How is the market for locum? any tips or advices?
Locum
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My advice is to get a real job first. In order to do locums well, you need to learn a few things that residency doesn't teach.
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I was wondering what Noyac was going to say about this 
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If you haven't checked it out already, I highly recommend Locum Life magazine. It's free and has some good articles and contacts for locum tenems:
http://www.locumlife.com
I got credentialed with Tiva
http://www.tivahealthcare.com
I did this as a backup in case I didn't find a permanent job I liked. I have found a permanent job, and so far things are going well. Nonetheless, by being credentialed with a locums company for a two-year period, it also provides me with a quick backup to get working if something happens at my current position. I recommend getting credentialed at one or two locums outfits, and then get licenses in states that interest you and seem to have a lot of locums opportunities. It's a good way to keep your options open.
Noyac,
I am a CA-3 graduating this June. I have plans to start an off-cycle fellowship in January 2011. During the 5-6 months after residency before I start fellowship I am planning on doing some locums. I see this as an ideal way to earn an income during this transitional time, as I cant really sign on with a group for just a few months. I don't really have plans to do locums after fellowship.
However, you warn against doing locums immediately after residency and state that there are some things one doesn't learn in residency that would make one proficient doing locums. Can you elucidate on this for me?
My residency has a reputation for being one of the more rigorous in the country and I feel I will be well prepared. I would appreciate your thoughts and comments. Thank you in advance.
Future1
I am a CA-3 graduating this June. I have plans to start an off-cycle fellowship in January 2011. During the 5-6 months after residency before I start fellowship I am planning on doing some locums. I see this as an ideal way to earn an income during this transitional time, as I cant really sign on with a group for just a few months. I don't really have plans to do locums after fellowship.
However, you warn against doing locums immediately after residency and state that there are some things one doesn't learn in residency that would make one proficient doing locums. Can you elucidate on this for me?
My residency has a reputation for being one of the more rigorous in the country and I feel I will be well prepared. I would appreciate your thoughts and comments. Thank you in advance.
Future1
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Noyac,
I am a CA-3 graduating this June. I have plans to start an off-cycle fellowship in January 2011. During the 5-6 months after residency before I start fellowship I am planning on doing some locums. I see this as an ideal way to earn an income during this transitional time, as I cant really sign on with a group for just a few months. I don't really have plans to do locums after fellowship.
However, you warn against doing locums immediately after residency and state that there are some things one doesn't learn in residency that would make one proficient doing locums. Can you elucidate on this for me?
My residency has a reputation for being one of the more rigorous in the country and I feel I will be well prepared. I would appreciate your thoughts and comments. Thank you in advance.
Future1
My take on the whole locums thing.
1. There is no substitute for the combined experience of a good group of anesthesiologists. This experience will be helpful to you when you get out. I feel that you learn more in the first couple of years after residency than you do in residency.
2. It's hard to get this knowledge and experience when you are in podunkville where the environment is such that no anesthesiologist will work there. That's not to say that every locums assignment is this way but I'm not sure what kind of choice you will have.
My .02 cents for new grads is to find a group with good, reasonable partners in a busy place and get as much experience in the first few years after residency as you can. In addition to experience, I feel that you learn other intangible things that make you successful in private practice. Things like interpersonal interactions with staff and other physicians, the business of medicine, and the importance of being involved in the hospital and community are examples. My feeling is that it is hard to learn these when you don't stay in place more than a month or two.
Future, you are in a different situation. One thing I would look at is whether or not there are any moonlighting opportunities around either in the city where you are doing your fellowship or in the department. Locums would be a good way for you to earn some extra money but I would choose your locations carefully.
pd4
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pd4 has hit a couple key points on the head. A good group will teach you many important things that you won't get from residency or from locums. Even a poor group will teach you many of these things. Things like how to deal with difficult surgeons without your attending stepping in, how to handle more than one task at a time and to optimize your time so that you can minimize risk and the amount of time needed to get things done. How to optimize your practice for effective billing and safety. Believe it or not but there ways to protect yourself from surgeons with less skill and still provide a safe effective anesthetic to your pt all while minimizing your exposure to risk. You will learn when you are being taken advantage of by others. The list goes on and on.
However, in your situation I would look for a group that was willing to hire you for a short period of time so that you are treated like a member of the group, at least more than a locums is. This may not be available to you and locums is a decent alternative since it is only for a short period.
However, in your situation I would look for a group that was willing to hire you for a short period of time so that you are treated like a member of the group, at least more than a locums is. This may not be available to you and locums is a decent alternative since it is only for a short period.
