Life on the Road: Doing Locums

[beyond all hope]

After having done almost three years of academic EM, including being a fulltime pediatric EM doc (no fellowship) and being a part-time trauma doc, I've given up the rat race and picked up a locums position to finance my travels.

(Don't get me wrong: Last year I worked 36 hrs a week between two jobs, no nights, and took three months of vacation. Made good $$$ too. My life wasn't that hard to begin with.)

The nice thing about locums: good pay, pay for hotel/plane/rental car, and no commitment. Because you're working all of the time when you're on-site, all of the money goes straight to your pocket. I work eight-ten shifts in a row then travel for a month or two.

The bad thing is that you're often working in positions far away from fun stuff, positions that no one else wants (high volume, bad ancillary services, toxic leadership, etc), and your job could evaporate at any time. They don't pay benes so you have to buy your own. You have to be sure they give A rated malpractice with tail (mine does). And because you're independent contractor, you have to contribute taxes quarterly (pain in the ass)

So far I like it. I'm working between two ERs: One low volume ED where I actually sleep several hours each night shift, and a high-volume ED with some serious pathology (five shifts: one intubation, one chest tube, one shoulder reduction, one central line, one DKA/Sepsis, one STEMI, one almost-tube asthma, two codes). Both have great nursing. I've actually had a lot of fun working there, and made some good saves.

I stay in a hotel nearby. I pretty much work every day for eight-ten days every few months, and that makes enough money to live in Europe (currently bumming around Budapest. This weekend: party in Krakow)

Thought you'd find that amusing. Light at the end of the tunnel, baby.

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[Octagonecology]

Wow, seems like you are living the life most of us will only dream about. Good for you!

 

[BNZN32]

you are my hero

 

[mercaptovizadeh]

After having done almost three years of academic EM, including being a fulltime pediatric EM doc (no fellowship) and being a part-time trauma doc, I've given up the rat race and picked up a locums position to finance my travels.

(Don't get me wrong: Last year I worked 36 hrs a week between two jobs, no nights, and took three months of vacation. Made good $$$ too. My life wasn't that hard to begin with.)

The nice thing about locums: good pay, pay for hotel/plane/rental car, and no commitment. Because you're working all of the time when you're on-site, all of the money goes straight to your pocket. I work eight-ten shifts in a row then travel for a month or two.

The bad thing is that you're often working in positions far away from fun stuff, positions that no one else wants (high volume, bad ancillary services, toxic leadership, etc), and your job could evaporate at any time. They don't pay benes so you have to buy your own. You have to be sure they give A rated malpractice with tail (mine does). And because you're independent contractor, you have to contribute taxes quarterly (pain in the ass)

So far I like it. I'm working between two ERs: One low volume ED where I actually sleep several hours each night shift, and a high-volume ED with some serious pathology (five shifts: one intubation, one chest tube, one shoulder reduction, one central line, one DKA/Sepsis, one STEMI, one almost-tube asthma, two codes). Both have great nursing. I've actually had a lot of fun working there, and made some good saves.

I stay in a hotel nearby. I pretty much work every day for eight-ten days every few months, and that makes enough money to live in Europe (currently bumming around Budapest. This weekend: party in Krakow)

Thought you'd find that amusing. Light at the end of the tunnel, baby.

Sounds like my ideal, at least for a while. Is this feasible with IM/peds hospitalist/subspecialty type stuff or just EM and anesthesia?

 

[roja]

Hey there, beyond! Thanks for the insight. I toyed with the idea of locums for a while and often have residents ask about it. Because I am always in an academic setting, there is a definate bias against locums. Good to see another side of the story!

 

[xaelia]

Locums piques my interested because my residency is in the SE, and I'm trying to move back to Oregon - a somewhat in-demand location - to be closer to family. On the surface, it seems a reasonable way to at least "get the foot in the door", get some experiences, and be in the right place at the right time if something opens up. On the other hand, it also seems as thought it might be rather intimidating to have a sort of lack of stability fresh out of residency.

Thoughts?

 

[Chris Knight]

Not sure if you're single or have a wife/SO, but I was wondering if you could comment on the feasibility of such a lifestyle for someone with a significant other.

Obviously one would need the right person, with the same bug for travel/adventure etc.

Any experience yourself, or have you come across any body along the way making it work? thanks.

 

[stud247]

wow cool. I heard that many groups have their EM's work 12 12hr shifts per month normally. Could a dr potentially work those 12shifts over 2weeks and spend the rest of the month on vacation all the time? I mean he could do days/nights/etc cooperating with others. But would fitting it all into 2wks be a problem or not? The reason is that way it might be to possible to live in another part of the country or even abroad (or say live nearby for half a year and somewhere else when the weather sucks).

And another question is regarding vacation in a normal group. I understand that most people take 4-6wk vacation. So what if you want to take a 12wk vacation? would it be a problem?

 

[southerndoc]

There are some docs that do this. I only work M-W and every other Thu so I can travel on weekends and work at a part-time gig.

 

[beyond all hope]

1. Yes. Lots of hospitalist locums jobs, surgery, etc

2. I have a friend who's doing locums in WV, he lives in Manhattan. He does 8 shifts a month on a regular basis, makes WAY more money than he could in NY. He's been doing it about 6 months now. Another friend who's been PT in the US for seven years now, lives with his wife in Sevilla, Spain.

3. Lots of possibilities in EM for working a bunch of shifts then traveling. Some guys work 2 weeks a month at their job and live somewhere else entirely. One of my former residents bunches up his 1500 hr/yr into seven months and lives five months in Mexico. One of my former attendings works one week of nights a month and travels the rest of the month. Another of my attendings works 5 24 hr shifts a month and spends the rest of the time with her family. I took 3 months off last year with my academic job, including a month off for Argentina.

My point is: there are opportunities. Don't let fear make you take the job you don't want.

 

[EMfosho]

There are some docs that do this. I only work M-W and every other Thu so I can travel on weekends and work at a part-time gig.

how did you get a job with no weekends/nights???

 

[gutonc]

Not sure if you're single or have a wife/SO, but I was wondering if you could comment on the feasibility of such a lifestyle for someone with a significant other.

Obviously one would need the right person, with the same bug for travel/adventure etc.

Any experience yourself, or have you come across any body along the way making it work? thanks.

If your SO wants to be rootless and has the same wanderlust that you do then it could work. Obviously, it would be helpful if they could get intermittent work like you have. I have 3 friends (2 are in a couple together) who do this. One couple is 2 IM docs doing locums as hospitalists. The other is a guy about to graduate IM and has 4 months worth of work lined up with his GF who is an ICU RN and also has a few months work ready for her. It's do-able but the circumstances have to be right.

 

[LocumsGuy]

After having done almost three years of academic EM, including being a fulltime pediatric EM doc (no fellowship) and being a part-time trauma doc, I've given up the rat race and picked up a locums position to finance my travels.

(Don't get me wrong: Last year I worked 36 hrs a week between two jobs, no nights, and took three months of vacation. Made good $$$ too. My life wasn't that hard to begin with.)

The nice thing about locums: good pay, pay for hotel/plane/rental car, and no commitment. Because you're working all of the time when you're on-site, all of the money goes straight to your pocket. I work eight-ten shifts in a row then travel for a month or two.

The bad thing is that you're often working in positions far away from fun stuff, positions that no one else wants (high volume, bad ancillary services, toxic leadership, etc), and your job could evaporate at any time. They don't pay benes so you have to buy your own. You have to be sure they give A rated malpractice with tail (mine does). And because you're independent contractor, you have to contribute taxes quarterly (pain in the ass)

So far I like it. I'm working between two ERs: One low volume ED where I actually sleep several hours each night shift, and a high-volume ED with some serious pathology (five shifts: one intubation, one chest tube, one shoulder reduction, one central line, one DKA/Sepsis, one STEMI, one almost-tube asthma, two codes). Both have great nursing. I've actually had a lot of fun working there, and made some good saves.

I stay in a hotel nearby. I pretty much work every day for eight-ten days every few months, and that makes enough money to live in Europe (currently bumming around Budapest. This weekend: party in Krakow)

Thought you'd find that amusing. Light at the end of the tunnel, baby.

So do you mainly do locums work in Europe? or do you travel to other locations to work?

 

[boo2]

For those who do Locums-Do you find it challenging and a pain repeatedly getting to know the nuances of system and establishing rapport with consultants, nurses, techs etc?
Do you choose where you go? Getting stuck in crappy places would suck!