| | Is Locum Tenens a Valid Option?
That depends upon your goals, both personal and professional. A locum tenens practice allows you to "test drive" practice settings and geographic locations until you find the right permanent opportunity. By working on a temporary basis, new physicians concentrate on patient care and interact with colleagues nationwide. Locum tenens firms also handle state licensure, medical malpractice coverage, privileging, travel, and housing. Temporary physicians working through a staffing firm earn a per diem salary plus extra for overtime, call, and weekend work. It is possible in certain specialties to earn more as a locum tenens than in permanent practice--and almost three opportunities currently exist for each temporary physician. And while locum tenens physicians must provide their own benefits in most cases, they receive tax advantages. Over 27,000 physicians practiced on a locum tenens basis last year, 13 percent of them just out of residency.
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