nearly 3%) conversion factor decrease in the physician fee schedule from 2024 to 2025.
Physicians have more direct control over using telemedicine and AI to their advantage and the benefit of their patients. While both disrupt the traditional healthcare model, with forethought, open-mindedness, and practice, both can be true innovators.
Telehealth: Physicians are accustomed to building relationships with patients in person, but early studies suggest that the connections formed during telehealth appointments can be just as strong. While there’s concern that telemedicine’s “anytime” nature could lead to work creep for physicians, it also opens up more opportunities for locum tenens work and moonlighting. With well-defined schedules and clear boundaries, the flexibility of virtual appointments can actually help prevent burnout by giving physicians greater control over their time.
AI: Physicians must invest time and effort into learning how to use technology tools efficiently, in accordance with HIPAA, and in ways that do not shortchange patient care. Once they do, both their work life and the quality of their patient care can improve. AI can streamline administrative tasks, allowing doctors more time with their patients and quicker responses to some patient questions.
Sponsored Content
A New Era Begins for Cancer CarePoint with a Refreshed Brand Identity and Digital Presence
October 1, 2024 | Cancer CarePoint
Since 1994, Cancer CarePoint has placed oncology physicians, nurses, and allied professionals in facilities across the country. In celebration of its 30th anniversary, the woman-owned agency has updated its branding to reflect its forward-thinking sensibility to support candidates and clients better. For locums and permanent placements alike, Cancer CarePoint’s website now includes an enhanced job board with advanced search features, career guidance, and industry news.
Perm to Locum: Dr. Nadia Parchment’s Journey to Freedom as a Locum Tenens Hospitalist with Interim
September 14, 2024 | Interim Physicians
Dr. Nadia Parchment transitioned from a permanent hospitalist role to locum tenens work to gain more freedom and flexibility. After realizing that a traditional career wasn’t for her, she embraced the locum lifestyle, allowing her to practice medicine in different settings without being tied to one system. Initially hesitant to start locum tenens without full-time experience, she first built a foundation as a permanent provider.
Now, Dr. Parchment enjoys the variety and excitement each new assignment brings, keeping her passion for medicine alive. She credits Interim Physicians for supporting her along the way, ensuring her assignments run smoothly. Dr. Parchment encourages other physicians, especially those dealing with medical school debt, to consider locum tenens. For her, this career path provides the autonomy to shape her own future while focusing fully on patient care.
