Tired of the same old job? Interested in travel? If so, locum tenens (travelling provider) may be right for you. As a traveling provider, you can expect to earn more for your troubles due to time away from home. Not only do you typically make a higher rate, mileage and housing/hotel costs are common reimbursements as well. Some jobs last 1-3 months and others can last a few years if going through an agency. Generally, the agency makes a set amount of money per shift worked by the provider. One with good business skills can bypass an agency altogether, and sometimes negotiate a higher rate than what the agency can offer (due to money saved from not going through the agency).
When working through an agency, it is important that you are getting a good rate to make the time spent from home worthwhile. It is important to note that several smaller agencies may try to pay the same rate or less than what the regular providers are making. These jobs are important to stay away from due to more lucrative opportunities. A good Locum Tenens Job will generally create a rate that is higher (25% or more) the regular hourly rate for the job and includes mileage reimbursement along with covering the cost of housing/hotel and malpractice insurance, etc.
If for some reason the agency doesn’t cover mileage and hotel, ask for a higher rate to make up for it. Usually, 50% of the time the agency is willing to compromise after contacting the employer. If not, move on to one of the many other jobs available. There will be many opportunities pending on how far you are willing to travel. Sometimes you can score a higher rate if you make it known you are traveling from a longer distance then what you typically would.
Of particular interest is the idea of finding your own jobs. They are not hard to find utilizing the free physician/provider job boards on the internet. After signing up for 2-3 of these you will usually start receiving many different offers in your email on a regular basis. Make sure to use an email you don’t mind receiving spam as some of the agencies and employers send out several of the same emails more than once.
Finally, if you decide you enjoy Locum Tenens work try to credential at 3 jobs at a time. This allows you regular work in the event one facility doesn’t require travelers anymore. In most cases, you will get to control your schedule so you may take off whatever days you wish. If you don’t want to work holidays you won’t have too. On the other hand, it isn’t unusual to be offered a bonus on the holidays sometimes ranging from 50-100% more of the normal hourly rate. As you can see, locum tenens has its benefits if you are are willing to travel.
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