Physician pay is up, but so is pressure on our healthcare system.
Welcome to Locums CME 60, Locumpedia’s bi-weekly news roundup that helps physicians and APPs maximize their locum tenens lifestyle.
Our lead story: The money is moving in the right direction. Physician pay jumped 4% from 2023 to 2024, with high-demand specialties like family medicine and locums roles seeing the biggest gains. But a closer look at who’s getting paid and how much reveals some not-so-great truths. Pediatricians are still facing massive compensation gaps, and the gender pay gap actually widened, with men earning an average of $121,000 more than women. So while there’s more opportunity than ever to take control of your time and income, the same old systemic headaches haven’t gone away.
Also in this edition of Locums CME: Why physician “resilience” might be due for a rebrand, how locums can jumpstart a career 180, and why real time off still feels like a myth. We’re also digging into the buy-borrow-die tax strategy and giving you the tools to AI-proof your medical career.
Physician Salaries Are Up, But Systemic Challenges Remain
August 5 | Medical Economics
Physician pay rose by 4% from 2023 to 2024, offering some good news for doctors who’ve been carrying heavy clinical loads. Primary care remains in high demand, and compensation is finally trending up after years of stagnation. Locum tenens roles, especially in internal and family medicine, are seeing a surge in interest as physicians look for better pay, more flexibility, and improved work-life balance.
Still, that extra income doesn’t mean the system is suddenly working. Pediatricians continue to face major pay disparities, earning up to 93% less than their adult-specialty counterparts. A growing number say they’ve cut services or are considering leaving medicine altogether. The gender pay gap is also widening, with male physicians earning an average of $121,000 more than women, even after adjusting for specialty and experience.
Add to that a shrinking number of independent practices, Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement cuts, and widespread burnout, and the story becomes clear: physicians may be earning more, but they’re still navigating a system that’s wearing them down. Nearly 70% say they’re considering an alternative career path or early retirement, and 85% report feeling overworked. The demand for care continues to rise, but so do the barriers to delivering it.
Your Locums Prescription
Rural Healthcare Needs Doctors: Why Locums Are a Lifeline
July 17 | Hayes Locums
Locum tenens providers are becoming vital players in addressing rural healthcare shortages, where only 10% of physicians serve 20% of the US population. With just 30 specialists for every 100,000 patients, rural areas face long wait times and delayed care, often with life-or-death consequences. More than just plugging holes, locums are making critical care accessible where and when it’s needed most. That means earlier diagnoses, fewer complications, and real, measurable improvements in patient outcomes.
Psychiatrists, emergency medicine doctors, OB/GYNs, and primary care physicians are especially in demand. These aren’t just open roles, but opportunities to be part of the solution. And it’s not all sacrifice: rural assignments often come with higher pay and fewer hours. In 2024, locum staffing grew 15%, reflecting the rising demand and increasing opportunity for providers looking to make a difference without burning out.
Beyond better pay and flexibility, many locums find deep professional and personal fulfillment in rural work. Providers like Dr. Fenwa Milhouse and Dr. Terry Jones say rural assignments offer more patient interaction and stronger community ties. For clinicians ready to step away from overloaded hospitals and find meaning in medicine again, rural locums offer a path forward that’s both impactful and rewarding.
Six Reasons GI Specialists Are Turning to Locum Tenens
July 25 | Medicus Healthcare Solutions
With gastroenterologist shortages growing, more physicians are choosing locum tenens to take control of their time, income, and clinical focus. In 2025, 43% of gastroenterologists reported burnout, and nearly two-thirds of US counties have no practicing GI specialist. Locum work offers a solution: fewer admin headaches, more direct patient care, and the power to choose when and where you work. That flexibility helps physicians avoid burnout while delivering timely, high-impact care to communities that need it most.
Locum tenens GI work is about achieving a better work-life balance, as well as professional alignment. Whether you prefer hospital work or outpatient procedures, there are assignments to match your interests. And with travel baked in, you can take your expertise on the road, exploring new regions without sacrificing income. GI locums often earn more per hour than their full-time counterparts, especially in high-demand areas.
For many physicians, the appeal is in the freedom. Some pick up assignments to supplement their income; others use locums to reframe their entire careers. Either way, with the right support team handling licensing, logistics, and credentialing, transitioning into GI locums is easier than you might think.
Considering a Career Shift? Let Locum Tenens Be Your Launchpad
July 13 | MPLT Healthcare
Career changes in medicine aren’t rare. They’re reality. Whether it’s burnout, relocation, or just a gut feeling that it’s time for something different, more physicians and advanced practitioners are stepping off the permanent job treadmill to reassess what’s next. Locum tenens offers a smart, flexible way to keep your career moving without rushing into your next long-term decision. With no long contracts and full control over where and when you work, it’s a practical move that also happens to feel pretty empowering.
Stepping away from full-time work doesn’t mean your skills or income have to sit idle. Locum assignments keep you clinically active and financially stable while giving you time to explore different specialties, care settings, and patient populations. For those easing into semi-retirement, it’s an opportunity to stay connected without the full-time workload. For those recovering from burnout, it’s a much-needed breather that brings back purpose and presence to your practice without the pressure.
Locum tenens can also be a launchpad into leadership, academia, or other career pivots. Exposure to diverse systems, teams, and challenges helps sharpen your skills and expand your perspective. Whether you’re pausing, pivoting, or planning your next chapter, locum work provides you with the space to figure it out while still doing what you do best: caring for patients.
AI On Call
AI-Proof Your Career Without Losing the Human Touch
July 15 | allMedical Personnel
Artificial intelligence is streamlining healthcare at a rapid pace, but it’s not replacing what patients value most: your expertise, empathy, and critical thinking. As automation handles more administrative tasks and diagnostics, demand is rising for what AI can’t replicate: human connection, ethical decision-making, and emotional intelligence. If you’re a provider wondering how to stay relevant, the answer isn’t to resist AI but to lean into the very skills that make you indispensable.
To future-proof your role, focus on growth. Lifelong learning, adaptability, and digital literacy are key to thriving alongside new technologies. Learn how AI tools work in your specialty, explore certifications in health informatics or telehealth, and stay up to date on trends. Providers who understand the tech, but lead with compassion, are the ones healthcare systems will count on most.
Most importantly, don’t overlook your flexibility. Whether you work in locum tenens, travel nursing, or allied health, career mobility is your edge. AI may change how and where care happens, but healthcare still runs on people. Embrace new tools, sharpen your soft skills, and keep exploring roles that allow you to lead the future of medicine with confidence and care.
AI Hallucinations in Healthcare: What Providers Need to Know
July 24 | Healthcare IT News
AI tools are making charting and care plans more efficient, but they don’t always get the facts right. When artificial intelligence “hallucinates” (in other words, fabricates information), it can be dangerously convincing. According to Dr. Jay Anders, chief medical officer at Medicomp Systems, these errors aren’t just technical glitches. In a clinical setting, a single hallucination could misdocument a diagnosis, assign a family member’s illness to the patient, or introduce inaccuracies that spread across healthcare systems like a game of telephone.
While administrative errors might slow down inventory or scheduling, clinical hallucinations have much higher stakes. Once misinformation enters a patient’s record, it’s hard to track and harder to undo. Mistakes like assigning leukemia to the wrong person can derail insurance approvals, employment opportunities, or treatment plans. Even small inconsistencies, such as a patient being listed as two different genders, can undermine trust in the entire record.
That’s why healthcare leaders must take a proactive, strategic approach to AI. Ask vendors direct questions about validation, confidence levels, and oversight mechanisms. Understand the data used to train each model. And above all, keep a human in the loop. AI can streamline workflows, but it shouldn’t replace sound clinical judgment. As Dr. Anders puts it: B-minus performance may be acceptable in college, but no one wants B-minus healthcare.
AI Is Speeding Up Credentialing, but Not Without a Catch
July 25 | HIT Consultant
Credentialing delays are a top frustration in healthcare staffing. Enter algorithmic credentialing, a growing AI-driven approach designed to speed things up. By using machine learning to verify qualifications in real-time, healthcare organizations are shaving weeks off their onboarding timelines. Some facilities report a 60% reduction in processing time and an 80% decrease in manual errors, particularly in high-priority roles. Add in the ability to instantly update credentials and evaluate international talent, and AI is a clear win.
But it’s not perfect. When the data going in is flawed, the results coming out are, too. That means qualified professionals risk being flagged as non-compliant, with serious career consequences. And with many AI models operating as black boxes, it’s not always clear why decisions were made or how to challenge them. Ethical concerns, data privacy risks, and a lack of global regulation are causing institutions to pause before adopting these tools too quickly.
The future will likely bring hybrid systems that combine the efficiency of AI with human oversight. Interoperable platforms could make global credentialing smoother, opening more doors for providers. Still, success hinges on transparency, thoughtful regulation, and a commitment to keeping people, not just the tech, at the center of healthcare hiring.
Physician Wellness Retreat
Why It’s Time to Rethink Physician Resilience
July 19 | KevinMD
For years, physician resilience has been hailed as a fix for burnout, baked into well-being strategies across healthcare institutions. But many physicians don’t buy it. From stress management workshops to meditation classes, providers are questioning whether these individual-focused efforts actually help—or if they just shift blame from broken systems to burned-out people. As Dr. Sarah Webber puts it, resilience has become a buzzword that often misses the point.
One big issue is how we define it. Traditional resilience is about pushing through and adapting to challenge, but it doesn’t guarantee well-being. In fact, physicians labeled as “resilient” during COVID-19 experienced high rates of PTSD. When resilience is tied to productivity, it risks becoming a means to justify the very conditions that drive burnout. Add to that the pressure of personal responsibility, and it’s no wonder many feel gaslit by the concept.
Dr. Webber offers a better way: reframe resilience through an ecosystem lens. That means acknowledging individual strength without ignoring the importance of support systems, community, and institutional accountability. Sustainable resilience is about long-term adaptability without depletion. It’s not about asking physicians to stretch thinner. It’s about building a system where people can thrive together.
Burnout Isn’t Inevitable: Smart Strategies That Actually Work
July 24 | Conexiant
Nearly half of physicians report symptoms of burnout; however, the good news is that rates are decreasing. The key? Early recognition and smarter self-care. Just like any chronic condition, burnout responds best to timely intervention. That means setting boundaries, taking real vacations, and treating rest as a professional necessity, not a luxury. And if your out-of-office message needs to include “I’m unavailable because Netflix counts as therapy,” go for it.
Physicians are also finding power in mindfulness, delegating routine tasks, and letting technology handle the grind. Whether it’s voice dictation, auto-text tools, or smart schedulers, AI is helping physicians trade midnight charting for more patient focus and more sleep. Hospitals are also catching on, making space for wellness programs and encouraging doctors to prioritize their own health, not just that of others.
From strengthening relationships to reviving old hobbies, physicians are learning to reset by reconnecting with what makes them human. And sometimes, the most important strategy is also the simplest: remembering your why. The patient who thanked you. The diagnosis you nailed. The calling that started it all. Burnout doesn’t mean it’s time to quit. It just means it’s time to recalibrate.
Why “Real” PTO Still Feels Out of Reach for Many Doctors
July 15 | American Medical Association
Physicians may technically get 25 to 35 days of paid time off each year, but most aren’t actually taking it. Nearly 60% take fewer than 15 days annually, and one-in-five takes less than five. Even when they are “off,” 70% still check in on charts, messages, or patient tasks, turning vacation into little more than a mirage. The AMA says it’s time to shift that culture and make PTO real, restorative, and protected from the constant pull of clinical work.
So what does real PTO look like? For starters, it includes actual EHR inbox coverage, fair compensation policies, and enough advance planning to avoid reshuffling patient schedules at the last minute. One key takeaway from the AMA’s “Value of Feeling Valued Playbook” is that restorative time off leads to lower burnout, better engagement, and safer patient care. When physicians feel supported in taking meaningful breaks, the entire healthcare system benefits.
But this isn’t just a scheduling issue. Instead, it’s a cultural reset. Medicine’s deep-rooted mindset of self-sacrifice often leaves physicians feeling guilty or penalized for taking time to rest. Changing that means normalizing time off, restructuring compensation models, and removing the stigma around stepping away. Real PTO isn’t about slacking off. It’s about giving doctors the time they need to be fully present for their patients and themselves.
Doctor’s Notes
Should Physicians Use ‘Buy, Borrow, and Die’? Here’s What to Know
July 22 | The White Coat Investor
You’ve probably heard of the “Buy, Borrow, and Die” strategy, a tax-avoidance favorite of the ultra-wealthy. But could it work for physicians? Technically, yes, but it’s usually only worth considering if you’re already sitting on significant taxable investments, feel comfortable taking on debt, and have a high tolerance for complexity and risk. For most doctors, simply selling assets and paying capital gains taxes is a simpler and probably cheaper option in the long run.
The strategy involves buying assets, borrowing against them instead of selling, and then dying to pass those assets on tax-free. While that sounds appealing, it hinges on borrowing large sums while avoiding capital gains taxes, all while paying interest on those loans until death. That interest adds up. The risks grow if investment values fall, especially with higher leverage. And unless you’re older or borrowing very conservatively, you could be paying far more in interest than you’d ever owe in taxes.
Buy, Borrow, and Die might make sense in late retirement, when assets have low cost basis, you’re in a high tax bracket, and you’re closer to passing that wealth to heirs. It could also work with the right mix of real estate or certain whole life insurance policies. But for most physicians, it’s a strategy that requires wealth, precision, and timing. If you’re not in that small group of ultra-high-net-worth, tax-savvy investors, it’s probably best to skip the borrowing and just enjoy your gains, taxes and all.
The Top 10 States Where OB-GYNs Earn Big and Thrive
July 22 | CompHealth
For OB-GYNs, salary matters, but so does quality of life. Whether you’re after urban innovation, rural impact, or a better work-life balance, where you choose to practice can shape everything from your earnings to your everyday satisfaction. According to Physician’s Thrive, these 10 states top the charts for OB-GYN compensation, with salaries ranging from $269,000 to over $307,000. But the perks don’t stop at the paycheck.
Washington leads the list at $307,711, driven by a strong statewide focus on women’s health and physician wellness. Colorado follows closely, offering both high earnings and a culture that prioritizes outdoor living and provider support. States like Delaware, Illinois, and New York combine excellent salary potential with robust healthcare systems and active efforts to address maternal health disparities. Vermont, Nebraska, and Missouri round out the list with competitive pay and opportunities to make a direct impact in underserved communities.
Locum tenens offers even more flexibility and earning potential. For OB-GYNs like Dr. Shyrlena Bogard, locums isn’t just a job. It’s a strategy. It lets her test new markets, travel, and avoid long-term commitments until she’s ready. Whether you’re just starting out or easing into retirement, locum assignments in high-paying states can offer the best of both worlds: strong income and the freedom to chart your own path.
Sponsored Content
What the One Big Beautiful Bill Act Means for Locum Docs
July 11 | The Doctor’s CPA
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), passed in July 2025, is more than just a catchy name. It introduces a sweeping set of tax and benefit updates that could seriously shift the game for 1099 locum tenens clinicians. Think bigger deductions, bonus depreciation, new savings tools, and streamlined compliance—all designed to lighten your tax load and bolster your bottom line.
A few standouts: Starting in 2026, the QBI deduction increases to 23% for self-employed providers, reinforcing the tax edge of 1099 work over W-2 gigs. Bonus depreciation is back at 100% through 2029, making it a smart time to invest in business essentials like medical equipment and technology. New MAGA accounts, employer-friendly loan repayment contributions, and enhanced HSA and 529 benefits also open new paths for personal and team financial growth.
Need to make sense of it all? The OBBBA also simplifies compliance for independent physicians, including new 1099 filing forms and an IRS support line for small business owners. Whether you’re running a solo LLC, S-corp, or growing your locums footprint, now’s the time to realign your financial setup.
The bottom line: OBBBA brings a rare opportunity to reset and optimize your tax and benefits structure. And if you’re a 1099 physician, it’s tailor-made for you.
Should You Form an LLC as a Locum Tenens Oncologist?
July 23 | Cancer CarePoint
Locum tenens oncologists have the flexibility to work on their terms, but that freedom comes with added financial and legal responsibilities. One way to stay organized and protect personal assets is by forming a limited liability company (LLC). For full-time locums, especially those earning above $176,100, an LLC can offer meaningful tax advantages and a more professional image when negotiating contracts. Most importantly, it helps separate personal and professional finances, shielding assets like your home or retirement savings from business-related disputes.
LLCs also provide physicians with the option to elect S-Corp status, enabling them to pay themselves a salary while potentially reducing payroll tax burdens on earnings exceeding the Social Security wage limit. That said, the added work, like tax filings and accurate bookkeeping, means some providers may need to hire a CPA. A single-member LLC is usually sufficient for locum oncologists, especially those working under a hospital’s malpractice insurance. While it won’t protect you from malpractice claims (you’ll still need insurance), it will protect you from contract fallout, like a facility that delays or disputes payment.
So, who should form an LLC? If you’re working locums full time, earning well above the national average, and have assets to protect, it’s worth it. Part-time providers or those already in a W-2 role might be better off skipping the S-Corp route to avoid double taxation.
