Locums Surgeon

[likes pizza]

anyone have any experience or first-hand knowledge of being a general surgeon doing locum tenens? specifically,
- what is the market like
- how well does it pay
- what types of experience you will gain (eg. are you usually going to be going to a sleepy rural town who's one surgeon goes on vacation and you end up losing your skills because you never operate)

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[Smurfette]

market depends on where you are willing to go and where you are licensed. If you'll go anywhere, you'll have no shortages of places to go. But most are going to be less populated areas, since the larger areas usually have more local coverage.

pay is good. generally you get a base pay for being on call, paid a rate for your actual time in the hospital "working", plus a fee for actually operating. And your lodging and travel are covered. I would guess that different companies/individuals negotiate compensation differently, however, so that is something to find out when you are looking into a locums job.

Experience depends on how busy your location is and the length of the assignment. Often if you are there for just a weekend or a week filling in, you are expected to do things that can't wait for the surgeon to get back and generally don't do office stuff or any elective procedures unless there are people who can't wait until the surgeon is back. Obviously this is hit or miss as to how many emergencies come rolling in. If you take a job that is longer-term, you can do stuff on a more elective basis and have clinic time as well.