From weekend shifts to world tours, locum tenens lets you call the shots.
Welcome to Locums CME 58, Locumpedia’s bi-weekly news roundup that helps physicians and APPs maximize their locum tenens lifestyle.
Our lead story: More physicians are dipping their toes into locum tenens, but their experiences couldn’t be more different. Some physicians choose to work a weekend shift to earn extra money. For others, it’s a full-blown lifestyle, complete with plenty of travel across the US or even the world. Whatever they choose, the flexibility of locum tenens lets them customize their schedule to work for them.
Also in this edition of Locums CME: A sleeper destination for your next assignment, a refreshingly real take on burnout, how to survive (and maybe even like) the night shift, and why physicians should think twice before chasing past investment returns. Plus, is agentic AI just hype, or could it actually help physicians spend less time on clerical work?
How Long Can You Work Locum Tenens? As Long As You Want To
June 23 | Wapiti Medical Staffing
Locum tenens work isn’t one-size-fits-all, and that’s the point. For physicians and APPs, the beauty of locum life is its flexibility. Assignments can last as little as a single shift or span multiple months. You could do weekend coverage at a rural ER for a few days, or fill in for a physician on parental leave for a few months. Many locums juggle several short- to medium-term gigs throughout the year, creating custom schedules that align with their goals and lifestyle.
Assignment length typically depends on the specialty’s demand, location, type of facility, and reason for the vacancy. Critical-access hospitals and behavioral health facilities often need extended coverage, while urban urgent care clinics may just need an extra pair of hands over a holiday weekend. Credentialing timelines and provider preferences also play a role. Some locums prefer “standing” gigs, such as two weekends a month at the same site, which can evolve into a long-term arrangement without a formal contract.
If you’re considering locums, make sure to ask yourself how long you want it to be. With demand high and 7% of US physicians already working locum assignments, you’re in good company. Whether you’re looking for a temporary change of pace or a long-term alternative to traditional practice, locum tenens can scale with your career goals. Just remember to start licensing early, stay clear on your availability, and work with a staffing agency that can match your vision with real opportunities.
Your Locums Prescription
Take Back Control of Your Career With a Locum Tenens Path
June 20 | Integrity Locums
Could locum tenens be your professional reset button? Instead of waiting for shift schedules, PTO approvals, or someone else’s definition of “reasonable workload,” locum clinicians make strategic decisions about when, where, and how they work. Whether you’re craving time off, a new practice setting, or high-acuity assignments that challenge your skills, locum work gives you the wheel. You choose the contracts, you control the pace, and you dictate the direction of your career.
Stepping into a locum role also means stepping away from politics and paperwork. No committee meetings. No office drama. No pressure to climb a ladder you didn’t ask to be on. Facilities are more likely to adapt to your workflow rather than the other way around, and you get to focus on what drew you to medicine in the first place: caring for patients. Moving between assignments helps maintain your clinical standards, so you’re not slowly worn down by administrative overload or creeping burnout.
The greatest power locum work offers providers is the ability to say no. When a contract doesn’t meet your needs, you simply pass. You’re not locked into bad fits, and that freedom creates room for better pay, better conditions, and better alignment with your personal and professional goals. With the right support, you can turn this freedom into a career strategy. Locum tenens isn’t a stopgap. It’s a way to practice medicine on your terms.
Why This State Is a Hidden Gem for Locum Tenens Physicians and APPs
June 24 | Medicus Healthcare Solutions
Thinking about where to take your next locum assignment? Michigan deserves a serious look. With high demand for clinicians, faster-than-average licensing, and a rich mix of rural and urban practice settings, the state offers locum tenens providers the rare combo of professional impact and personal adventure.
Currently, 67 of Michigan’s 83 counties are designated as primary care shortage areas. That means your skills could directly improve access and outcomes for patients who need care the most, especially in specialties like geriatrics, psychiatry, anesthesia, and gastroenterology, where provider shortages are particularly severe.
Michigan also doubles as a clinical playground for providers looking to sharpen their skills or expand their scope. From trauma centers in Detroit to teaching hospitals in Ann Arbor to low-volume facilities in rural towns, you can tailor assignments to fit your professional goals. There’s also no shortage of educational perks, as Michigan is home to 18 teaching hospitals that provide mentorship, learning opportunities, and exposure to complex cases. Whether you’re early in your career or a seasoned clinician seeking fresh challenges, Michigan lets you grow on your terms.
And let’s be honest: work-life balance matters. Off the clock, Michigan brings the goods, like Great Lakes shorelines, historic islands, vibrant cities, and more state parks than you’ll know what to do with. Whether you want to kayak, catch a live jazz set, or hike the Porcupine Mountains, there’s a reason why so many locum providers consider the Mitten State a hidden gem.
Why More Surgeons Are Turning to Locum Tenens for Balance and Longevity
June 18 | MPLT Healthcare
It’s no secret that surgical careers are demanding. Long hours, high-pressure environments, and relentless administrative responsibilities can wear down even the most dedicated professionals. That’s why more surgeons and surgical APPs are choosing locum tenens as a way to keep doing what they love without burning out. Whether you’re early in your career or considering semi-retirement, locum work offers a custom-fit schedule, fewer non-clinical headaches, and the ability to focus fully on patient care.
Locum tenens also gives you a chance to explore new clinical settings without the long-term strings. You might rotate through rural hospitals, large academic centers, or surgical groups in need of seasonal support. For newer providers, it’s a great way to find the right practice fit. For seasoned surgeons, it’s an opportunity to scale back while still making a difference, especially in high-need specialties like orthopedics and general surgery. And because you’re brought in for your skills, not your availability for committee meetings, you skip the bureaucracy and politics.
In addition to the lifestyle perks, the financial benefits are a strong draw for many surgeons. With competitive rates, housing and travel covered, and control over your workload, many providers use locum gigs to pay down debt or pad their retirement savings. But the real draw is sustainability. Locum tenens keeps you in the field, engaged in the work that matters most, on terms that support your health and career goals.
Physician Wellness Retreat
Burned Out by Patient Messages? These Docs Found a Smarter Way
May 29 | Newswise
The inbox is becoming the new exam room, and primary care docs are feeling it. A trio of studies from Michigan Medicine reveals just how much digital message overload contributes to burnout, especially among women physicians, and what clinics can do about it. According to the results, female physicians are significantly more likely to receive demeaning patient messages, spend extra time responding, and report higher rates of burnout from in-basket work. Yet, they’re also more likely to see the EHR as a helpful tool, suggesting burnout isn’t about tech alone, but how support systems are (or aren’t) built around it.
One suggested solution is to schedule protected time to address portal messages effectively. U-M tested “PACE slots”, which are 20-minute blocks built into clinic schedules for handling messages, refills, and results. The impact? While overall pajama time didn’t drop, physicians felt less overwhelmed and more confident that they weren’t missing urgent issues. Nearly 90% said the protected time helped, even if the billing numbers didn’t budge. The takeaway: giving clinicians agency over their time matters more than squeezing in extra visits.
Another win came from simply working smarter as a team. By creating clear message-routing protocols for MAs, RNs, and physicians, one U-M clinic cut total messages to physicians by 26% and slashed duplicates by 62%. Instead of burying providers in FYIs, messages were sent to the right person the first time. The best part? It didn’t cost a thing. Asynchronous care isn’t going away, but with better tools, shared responsibility, and smarter systems, it doesn’t have to come at the expense of clinician well-being.
Small Change, Big Win: How One Hospital Cut Burnout With Smarter Workflow
June 11 | Cureus
At Huntington Hospital, one handwritten form was costing physicians time, energy, and focus. The 3122 discharge form, required for patients transitioning to assisted living, had become a daily source of burnout for hospitalists. After survey results pinpointed workload as the top stressor, the hospital launched a collaborative solution: delegating form components to social workers, printing medication lists from the EHR, and having hospitalists review rather than complete them.
The impact was clear. After the change, 76% of hospitalists reported that their workload decreased, and an equal number supported expanding this type of process improvement. The project demonstrated that reducing administrative burden, even by just one task, can free up time for patient care and enhance clinician well-being.
By involving social work, case management, and hospital leadership, Huntington created a scalable model for redesigning workflows that protect both staff wellness and patient safety. The takeaway: improving burnout isn’t just about resilience training. It’s about fixing the system.
Neurology’s Breaking Point: What the Growing Shortage Means for Access and Care
June 13 | LocumTenens.com
Neurology is facing a steep staffing cliff, and the cracks are already showing. With more patients seeking treatment for conditions like migraines, epilepsy, and Parkinson’s, demand is rising faster than supply. By 2025, the US is projected to have a 19% shortfall in neurologists. A big factor? Bottlenecks in residency programs, worsened by a federal funding freeze dating back to 1997, have kept new physicians from entering the field. In 2020 alone, nearly 3,000 med school grads went unmatched.
Access issues are especially severe in rural areas, where patients have about 80% less geographic access to neurologists than those in urban centers. Even mid-sized communities aren’t spared, with limited access to specialty care despite rising need. Telehealth has helped fill some gaps, but it’s not a complete solution, especially for complex or urgent neurological care that requires in-person evaluation.
Another challenge: compensation. With an average salary around $343,000, neurology lags behind procedure-heavy specialties like ortho and cardiology. That pay gap makes it a tougher sell for future physicians choosing a specialty. To turn the tide, the healthcare system needs better reimbursement for cognitive specialties, expanded residency slots, and flexible staffing strategies, including more use of locum tenens. Without those changes, the neurology shortage will only worsen, and patients will bear the consequences.
Physician Burnout Is a Culture Problem, Not a Diagnosis
Kevin MD | June 18
Physician burnout isn’t something that can be fixed with another wellness module or resilience checklist. According to Dr. Jessie Mahoney, it’s not a pathology to be treated but a predictable outcome of a culture that rewards perfectionism, overwork, and self-sacrifice. Efforts to medicalize physician wellness have turned it into just another performance metric. What’s needed isn’t more surveys or screenings. What’s needed is cultural healing.
Real change starts by trusting physicians to lead it. They know the system, they live its pressures, and they carry its unspoken costs. Yet too often, the work of improving healthcare workplaces is outsourced to people who don’t bear the burden. Instead, institutions should invest in spaces that foster honest connection, coaching, and programming, supporting physicians as human beings, not just productivity engines.
The call to action here is clear: wellness initiatives can’t be performative. They need to replenish clinicians on a deep level, reminding them not just how to keep going, but why they started in the first place. When physicians are given the time, space, and autonomy to care for themselves, they become powerful agents for transforming the system itself.
Doctor’s Notes
Why Chasing Investment Performance Is a Losing Game
June 17 | The White Coat Investor
Many new investors make the classic mistake of picking funds based on past returns. In other words, performance chasing. But choosing investments based on yesterday’s numbers is like driving while staring into the rearview mirror. It’s misleading at best and dangerous at worst. Those shiny return charts are usually stripped of dividends and context, giving a distorted view of actual performance. Even accurate data can’t predict the future. You can’t buy past returns.
Instead of relying on short-term performance metrics, investors should look at fundamentals like fees, yield, and asset allocation. Lower recent returns can signal a buying opportunity, not a red flag. When bond prices fall, yields rise. When stock valuations dip, future return potential often improves. Long-term success comes from buying quality investments at reasonable prices, not jumping on last year’s winners.
So, next time you’re faced with a 401(k) lineup or eyeing a trending fund, don’t just grab the one with the best five-year track record. Look under the hood. Understand what you’re buying and why, because real investing is about building a future, not chasing the past.
Malpractice Insurance 101: What Every Locum Tenens Clinician Should Know
June 17 | CompHealth
Malpractice insurance is a must-have for physicians and advanced practitioners, especially in locum tenens work. Most clinicians receive claims-made coverage, which protects against claims filed while the policy is in effect, even if the incident occurred earlier. Coverage limits are often $1 million per occurrence and $3 million aggregate, but states like Virginia or New York may require higher amounts. Some states also use Patient Compensation Funds (PCFs) for additional protection or require occurrence-based policies, which offer broader long-term coverage.
It’s essential to understand that your malpractice insurance typically only covers work performed through the agency or employer that provided it. If you’re working with multiple staffing firms, coverage doesn’t carry over between assignments. You also need to stay within your approved clinical scope, report claims promptly, and avoid anything that could void your policy, like criminal or intentional misconduct.
Before starting any assignment, review the type of coverage, policy limits, and any state-specific requirements. Malpractice claims are stressful, but with the right coverage and prompt action, you can protect both your career and peace of mind.
How To Make Night Shifts Work for You
June 23 | Tribal Health
Night shifts can pay well, but they come with real downsides like disrupted sleep and long-term health risks like cardiovascular issues and weight gain. Providers working overnight often report feeling more tired, irritable, and socially disconnected, especially when juggling family responsibilities or transitioning between day and night shifts.
Fortunately, there are ways to adapt. Use lighting strategically to cue your body into wakefulness or rest, and avoid bright screens after your shift. Healthy snacks, regular exercise, and careful caffeine use can help maintain energy without sabotaging sleep. Adjust your sleep schedule gradually, and follow a calming bedtime routine to improve sleep quality. Lastly, make time for friends and family, even if it means planning ahead to avoid isolation.
Some people thrive on nights; others don’t. If you’re committed to mastering the night shift, resources like NIOSH’s free training can help. And if it’s not for you? That’s valid too. Either way, prioritize your sleep and your health.
5 Growth Opportunities Every Physician Should Consider
June 10 | Weatherby Healthcare
No matter your stage in medicine, there are plenty of ways to expand your skills and impact. Here are five ways Weatherby Healthcare thinks every physician should consider:
- Volunteering at free clinics. Give back to underserved communities while gaining meaningful, hands-on experience.
- Joining medical missions. Serve patients abroad, broaden your clinical perspective, and experience new cultures.
- Sharing your knowledge. Mentor peers, advise startups, or serve on committees to build leadership skills.
- Pursuing additional certifications and education. Deepen your expertise or pivot your focus through continued learning.
- Working locum tenens. Gain flexibility, stay sharp, and learn from diverse practice settings.
Clinicians See EHR Improvements, But Say Frustrations Still Linger
June 13 | Healthcare IT News
Clinicians report that EHR experiences are improving, thanks to ongoing training, AI-powered documentation tools, and better support systems. Nurses credit “superusers” and continuous education for smoother workflows, while physicians point to tools that reduce documentation time. Some organizations have even achieved “elite” EHR experience ratings by involving frontline providers in decision-making and focusing on usability.
Still, burdens remain. Many nurses spend hours each week on unproductive charting, while physicians are overwhelmed by inbox volume. Slow system response times, like delayed logins or network issues, also frustrate users, often without leadership realizing these problems can be fixed.
Organizations making real progress are those that view EHR improvement as a shared responsibility. They invest in communication, create governance structures that include clinicians, and prioritize onboarding that’s customized to individual workflows. As one health system leader put it, “Our culture has improved because we invested in improving the clinicians’ experience.”
Agentic AI Could Help Ease Staffing Pressures but Raises Questions About Oversight
June 23 | Medical Economics
Agentic AI is emerging as a next-generation tool with the potential to alleviate administrative burdens in healthcare. Unlike traditional AI, which provides support in narrow areas, agentic AI can take on complex, multi-step tasks without needing constant human input. These systems act more like autonomous assistants, operating within defined goals and adapting as conditions change.
For physicians, this means less time spent on tedious clerical work and more time focused on patient care. Agentic AI can prioritize tasks, navigate administrative protocols, and streamline workflows, making it a promising solution for staffing shortages and burnout. It represents a shift from passive automation to active collaboration with digital tools.
Still, its rollout raises critical concerns. Questions about safety, accountability, and transparency must be addressed before it becomes widely adopted. As Isaac Park, CEO of Keebler Health, notes, integrating these tools into clinical environments will require thoughtful oversight and a strong foundation of trust between clinicians and the technology.
Sponsored Content
Should Locum Tenens Providers Form an LLC? Here’s What to Know
April 9 | The Doctor’s CPA
For locum tenens providers, forming an LLC can offer several clear advantages, including liability protection, potential tax savings, and a more professional business image. While an LLC won’t shield physicians from malpractice claims, it can separate personal and business assets in case of contract disputes or debts, especially if business income or investments grow over time.
The most significant financial upside often comes from electing S-corp taxation. This allows physicians to split income between salary and distributions, reducing payroll taxes on part of their earnings. However, the IRS requires a “reasonable salary,” and the benefits depend on your total income and any other W-2 employment. LLCs also come with fewer administrative burdens than full corporations, offering a simpler and lower-cost way to structure your business.
Operating as an LLC can enhance credibility with employers and agencies by signaling professionalism and stability. Though some states offer tax and legal perks, most providers benefit from registering in their primary state of practice. If you’re considering an LLC, consulting with a CPA can help ensure the setup aligns with your income, work style, and long-term goals.
