A good locum tenens firm that places physicians performs prescreening and credentials verification even before a facility perfoms the physician credentialing. The more place a locum tenens physician works, the more times his/her credentials are scrutinized.

I’m a (very good) Pediatrician who was forced to turn to the road for a living when my hometown hospital did me wrong. It was a last resort, but a reasonable one. I did not want to move/uproot.

I tend to take longer assignments . . . 6 months or more . . . within a half-day’s drive of home . . . and I commute home when I can. I work when I want to – and take breaks (sometimes for months or more) when I want to. I bill a fixed rate. I don’t have to worry about overhead. All my expenses are paid.

It’s not ideal. But it’s a way to pay the bills. And at this point I am in better financial shape than some of my salaried/private practice friends.

I often find myself covering practice disasters or meltdowns – really awful situations. I have found that many “permanent” physicians (and patients) do not appreciate the services provided by Locums – or the sacrifices they make to cover a practice or hospital when no one else will.

Until the profession wakes up and starts treating doctors as something more than pawns on a chess board, the trend towards temps (especially in areas of dire need) is going to continue.