Specialties for which locum tenens is NOT a viable option

[GalenAgas]

In what specialties is this type of work hard to come by (or equivalently perhaps there are jobs available but you wouldn't want them for a certain specialty because it is impractical etc).

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[Rendar5]

Most specialities. You need to build a clientelle, and stay in an area to get referals and a strong patient base. The few specialities where you can do locum tenems are those where the patients come to you regardless of referals. The only ones I can really think of that meet those conditions are hospitalists (whether peds or IM), emergency physicians, and maybe anaesthesiologists, radiologists, and pathologists.

 

[GalenAgas]

Most specialities. You need to build a clientelle, and stay in an area to get referals and a strong patient base. The few specialities where you can do locum tenems are those where the patients come to you regardless of referals. The only ones I can really think of that meet those conditions are hospitalists (whether peds or IM), emergency physicians, and maybe anaesthesiologists, radiologists, and pathologists.

Ouch! Damn that sucks

 

[FSU2013]

Most specialities. You need to build a clientelle, and stay in an area to get referals and a strong patient base. The few specialities where you can do locum tenems are those where the patients come to you regardless of referals. The only ones I can really think of that meet those conditions are hospitalists (whether peds or IM), emergency physicians, and maybe anaesthesiologists, radiologists, and pathologists.

There are a lot of surgeons that do it. There's a small local hospital that has a couple gen surg attendings cover call for 2-3 weekends a month. There is also a neurosurgeon I know of that does locums work (don't know the guy, but it exists).

I think it really just depends on what you want and how little you're willing to work for. There are always people who don't want to take call, lol.

 

[Rendar5]

There are a lot of surgeons that do it. There's a small local hospital that has a couple gen surg attendings cover call for 2-3 weekends a month. There is also a neurosurgeon I know of that does locums work (don't know the guy, but it exists).

I think it really just depends on what you want and how little you're willing to work for. There are always people who don't want to take call, lol.

seems a little strange and financially ineffective to be moving around from state to state without patients just to cover the occasional emergency surgery. How do these guys earn any money if they don't do elective procedures?

 

[link2swim06]

Most specialities. You need to build a clientelle, and stay in an area to get referals and a strong patient base. The few specialities where you can do locum tenems are those where the patients come to you regardless of referals. The only ones I can really think of that meet those conditions are hospitalists (whether peds or IM), emergency physicians, and maybe anaesthesiologists, radiologists, and pathologists.

Then why are there a boatload of locum tenens in essentially every specialty?

I just looked at http://www.locumtenens.com/ and found a bunch of non-permeant jobs in every specialty.

Do you mean the locum tenens pay is crappy for non-hospitalists type specialties?

 

[VenusinFurs]

There are tons of locums tenems in psychiatry. I know because I joined the APA in 2nd year when I thought I wanted to do psych and now I get emails asking if I am interested in locums tenems.

 

[wholeheartedly]

I think locums pay is frequently hourly. You might be covering for a solo rural doc who needs a vacation, a hospital that's short staffed, a group that's trying to hire but hasn't found anyone quite yet, an undesirable location, etc. Basically referral base probably isn't going to matter much in these settings. The patients/need is already there or they wouldn't be looking for coverage. If I recall correctly, someone such as a general surgeon can do elective procedures. Often malpractice, travel, licensing, and sometimes even housing are part of the package from what I've read.

 

[docB]

seems a little strange and financially ineffective to be moving around from state to state without patients just to cover the occasional emergency surgery. How do these guys earn any money if they don't do elective procedures?

The surgical locums gigs usually occur because a small group needs help to cover a call they've contracted for.

For example if 4 guys have a call contract and they get $1000 a day they can pay a locums to cover a day a week or a couple of days a month so they don't have to do q4. They keep the contract. The locums gets paid, usually to do nothing and the regular surgeons cover the post op stuff when there is an emergent case.

I've seen this set up with surg, OB/Gyn and ortho.

 

[Rendar5]

well, guess I'm wrong then. Do those locum positions get paid adequately docB? equivalent to a surgeon in his own practice group? I just never saw how they'd have enough patient volume to provide adequate salary, as opposed to hospitalists, EP's, etc., who work primarily out of a hospital's own volume.

 

[45408]

seems a little strange and financially ineffective to be moving around from state to state without patients just to cover the occasional emergency surgery. How do these guys earn any money if they don't do elective procedures?

It's very common. They're being paid to cover call. The hospital can't claim to be open 24/7 if you can't show up with perforated diverticulitis every third night. The locums might get paid more if they do operate, but they're being paid just to be available.

 

[docB]

well, guess I'm wrong then. Do those locum positions get paid adequately docB? equivalent to a surgeon in his own practice group? I just never saw how they'd have enough patient volume to provide adequate salary, as opposed to hospitalists, EP's, etc., who work primarily out of a hospital's own volume.

It's very common. They're being paid to cover call. The hospital can't claim to be open 24/7 if you can't show up with perforated diverticulitis every third night. The locums might get paid more if they do operate, but they're being paid just to be available.

This.

My impression is that they don't make as much as they would if they were working in a thriving practice. The ones I've seen doing it are doing it so they can work part time, are "in between" jobs or are building their practice in another town.

 

[45408]

This.

My impression is that they don't make as much as they would if they were working in a thriving practice. The ones I've seen doing it are doing it so they can work part time, are "in between" jobs or are building their practice in another town.

I've also seen a few of them doing it during sabbatical time or "academic time." Some of the locums have very little to do when they come, because they don't have any elective practice to maintain, so they write articles/chapters or study for their board renewals.