Locums Offer in Arizona - Please weigh in / critique.

[olbaid07]

I have been looking to supplement my income and have been offered the following by a Locums agency in Arizona. I spoke on the phone to the director of anesthesia at the proposed location. I told them I was looking for a per diem / weekend / occasional couple of days assignments to complement my full-time job and was advised that they would be very much in favor of such an arrangement.

The Hard Facts:
1) Supervision only within the team model - max 3:1
2) In-House call
3) $1400/8 hour day
4) $175/hr for every additional hour
5) $1400 per 3pm-7am weeknight in-house call
6) $2100 per 24hr weekend coverage
7) Housing accommodations provided if working consecutive days
8) $50/day for travel expenses
9) $5/hr malpractice insurance 1M/3M (awaiting more details regarding this)
10) $5/hr workmans comp insurance (awaiting more details regarding this)

Questions:
1) What do you think of this package offer?
2) Should I get my own malpractice or go with theirs? Should I obtain both?
3) Anything I should inquire further about or to look out for?

I feel its important to lay the proposal out with the real numbers as these are often kept secret and therefore difficult to evaluate. Any and all advice is appreciated.

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[deleted162650]

Pay is painfully low to supervise 3:1 IMO.

 

[Psai]

With that pay, it's no wonder they're so much in favor of that arrangement.

 

[Carbocation1]

There are gaswork jobs better than this

 

[ryanjmy]

I'd negotiate for $200/hr.

No way I'd take inhouse call for $87/hr unless there's never any cases. If they say it's super light counter with $2100 for the first 8 hrs of actually doing work on the weekend day and then $200/hr after that.

 

[pgg]

The pay is not great. I might take $175/hr to moonlight solo but probably not to supervise.

But.

I know from experience how difficult it can be to find a part-time moonlighting job with the schedule flexibility to fit along a full time primary job. More than once I've spent a couple months getting credentialed and started, only to discover a terrible environment and walk away after working only a few shifts.

For most of 2015, I worked a so-so moonlighting job for $180/hr because they could accommodate my hour limits/needs and the work environment was tolerable. It wasn't great but I put up with it because I wanted the extra income. (My day job with the Navy will let me work extra hours but won't pay me extra to do so ).

Unfortunately our criteria for acceptable pay and tolerable work environment have to be a lot looser when we're the beggar with time and geographic restrictions looking for extra work.


The posters above sure aren't wrong but a part-time moonlighting gig can't be held to the same standards as a full-time gig you're able to relocate for.

 

[urge]

I have been looking to supplement my income and have been offered the following by a Locums agency in Arizona. I spoke on the phone to the director of anesthesia at the proposed location. I told them I was looking for a per diem / weekend / occasional couple of days assignments to complement my full-time job and was advised that they would be very much in favor of such an arrangement.

The Hard Facts:
1) Supervision only within the team model - max 3:1
2) In-House call
3) $1400/8 hour day
4) $175/hr for every additional hour
5) $1400 per 3pm-7am weeknight in-house call
6) $2100 per 24hr weekend coverage
7) Housing accommodations provided if working consecutive days
8) $50/day for travel expenses
9) $5/hr malpractice insurance 1M/3M (awaiting more details regarding this)
10) $5/hr workmans comp insurance (awaiting more details regarding this)

Questions:
1) What do you think of this package offer?
2) Should I get my own malpractice or go with theirs? Should I obtain both?
3) Anything I should inquire further about or to look out for?

I feel its important to lay the proposal out with the real numbers as these are often kept secret and therefore difficult to evaluate. Any and all advice is appreciated.

Since you have a full time job I imagine your focus will be in taking weekend call.

That rate is way too low for week or week-end call. As someone already said, ask for 200 an hr. Also, extra (late) hours at 175 are too low. Ask 300 for those.

 

[deleted162650]

Curious why you can't pick up extra work at your home institution??

 

[sevoflurane]

I've done locums work in the past.
Your best bet is to skip the middle man (recruiter) and deal directly with the hospital or group hiring you. You will get better rates that way.

 

[sevoflurane]

FWIW, I've taken a locums job similar to yours (but MD only)... but mainly to check out a group.
I've also taken a locums job for $250/hr with minimum of 8 hrs per day and robust stipend for 24 hr. call.

 

[pgg]

I've done locums work in the past.
Your best bet is to skip the middle man (recruiter) and deal directly with the hospital or group hiring you. You will get better rates that way.

Agreed.

The other benefit to this approach is that after a short time, when they see you're competent, you can discuss better rates. There are a lot of bad locums anesthesiologists out there. The solid experienced/older ones looking to slow down a little and the young hungry ones looking to work hard, are the minority in a sea of screwups and walking-sentinel-event types who can't hold a regular job and turn to locums to pay the bills. Some groups will pay more to keep a solid locums coming back. If you're good and the group sees it, but there's some agency taking a bite in between you, it's harder to get a raise.

 

[IMGASMD]

I think your inhouse call rate is really low. I am sitting at my locum job as a hospitalist for more money than you. My worst day here is 4 admissions overnight. I would not consider possible running 2-3 rooms overnight for 87.5/hr easy money. 3p-7a can have lots thing happening still.....
I've always gotten paid mileage for my travel, but if you're there multiple days or travel is short, it may be to your advantage.

 

[WholeLottaGame7]

Don't residents at UAB make like $100/hr for staying late?

 

[Noyac]

FWIW, I've taken a locums job similar to yours (but MD only)... but mainly to check out a group.
I've also taken a locums job for $250/hr with minimum of 8 hrs per day and robust stipend for 24 hr. call.

And how was that group?

 

[Pharmado]

I did a moonlighting gig in residency that's paying $80/hr for an in house physician simply being present for codes/true emergencies. A heavy night was anything approaching an hour of work. $87.50/hr is way too little IMO.

 

[anbuitachi]

Don't residents at UAB make like $100/hr for staying late?

Residents at my home institution also get around 100 a hr . So that's some awful pay for attending. I don't think it's uncommon for residents to get 100/hr for moonlifgt

 

[deleted162650]

If you are seriously considering taking this position, I recommend that you first talk to your CPA to confirm that you'll be able to deduct all the Astroglide as a business expense.

 

[Notorious T.E.E.]

I have been looking to supplement my income and have been offered the following by a Locums agency in Arizona. I spoke on the phone to the director of anesthesia at the proposed location. I told them I was looking for a per diem / weekend / occasional couple of days assignments to complement my full-time job and was advised that they would be very much in favor of such an arrangement.

The Hard Facts:
1) Supervision only within the team model - max 3:1
2) In-House call
3) $1400/8 hour day
4) $175/hr for every additional hour
5) $1400 per 3pm-7am weeknight in-house call
6) $2100 per 24hr weekend coverage
7) Housing accommodations provided if working consecutive days
8) $50/day for travel expenses
9) $5/hr malpractice insurance 1M/3M (awaiting more details regarding this)
10) $5/hr workmans comp insurance (awaiting more details regarding this)

Questions:
1) What do you think of this package offer?
2) Should I get my own malpractice or go with theirs? Should I obtain both?
3) Anything I should inquire further about or to look out for?

I feel its important to lay the proposal out with the real numbers as these are often kept secret and therefore difficult to evaluate. Any and all advice is appreciated.

It's been mentioned, but the biggest problem with the offer is the call. I almost have to suspect that the call pay would be in addition to the hourly rate for time worked. If it isn't that should be a deal killer.

The pay otherwise is low but it is what you would expect when you work with an agency. The group is paying the agency $1750-$2000 per day for your work, and probably about $300 per hour for your over time. As was mentioned you would be far better off contacting places yourself. There is a 1-2 year restrictive covenant that the group will sign with the agency. You may want to inquire and wait this out to get a better deal.

I think the bottom line is you don't want this job unless you can opt out of the call and you have more vacation than you know what to do with. You can find a better deal than this. If nothing else, negotiate with the agency.

 

[olbaid07]

Thanks for the insight. I did a little more digging and came away fairly displeased. The staffing group were very quick to spell out what my responsibilities would be but were hesitant to be very transparent with what I would be covering and what model of coverage i'd be operating under. They also had a 2 year non-compete with no radius distance documented. It simply began to feel like to onerous a process with too low a payout to pursue. I will instead pursue some overtime work at my home institution and await a better opportunity.

 

[nimbus]

Thanks for the insight. I did a little more digging and came away fairly displeased. The staffing group were very quick to spell out what my responsibilities would be but were hesitant to be very transparent with what I would be covering and what model of coverage i'd be operating under. They also had a 2 year non-compete with no radius distance documented. It simply began to feel like to onerous a process with too low a payout to pursue. I will instead pursue some overtime work at my home institution and await a better opportunity.

Good for you and thank you. The more people turn down crappy deals, the better it is for everybody. We need to know our worth and how much revenue we are generating.