Thinking about trying locum tenens in 2026, but unsure what the day-to-day really looks like? Experienced locums are sharing what they learned and what they wished they’d known before making the switch.
Welcome to Locums CME 68, Locumpedia’s bi-weekly news roundup that helps physicians and APPs maximize their locum tenens lifestyle.
Our lead story: For those who have never worked locum tenens before, making the change could feel like a significant lifestyle shift. That’s why Hayes Locums gathered experienced providers to share their insights on building a successful locums career, including practical advice and lifestyle benefits. For those interviewed, the practice alternative helped them achieve the work-life balance, financial freedom, and career flexibility they’d been looking for.
Also in this edition of Locums CME: What the healthcare job market may look like in 2026, insights from a 2025 Resident of the Year on locums, and how rapid AI adoption could affect clinical practice. We also cover post-holiday mental health resets and tax strategies clinicians are using to keep more of what they earn.
Seasoned Providers Share Insights on Making the Switch to Locums in 2026
December 4 | Hayes Locums
Gathering a collection of first-hand perspectives, Hayes Locums pulls back the curtain on what locum tenens really looks like to help you prepare for the year ahead. Voices from physicians and APPs across specialties and career stages share what they’ve learned by doing the work and offer practical guidance for clinicians planning their locums strategy in 2026.
A consistent theme is relief from administrative overload. For example, gastroenterologist Dr. Mark Kocab describes locums as a reset: no staffing headaches, no reimbursement battles, just patient care and the freedom to go home when the work is done. Others echo that sentiment, noting reduced burnout, stronger professional respect, and even a return to core clinical skills in resource-limited settings. Success, they say, hinges on adaptability, communication, and being able to step in confidently from day one.
Equally important is how locum tenens fits into real life. From reclaiming time at home to exploring new locations or passions, contributors highlight flexibility as the true differentiator. For those interested in working locums, it works best when approached intentionally, with clear goals and an openness to growth both clinically and personally.
Your Locums Prescription
Healthcare Jobs and Staffing in the New Year: What Locum Providers Should Plan For
December 1 | allMedical Personnel
Healthcare staffing is heading into 2026 with ongoing evolution (and more opportunity) than ever before. AI tools, workforce shortages, and regulatory shifts are changing how clinicians work, where they practice, and what skills carry the most weight. For locums, this moment rewards flexibility, curiosity, and a willingness to adapt faster than traditional career paths require.
Technology will be everywhere, but it won’t replace clinicians. AI is stepping in to handle scheduling headaches, documentation drag, and staffing forecasts, freeing providers to focus on patient care. At the same time, physician and APP shortages are projected to deepen through the end of the decade, prompting facilities to rely more heavily on alternative models to maintain coverage.
Licensure compacts and cross-state practice will continue to expand, making multi-state credentials a serious career advantage. Specialization will also matter more, with growing demand in behavioral health, geriatrics, diagnostics, and tech-enabled care. In the coming months, it’s clear that locum providers who stay informed, skilled, and adaptable will have the strongest career prospects.
Lessons About Locums From a 2025 Resident of the Year
December 4 | LocumTenens.com
Dr. Jonathan Goldstone, LocumTenens.com’s 2025 Resident of the Year, sees locum tenens as a smart way for early-career physicians to explore medicine on their own terms. A family medicine resident with a passion for whole-person care, Goldstone values breadth, continuity, and understanding the real-world factors that shape patient health. That same curiosity, he says, should guide how new providers think about their careers.
Goldstone views locum tenens as especially valuable right out of residency. Short-term assignments allow clinicians to sample rural and urban settings, academic and private practices, without locking into a long-term commitment. The upside is both professional clarity and higher pay that can create early financial breathing room.
What makes locums especially compelling is the growth curve. Working in diverse, often underserved environments sharpens clinical instincts fast. Add flexibility and autonomy into the mix, and locums becomes a launchpad for confident, adaptable physicians building careers that actually fit their lives.
AI On Call
What Increasing Enterprise AI Use Means for Locum Providers
December 10 | Mobi Health News
Enterprise AI’s presence in healthcare is accelerating. A new OpenAI report shows healthcare AI adoption grew eightfold year over year in 2025, making it one of the fastest-moving sectors in the US economy. While adoption in healthcare initially lagged behind finance and technology, it’s quickly closing the gap as systems move beyond pilot programs and embed AI directly into daily workflows.
Most of that growth is happening behind the scenes. Health systems are using custom AI tools to automate scheduling, documentation, analytics, and other operational tasks that traditionally eat into clinicians’ time. As AI takes on more technical and analytical work, responsibilities are shifting beyond traditional specialist roles and changing how teams function.
For providers, this trend cuts both ways. AI can streamline onboarding, reduce administrative friction, and improve efficiency across assignments. But research also reinforces what clinicians already know: AI still struggles with accuracy, complex clinical decisions, and patient education without human oversight. Providers who understand its strengths and limits will be better positioned in an increasingly tech-enabled healthcare workforce heading into 2026.
The AI Paradox: When Tech Helps Clinicians and When It Hurts
December 15 | HIT Consultant
AI is everywhere in healthcare, but its real value should be measured by whether it actually gives clinicians time back. Some tools are delivering real savings and efficiency. Others are shifting more responsibility onto physicians under the banner of innovation.
When AI is deployed with intention, the payoff can be significant. Health systems like Mayo Clinic and Kaiser Permanente have used AI for imaging and documentation support, cutting workloads, saving millions, and improving accuracy. These wins share a theme: the technology removes busywork without demanding constant oversight.
But poorly implemented tools tell a different story. False alerts, verification tasks, bias-prone datasets, and high costs often push extra work onto clinicians, fueling alert fatigue and frustration. Ultimately, AI delivers ROI only when it reduces waste. For providers, knowing which systems help and which don’t will matter more with every assignment.
Physician Wellness Retreat
Managing Holiday Stress: Mental Health Tips for Healthcare Providers
December 5 | Tribal Health
The holiday season can be a stressful and emotionally demanding time for many healthcare professionals. Long hours, emotional fatigue, financial stress, and missed time with loved ones can intensify, especially for clinicians who worked straight through December.
For clinicians, this period can bring a mix of reflection and exhaustion. End-of-year pressure, seasonal mood changes, and the cumulative toll of patient care can amplify burnout. Recognizing that this fatigue is common and not a personal shortcoming is an essential first step to protecting mental health.
This is a moment to refocus on sustainability. Rebuilding routines, setting more precise boundaries, reconnecting with support systems, and prioritizing rest can help restore balance. Whether that means reassessing workloads, exploring flexibility, or simply slowing the pace, taking care of your mental health now sets the tone for a healthier, more intentional year ahead.
What Locum Providers Should Know About Social Isolation and Burnout
December 16 | Medical Economics
Physicians are surrounded by people every day, yet many still feel profoundly alone. A national study found that social isolation is strongly linked to burnout, lower workplace satisfaction, and suicidal ideation. Women and early- to mid-career doctors face the highest risk, highlighting the critical role that connection plays in clinician well-being.
The data reveals stark differences across specialties and settings. Emergency medicine, anesthesiology, radiology, pathology, and general surgery reported some of the highest isolation levels, while veterans’ hospitals ranked worst among practice environments. Those with fewer family ties also experienced greater isolation. Physicians reporting higher isolation were significantly more likely to experience burnout and thoughts of self-harm.
The encouraging news is that solutions don’t have to be expensive or complex. Small-group peer programs, buddy systems, and simple changes that promote recognition and teamwork have shown measurable improvements in work-related stress and job satisfaction. For providers, prioritizing connection is a career survival skill that supports better care, stronger teams, and healthier physicians.
Doctor’s Notes
Smart Money Moves to Help Providers Plan Ahead
December 17 | Money Meets Medicine
If you’re a provider juggling 1099s, W-2s, or both, this podcast cuts through the complexity with a simple idea: use a financial checklist to stay ahead, not reactive. The hosts zero in on the high-leverage moves clinicians often postpone. For example, maxing tax-advantaged accounts, confirming contributions actually landed where you think they did, and making sure money in your HSA or IRA isn’t just sitting in cash while inflation erodes its value.
Next, the hosts stress reviewing withholdings and estimated payments early, so you don’t get blindsided by a five-figure bill come spring. New jobs, finishing training, shifting from W-2 to 1099 are common inflection points where minor tax missteps can add up quickly, especially under complicated tax rules. For self-employed clinicians, the discussion highlights how S corporations and state workarounds can materially change tax outcomes.
Finally, they cover portfolio cleanup and planning moves that matter any time of year, like rebalancing, tax-loss (or gain) harvesting, and Roth conversions. At the end of the day, systems beat vibes, especially when your income is variable.
2025 Physician Sentiment Survey: What Today’s Doctors Want Next
December 10 | CompHealth
Physicians still care deeply about their work, but many are running on fumes. CHG Healthcare’s 2025 Physician Sentiment Survey, based on feedback from more than 900 US clinicians, paints a clear picture: most doctors are satisfied on paper, yet far fewer feel truly engaged. Only 18% report high engagement, and fewer than one in three would recommend their organization as a great place to work. Pride in medicine remains strong, but inspiration is wearing thin.
The biggest friction points are familiar. Documentation overload, administrative tasks, staffing shortages, and heavy workloads continue to crowd out patient time. Physicians average about 60 hours per week when clinical and administrative work are combined, and nearly 40% say they have less free time than a year ago.
Economic pressure is also reshaping behavior. Concerns about the economy are rising, prompting more providers to look for ways to supplement their income, whether through moonlighting (often including locum tenens shifts) or taking on nonclinical work. Notably, among physicians already working locum tenens, nearly half say they plan to take on more shifts. For many, locums represents a practical path back to flexibility, autonomy, and a stronger sense of control over their careers.
The Overlooked Tax Strategy That Could Save Doctors Six Figures on Their Taxes
December 12 | The White Coat Investor
If you’re a high-earning locum provider using real estate to build wealth, you might be leaving serious tax savings on the table. The article’s centerpiece is cost segregation, a strategy that accelerates depreciation by breaking a property into faster-depreciating components. Instead of spreading deductions over 27.5 or 39 years, you can potentially front-load a large chunk in year one, which can then get boosted by bonus depreciation.
The catch is that big depreciation deductions only matter if you can actually use the losses. Most W-2 income can’t be offset due to passive-loss rules, but two exceptions can unlock the benefit: the short-term rental loophole and real estate professional status.
Cost segregation isn’t magic, but a viable strategy more physicians are taking advantage of. Before you buy something, consider whether you can use this strategy to save significant income on your next tax bill.
Sponsored Content
Financial Basics for 1099 Physicians
May 6 | OnCall Solutions
Working as a 1099 locum tenens clinician brings unmatched flexibility, but it also means you’re running a small business. Unlike W-2 roles, taxes aren’t withheld, benefits aren’t bundled, and long-term planning is entirely on you. The upside is control. The responsibility is managing more complexity if you’re not prepared. Understanding how income, insurance, and savings fit together is essential for making locums sustainable over the long term.
Health coverage and retirement planning are two of the biggest shifts. Independent clinicians must secure their own insurance, often pairing a private or association-based plan with an HSA to lower taxable income. On the retirement side, options like solo 401(k)s, SEP IRAs, and even cash balance plans allow 1099 providers to save far more than most employed physicians, as long as contributions are structured correctly.
Taxes and contracts are where details matter most. Standard deductions like travel, CME, and home office expenses can significantly reduce tax liability, but only with solid recordkeeping. While it takes extra planning, flexibility can become a clear financial advantage.
The Doctor’s CPA Turns One and Opens Q1 2026 Consultations
November 21 | The Doctor’s CPA
After more than a decade advising locum tenens providers, The Doctor’s CPA marked its first anniversary as a dedicated practice built exclusively for clinicians navigating complex financial lives. The firm focuses on high-touch guidance for physicians transitioning to 1099 work, restructuring their income, and building long-term financial clarity without generic advice or one-size-fits-all tax prep.
The milestone comes alongside strong demand, which is why The Doctor’s CPA is now scheduling Discovery Meetings for early Q1 2026. These initial consultations are designed to be intentional. Each session helps physicians clarify goals, assess their current tax and business setup, and identify opportunities to increase take-home pay while reducing unnecessary tax exposure. The limited scheduling reflects a deliberate choice to protect service quality for both new and existing clients.
For locum providers considering a financial reset in 2026, now is the time to prepare. Gathering tax documents, outlining income streams, and reviewing prior strategies can make those Q1 conversations more productive.
