Thinking about trying locum tenens for the first time and not sure what to expect? We’re here to help! We sat down with Hayes Locums consultants, physicians, and advanced practice providers, to hear their insights and advice on preparing for your first assignment. Here’s what they had to say.
On the Importance of Finding the Right Partner
Finding a good locums placement starts with partnering with the right locums agency. An experienced locum tenens consultant can make the difference between choosing a locums assignment that doesn’t quite fit, and finding one that feels like a great match.
At Hayes Locums, our consultants are more than just recruiters: they are fully-fledged support systems before, during, and after your assignment. Our consultants take the time to get to know you thoroughly ––including your clinical experience, your preferred practice environments, your travel preferences, your family situation, and any other work or life responsibilities you may have to work around––so they can find a placement where you can truly thrive.
“We ask the questions that help us get to know our providers’ real needs and dig deep into their career goals, so we can find the placements that will be best for them,” says Hayes Locums Senior Consultant, Jo-Lonn Dunbar.
Building that relationship starts with a foundation of trust. “One thing I like to hammer home with my physicians is that no matter what, I’m going to tell them the truth,” says Tim Moses, Senior Consultant at Hayes Locums. “Whether it’s good news or bad news, you’ve got to give them the full picture so they can make the best decision for their careers.”
That trust and support isn’t limited to the length of an assignment. Our consultants also serve as a resource during your assignment to check in with you to see how it’s going, and provide moral and logistical support if you run into challenges.
“I know if I call, [my Hayes Locums consultant] will answer,” said Dr. Yara Nazzal. “She’s reliable. I always know she’s there for me, and I can talk to her about anything.”
Finding a consultant you can trust to be a true partner to you is one of the best ways to set yourself up for success in your locums career.
On Navigating Credentialing, Licensing, and Privileging Paperwork
One of the most common questions we hear from new physicians and APPs is about how much paperwork they’ll have to do. Between internal credentialing, licensing, and hospital privileging, there are several administrative steps involved. But thankfully, you don’t have to do it alone.
“Physicians sometimes get scared off by the paperwork, but they often don’t realize how much of the burden we are able to alleviate through the process,” says former PA and current Hayes Locums Consultant Anna Wahl.
When you first get credentialed as a Hayes Locums physician or APP, we will ask you to provide your CV, a list of references, a clinical capabilities form to help us identify your clinical scope of work, and other supporting documentation like diplomas, certificates, identification, and certificates of insurance. That documentation makes it easier for us to prefill state license applications and hospital privileging paperwork.
In addition to our own internal credentialing process and licensing, every hospital or facility has their own credentialing process to ensure that locums physicians and advanced practice providers (APPs) have the necessary privileges to fill the role.
“The majority of hospitals will ask for case and procedure logs because it’s a good tool to ensure that providers are comfortable with the procedures they’re being asked to perform,” says Hayes Locums External Credentialing Manager Taylor Ross. “Most of the hospitals that we work with will need two years worth of logs, and that’s something our specialists will happily request on your behalf.”
Other paperwork involved in the hospital credentialing process might require items like:
- Immunization records
- References
- State licenses
- Training verifications
- Medical school transcripts
While this amount of paperwork can feel daunting, the good news is that our licensing and credentialing specialists are there to take on the bulk of logistical work.
“We try to avoid someone needing to do something more than once, because we know how tedious paperwork can be,” says Senior Consultant Michael DeJesus. “Whatever we can fill out for you, we’ll fill out for you. For anything else, our licensing and credentialing departments will send step-by-step, easy instructions, because that’s what they do all day, every day. They’re very adept at knowing these processes.”
We make it as easy as possible for our physicians and advanced practice providers, so you can focus on the assignment itself, instead of all the logistics leading up to it.
On Adapting to New Environments
Locum tenens allows you to broaden your experience by working in different environments and with new medical teams. While that experience is one of the best parts of locum tenens, it’s natural to feel some anxiety about starting over somewhere new and unfamiliar. That’s why we place such a huge priority on transparency: because knowing what environment you’re walking into will help you feel more prepared, and it will be easier to adapt.
“Being transparent is so important, because while locums is an amazing opportunity, it isn’t always going to be picture perfect,” says Hayes Locum consultant Gia Genoese. “Some of these facilities are in rural areas with fewer resources, and it’s important to be upfront about that.”
Your consultant can also help you prepare by connecting you with existing staff members at the facility, so you can ask them questions about their experience. Once you begin your assignment, they will check in with you regularly to see what kind of experience you’re having.
While every new assignment offers its own learning curve, as long as you’re willing to be flexible and adaptable, most providers end up enjoying working somewhere new.
“When you start a new assignment, you have to establish that routine which is always an adjustment. But you have to just be resilient, and ask good questions,” says Hayes Locums CRNA Neil Dupre. “Usually it takes you a couple of weeks before you feel comfortable. But as long as you’re open-minded and resilient, you’ll figure it out.”
It’s normal to have questions before starting your first locum tenens assignment. But with the right support system, you’ll not only survive, but thrive.
“People who’ve never done locums have a lot of questions about insurance, whether you need an LLC, and all of these other things that start to make you question if maybe it’s too much to take on,” says Dr. Robert Miller. “But what I discovered is that this is not rocket science. This is something that can be done. There’s something to be said about being able to make your own schedule, work on your own terms, and be independent, while still being able to provide for your family.”
If you’ve been thinking about taking the locums leap, but aren’t sure what to expect, check out our Hayes Handbook for a full breakdown on every stage of the process, or reach out to us so we can connect you with a consultant to help you find out if locums is right for you.
