Congratulations! You made it through the rigors of residency! Now, as you stand at the threshold of your career, you face a decision: what comes next?
For many new physicians and advanced practice providers, locum tenens after residency offers an ideal bridge between training and a permanent role, or can even offer a fulfilling long-term career.
What Is Locum Tenens?
Locum tenens is Latin for “to hold the place” and refers to clinicians who temporarily fill staffing gaps at hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities. Assignments can last from a few days to more than a year. Some clinicians use locum tenens to supplement their income, to try out different practice settings, or to maintain flexibility while exploring their options. Increasingly, many choose it as a primary workstyle, enjoying the freedom and variety it brings.
How is Locum Tenens Different from Being an Employee?
Locum tenens is a contractor relationship. Locum tenens physicians and clinicians operate as a separate entity from the healthcare facility they are stationed with, often operating their own business or working as self-employed professionals. Locum tenens professionals choose when and where they work, providing them with control over their schedules and the ability to take time off between assignments. Part-time contracts are common, with specific contract language for compensation above the agreed hours. Many locums clinicians can schedule vacations and time off months or years in advance. There is also no expectation of “staying late” or checking your messages from home. When a locums clinician walks out of the facility, they know they’re off work.
They can avoid long-term commitments and travel the country on facility time (and expense) while still earning a higher wage. Locum tenens physicians and clinicians get to spend more time with patients and their cases since they don’t have the administrative burdens of permanent staff.
Most specialties are in high demand around the U.S. for locum tenens and offer year-round opportunities without the commitment of a full-time job. And if you’re game for a rural location, an under-served community, or a hard-hit area, you’ll always have opportunities at your fingertips. The best part? You can decline any opportunity that doesn’t fit your goals or you can negotiate for higher compensation or a different schedule.
Why You Should Consider Locum Tenens After Residency
Locum tenens isn’t just a gig. It can also be a strategic career option that offers a different lifestyle for you. It’s a wonderful opportunity to explore clinical settings, add to your CV, or travel at someone else’s expense. Here are a few reasons you may consider locum tenens after residency:
Control Your Schedule: You to decide when and where you work. You can take time off between assignments for rest, travel, or personal pursuits. There’s no pressure to “stay late” or work off the clock when your shift ends, either. You’re truly off. No checking email or finishing up clinical notes. Your personal time is yours. It can be refreshing to know that when you walk away after your shift, you can focus on your family, hobbies, or rest.
Diverse Clinical Experience: Each assignment exposes you to different patient populations, healthcare systems, and cultures. This variety accelerates your learning and adds depth to your resume, making you a more versatile and attractive candidate for future roles or full-time employment.
Higher Earning Potential: Locum tenens pay rates are often higher than permanent positions, especially for urgent needs or assignments in rural and underserved communities. With travel and housing covered and no unnecessary benefits added to your deductions, you get to choose how you spend your well-earned money. Pay off student loans faster. Save up for that house. Whatever you choose!
Try Before You Buy: Ok, you’re not buying anything, but the principle still applies. Locums can be a fantastic way to “try out” a facility before committing to full-time employment. Test the culture, get a true feeling for the administration, and see if it’s a facility you align with. All without the commitment of a long-term contract or employment agreement.
Travel Opportunities: Assignments span the country, giving you a chance to explore new cities, regions, and cultures, all while getting paid to do it and have housing covered. If you’re unsure where you want to settle, locums allows you “test-drive” a city or state with no pressure to stay past your locums contract (remember, many of them are as short as a few weeks!). And since you’re off-time is really yours, you’ll get plenty of time to explore personal interests in your new locale. Hike the mountains, attend music festivals, pick up a new hobby…the sky is literally the limit.
Reduced Administrative Burden: Locum tenens clinicians focus on patient care, not paperwork or hospital dynamics. You avoid many of the headaches that come with permanent employment, such as committee meetings and office management. However, much of the time locum physicians are encouraged to take on additional responsibilities for their resumes if they choose. Our clinicians have started new cancer centers, developed new policies and procedures, and created new educational programs for the community–because they wanted to.
Avoid Burnout: Because there is a definite line between work and your personal life, locum tenens clinicians experience less burnout. You get more sleep, have fewer body aches, improved cash flow, and the freedom to choose where and how you work.
Continued Guidance: Locum tenens after residency doesn’t have to be scary. With most locums firms, the lack of “team” support is a drawback to the locums lifestyle. But with Floyd Lee Locums, our concierge approach ensures you still feel like part of a team, and you’ll always feel like you have someone in your corner. We don’t fill a position and disappear. We check in to see how you’re doing, if the position is a good fit, and what your “next” is so we can get started on the search. We help you select and ship birthday gifts to loved ones, locate nearby trails or restaurants for you to try out, or book tickets to a show. We aim to become a trusted partner in your life and career.
Things to Consider Before Starting Locums
All of these benefits sound amazing, right? Like any career decision, thoughtful planning ensures a smooth transition and a path that aligns with your goals. Below are a few things to consider.
Your Career Goals
Locum tenens after residency can be an ideal choice if you want to:
- Explore different practice settings before settling down
- Maximize income early in your career, particularly for paying down student debt
- Gain experience in diverse settings like rural practices or high-need communities
- Have control over your schedule
Locums can also allow you space and time so you don’t feel so rushed to make decisions on your long-term goals. But you’ll definitely want to consider what your short-term goals are for working locum tenens. Do you:
- Want to boost your CV with experiences you haven’t had yet?
- Desire working with a new patient population?
- Have an eagerness to pay off debt or save money as fast as you can, no matter the assignment?
- Want to explore diverse settings like rural communities or a fast-paced inner-city hospital?
- Want to move to a different area of the country and use locums as a “testing” ground for facilities you may be interested in?
- Just need a short-term solution to fill a gap before you start W-2 employment?
No matter your personal and professional goals, your Healthcare Consultant can only find the best fit for you if you’re honest and aware of what you do and don’t want.
Licensing and Credentialing
At Floyd Lee Locums, we handle the majority of the licensing and credentialing requirements of the state or facility on your behalf. While that removes a huge administrative burden from you, you still need to have your paperwork handy, even when you travel. Having a special folder that goes with you is a common way locum tenens clinicians manage their paperwork.
In addition, licensing and credentialing can take some time. So don’t expect to find a locums job and start work right away. You’ll need to plan for some time in between. With the advent of the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC), licensing has been significantly streamlined, allowing qualified physicians to obtain licenses in multiple states with a single application. Often you can obtain the required license in just a few weeks (or less), but you’ll still want to plan on up to a few months between your residency ending and your first locums position beginning.
Home Base or on the Move?
When you’re considering locum tenens after residency, one of the most important questions is if you’ll have a homebase. Some locum tenens physicians maintain a permanent home and travel for assignments, while others choose to only accept locums assignments near their home. Some will even store their belongings, saving on living expenses, and travel working locums assignments. We’ve even had a few clinicians sell almost everything they own and fully embrace the nomadic lifestyle.
Whatever you choose, you’ll want to consider your needs (and that of your family or pets, if applicable), your adaptability for living “on the road”, and your financial, personal, and professional goals.
Your Floyd Lee Locums’ Healthcare Consultant can help you work through the options. We can find the right accommodations for you (including pet-friendly options). We’ll even help you research long-term storage needs or community resources in your new locales. But ultimately you’ll need to assess what you want and be clear with your Healthcare Consultant if you have any preferences or requirements.
Insurance and Benefits
One of the biggest concerns for new locum tenens providers is insurance. Unlike traditional W-2 employment, locum tenens clinicians are 1099 contractors and are responsible for their own health, life, and disability insurance, often navigating confusing insurance markets or facing high premiums and gaps in coverage, particularly between assignments.
Floyd Lee Locums changes that experience with a unique, comprehensive Group Benefits Plan. We stand out as one of the few (if not the only) locum tenens staffing firms to offer our clinicians and their families a group benefits plan. This plan is designed specifically for the locums workstyle. It offers year-round coverage that travels with you to each assignment, doesn’t change between assignments or gaps in jobs, and goes with you whether you work with Floyd Lee Locums or not.
“I am an Emergency Room MD in Tennessee and this plan saved my family of 4 over $900 per month!!! Cory has also been extremely helpful in reviewing my Life Insurance and Disability options to make sure I have the best coverage at the lowest cost. Thank you Floyd Lee Locums!!”
A few features of our Group Benefits Plan:
Health Insurance: Our plan offers group health coverage through nationwide carriers like Cigna and UnitedHealthcare. Preventative care is covered in full, with co-pays as low as $0 and prescription coverage starting at $15. The plan offers urgent care, lab services, diagnostic testing, ER and hospital services, and telehealth — all vital components for clinicians who may be working in rural areas.
Dental and Vision: Unlike many marketplace plans, dental and vision coverage is available, supporting both routine and emergency needs for you and your family.
Life Insurance: Protect your loved ones with group life insurance options (term and whole life policies are available). These policies are portable, so you maintain coverage even if you switch agencies or take time off, ensuring your family’s financial stability no matter where your career takes you.
Disability Insurance: Your ability to earn an income is your greatest asset. We offer both short- and long-term disability insurance, providing essential income replacement if you’re unable to work due to illness or injury. This is especially critical for independent contractors who don’t have access to traditional employer-provided disability benefits.
Malpractice Insurance: Our locums providers are covered by A+ rated malpractice insurance with tail coverage at no cost to you while you’re on assignment.
The High Demand in Rural and Underserved Areas
The most common locum tenens jobs are in rural areas or underserved communities where recruitment of clinicians into full-time roles is more challenging. These assignments often offer higher pay and a chance to make a real impact in a community where your skills are needed most.
Physicians like Dr. Mitry, one of our locums physicians who has been recognized as a Locumpedia Provider of the Year, has found deep professional and personal fulfillment in these settings. She has filled critical needs but also experiences grateful patients and facility staff for increasing quality patient care and community resources for healthcare.
“Dr. Mira Mitry is our very top locums MD. She has been a huge asset to our team this past year.” – Emily Ramee, Ochsner Medical Center
How willing are you to serve in a low income, rural, or high-need area? Are you prepared for the cultural differences you’ll experience in these settings? Do you need the social life of a big city, even short-term? Do you thrive in unusual situations?
While these are important questions, remember that many assignments can be just a few weeks. Ask yourself if you’re willing to step outside of your comfort zone and if so, how long you may want to commit to a contract. Many times, we extend assignments for our clinicians in these areas because they come to enjoy them so much!
The Floyd Lee Locums Difference: True Concierge Support
Transitioning from residency to practicing on your own can feel daunting, and many locums firms or even full-time jobs leave you on your own. But at Floyd Lee Locums, our concierge approach has been ingrained in us since Day One (2017, if you’re curious). With us, you’ll receive personalized service that removes everything we can from your plate so you can focus on helping patients and living your best life. It’s our mission to impact your life as much as we can in a positive way to reduce burnout and improve healthcare for patients.
“They are very supportive. Made sure I had what I needed during Covid, called just to make sure things were going well at my assignments, and when I had to have surgery they called to check on me personally and sent me a blanket. When my father died they sent flowers that got to my house before I got home.”
At Floyd Lee, you’ll receive:
Personalized Job Search: Your Healthcare Consultant will get to know you personally and match you with assignments tailored to your specialty, preferences, and goals.
Licensing & Credentialing: Our experts manage the entire process, filling out forms for you and submitting documents on your behalf.
Travel & Accommodations: We handle all travel logistics, including family and pet needs, and provide 24/7 emergency support.
Community Integration: Need to find a church, gym, or the best local restaurant? Our concierge team helps you settle in and thrive at each of your assignments.
Financial & Legal Resources: We give you access to experts in benefits, tax planning, financial management, retirement, and more. Our network is your network.
Wellness & Work-Life Balance: With fewer administrative burdens and more control over your schedule, you can prioritize your health, relationships, and passions. We’ll prioritize your wellness and energy as if they were our own.
The Highest Standards: We are members of the National Association of Locum Tenens Organizations (NALTO®) and participate in their Board of Directors and various committees. We hold ourselves accountable to NALTO®’s Code of Ethics, as well.
Learn more about becoming a locum tenens clinician
with our free Locums Toolkit.
Real Stories, Real Impact
Physicians who choose locum tenens after residency often report higher job satisfaction, rapid skill development, and a renewed passion for medicine. Many find that the flexibility and support allow them to avoid burnout, maintain work-life balance, and make meaningful contributions to diverse communities.
But sometimes it’s even about your own personal health.
“Living with MS means learning to listen to my body, knowing when to push forward, and when to rest. Locums has allowed me to build a career around that balance.” – Dr. Rasheedah Andrews
Locum tenens after residency can be a launchpad for your career and the lifestyle you crave. It offers flexibility, higher earnings, and a wealth of experience. With the right support at your fingertips, you can explore career options, add to your CV, achieve financial goals, and make a difference where it’s needed most.
“Floyd Lee Locums is a true CNRA advocate,” continued Cindy. “When I started my assignment on a holiday break, they were available all holiday and weekend for questions. When there was a hurricane in my area and I told them I lost all my fridge and freezer food due to electrical outages, they offered me a gift card to replace it all.” – Cindy R.
If you’re considering locum tenens at any point in your career, connect with us today so we can answer your questions and get to know you. We’ll guide you through every step and beyond.
Your career in medicine is just beginning, and we’re so excited to see where you go.
Ready to Explore Your “Next”?
Our specialty-specific Concierge Consultants can answer any questions you have
so you can make the decision that’s best for you.