There continues to be a high demand for locums providers—and with this demand comes opportunity for those who are ready to look beyond full-time hospital practice. In this article, we’ll highlight how you can maximize both your income and your lifestyle with locum tenens.

Increased locums demand creates increased opportunities for providers.

The COVID-19 pandemic created a shift in healthcare delivery that has had a lasting impact on hospitals and providers. The increase in stress and patient loads, in combination with the trauma that many providers experienced during the peak of the pandemic, led many providers to burn out and exacerbated the already existing physician shortage. 

As demand for healthcare continues to outpace the supply of permanent staff, locum tenens has risen to fill the gap, by offering temporary staffing relief for hospitals that need it—and opportunities for providers who feel the need to step away from permanent full-time employment. 

The most in-demand specialties for locum tenens

The physician shortage is impacting all areas of medicine, but some specialties are feeling it more than others. Locum tenens coverage is most needed to fill assignments in:

As demands continue to rise, so do opportunities to explore locums as a full-time career. Locum tenens tends to pay at higher rates than full-time positions, especially in specialties and locations that are in higher demand. However, while the opportunity to earn a higher income might initially attract providers to take the locums leap, the better work-life balance keeps them there.

Locum tenens is a game-changer for better work-life balance.

The main benefit we hear most about from our providers isn’t compensation: it’s better work-life balance. Compared to traditional placements, locum tenens offers physicians greater control over their schedules. 

At Hayes Locums, our specialty-specific consultants work with their providers to understand exactly what you’re looking for in an assignment, so they can find an ideal match that suits your scheduling needs. Our goal is to put work-life balance back in your hands by giving you the final say in what your schedule should look like. 

Dr. Erica Tauck, a hospital neurologist, struggled with balancing her work and home lives while she was in full-time hospital practice. Through locum tenens, she discovered newfound freedom from the grind of the healthcare system. “When I had a traditional job, I felt like I was only half a doctor and half a mom,” she said. “But with locums, my typical schedule involves working 7-10 days per month, then I can focus on being home.”

While many healthcare providers are nervous to take the leap into full-time locums, the good news is that the increased work-life balance doesn’t have to come at the cost of your lifestyle.

Take it from locums cardiologist Dr. Marc Atzenhoefer: “[Going from full-time employment to locum tenens] really improved my work-life balance, without having an impact on my bank account. I went from working five days a week on call, bringing charts home, and reading scans at home, to a locum assignment where there was minimal call, you don’t have an inbox that’s 3,000 messages deep, and you’re not up to your eyeballs with work when you get home. Once you’re done, you’re done. Locums has given me five times as much free time to do the things that I want, without taking a hit financially.”

Better work-life balance—without sacrificing your income—is the driving factor in why so many physicians are making the switch to full-time locums. The increased flexibility it offers helps ease stress and give you back control over your schedule—which has helped many providers struggling with burnout fall back in love with medicine again.

Locums is projected to continue to grow this year, which means there are more opportunities than ever for physicians looking to make the switch to locum tenens. If you’re ready to prioritize your work-life balance, we’re ready to help!