Locum Tenens Tips Provider Stories

Locum Tenens Q&A With Medstro.Com

Dr. John GrayMany physicians know about locum tenens but may not understand how it works. Weatherby Healthcare recently teamed up with Medstro.com and had a locum tenens physician answer questions about the practice in a forum. Here are his candid responses.

Meet Dr. Gray

As an osteopathic physician, Dr. Gray has been treating the whole patient — physically, emotionally and spiritually — for more than 30 years. His mission in life is not only to provide the highest standard of care, but also to raise the level of care that women receive. After closing his private practice, he began working locum tenens in 2013 with Weatherby Healthcare. He currently works as a prison physician in Ohio.

Working with a travel team

Question: I currently moonlight at the VA and have the option of building my schedule every month, which has worked out well. Additionally, the ER and urgent care are conducive to intermittent jobs. The one thing you guys do differently from my moonlighting is that you travel a lot more. How is travel handled? Who arranges what lodging you have? Has that been satisfactory? Who pays for it? Is it lonely? If car or air transportation is required, how is that handled? Are food expenses covered?

Dr. Gray: As I love my lakeside home, I’ve only taken positions within several hundred miles so I can get home for a few days a week. The recruiters learn what works for physicians and try very hard to find pleasant accommodations. Occasionally, I’ve paid for a room upgrade but for the most part, I’ve been really satisfied with the accommodations. Mileage is a fixed rate of reimbursement. There are serious limitations on flying first class unless you’re willing to pay the difference yourself.

Flexibility within locum tenens assignments

Question: A number of you mentioned the flexibility you have in locums, which can be a great lifestyle choice. How much flexibility do you have? What type of schedules are generally offered through locums? What type of schedules have you found work better for you? For example, could you agree to cover two weeks a month in June and July in Nantucket? What’s that like? Is it as much fun as it sounds?

Dr. Gray: In terms of the types of schedules offered, it’s been my experience that many places offer a straight schedule (generally five days per week). However, I’ve been pleased to find that most of the time the client is very willing to negotiate and frequently will accept three days per week even after they state unequivocally that it’s a five-day position. While the employer isn’t always willing to be flexible, in most cases they are. Situations like this are a perfect example of one of the advantages of utilizing a reputable locum company to handle the negotiations. I’ve spent considerable time with a company called Weatherby Healthcare. They’ve spent significant time and energy negotiating contracts for me, generally with a favorable outcome for everyone involved.

Types of locum tenens positions available

Question: What type of locum tenens are you practicing?

Dr. Gray: After closing my solo practice in 2010, I worked a variety of locum tenens positions. I enjoyed the various experiences in community healthcare clinics, local universities and correctional institutions. The regional differences in approach, diagnosis and treatment have been quite stimulating. Some of the advantages of a locum position include flexible scheduling, travel and the endless variety of cultural differences encountered in various locations.

What to expect from locum tenens assignments

Question: What was your first locums experience like? The idea of locums is still very vague to me. Could you describe why you first took a locums assignment?

Dr. Gray: I accepted a locum position with an urgent care center for a short period of time on a trial basis. I was expected to see more than 50 patients per nine-hour shift. I felt that was too many, so I did not renew my contract when it was offered to me.

Mastering new systems on locum tenens assignments

Question: How do you quickly get up to speed with a new system? One of the biggest challenges in medicine is rotating to a new system or place. What type of EHR do they use? What type of handoffs are expected? What type of patients do you see? How demanding are the patients? What type of relationships do you have with nurses and other specialists? I’d love to hear how hard this challenge was for you. What types of supports are in place? What do you have to watch out for? What should you make sure to ask about? How do you know you’re going to a place with good support for the transition?

Dr. Gray: Switching from one EHR system to another may seem daunting at first, but if one simply remembers that all the systems are trying to accomplish essentially the same thing, it makes the transition reasonably simple. If I may use a simple analogy, in anatomy class in med school, memorizing each individual muscle seemed like an almost impossible task, even for people with phenomenal memory skills.

However, when one looks at the function of groups of muscles and learns them as members of a certain group, it makes the job ever so much simpler and, of course, less intimidating. It’s basically the same with EHR systems. Taken alone as a program or process that must be mastered with no apparent beginning, end or goal, the systems seem quite intimidating. Viewed as a group or family of programs that perform essentially the same function makes the process very simple. On one job, I was trained for two hours on their EHR, then left alone for one week and all went well. Generally, more time is allotted by the employer, so don’t worry.

Demands of locum tenens assignments

Question: How demanding are the contracts or terms of the locum tenens assignments for most physicians, and are you able to work privately? I ask because I hope I could use this as a way to work some more hours and pay back my loans in the future a little more quickly. Is there a minimum number of hours you have to work at a time? By “privately,” I mean are you able to contract out independently, or do you have to join an organization, similar to how ER doctors are contracted through a group to a hospital?

Dr. Gray: Working with a reputable locum company not only makes all the difference, it is actually fun to develop a close professional relationship with your recruiter. On one of my long-term assignments that called for an elective daily commute, I spoke regularly with my recruiter to discus interesting cases. And, in the few instances a minor problem occurs (overtime, etc.), the recruiter is always available to solve the problem quickly without any negotiating on my part. I generally elect to work either three- or four-day weeks and always take weekends off. I’ve found that this approach not only keeps me current but also well rested. It allows for other activities and a sense of balance in my life.

Find out how Dr. Gray saved an 18-year-old coed’s life while on assignment with Weatherby Healthcare — and check out this video about his locum tenens experiences.

About the author

Eric Saylor

Eric Saylor is a recent graduate of Weber State University and a contributor to the Weatherby Healthcare blog. He enjoys hiking with his family, listening to music, doing DIY projects around the house and relaxing at the beach in California, his home away from home.

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