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The Journal of the American Board of Family Practice 16:242-245 (2003)
© 2003 American Board of Family Practice

Medical Practice

A Physician’s Guide to Working as a Locum Tenens

Mary M. Maniscalco, MD

From the Department of Family Medicine (MMM), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Correspondence: Address reprint requests to Mary M. Maniscalco, MD, UNC Department of Family Medicine, CB 7595 - Manning Dr, Chapel Hill, NC 27599

Background: The number of physicians working as a locum tenens is increasing. Although most physicians who provide locum tenens coverage are often older and semiretired, an increasing number of physicians are taking this route for limited periods early in their careers.

Methods: The medical literature was searched through MEDLINE using the key words "career choice," "contract services," and "locum tenens." Information about locum tenens was gained by the author through research and a personal experience working as a locum tenens.

Results and Conclusion: Working as a locum tenens can be an opportunity to meet interesting patients, learn about local culture, see how practices are organized, learn adaptability, and broaden clinical skills. Opportunities are available through for-profit agencies, academic health centers, state agencies, federal sites such as the Indian Health Service, individual hospitals, and physicians or international staffing companies. Because the physician working as a locum tenens is an independent contractor, exercising some caution when choosing where to work by carefully checking workload and available resources is advised.






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Copyright © 2003 by the American Board of Family Medicine.