Editor’s Note
Providers evaluating locum tenens work today are weighing more than pay or flexibility alone. Decisions increasingly hinge on how different practice models shape stability, workload, and long-term career direction. The distinctions between per diem shifts and structured locum assignments, strategies for avoiding work gaps, and guidance on building a credentialing-ready CV all reflect a broader theme: treating career choices as operational decisions rather than lifestyle preferences.
This issue of Locums CME examines those decisions from multiple angles. Coverage includes how early-career physicians can use locum work to test environments before committing, why seasonal demand requires earlier planning than many clinicians expect, and how administrative burdens and burnout pressures shape assignment selection. Additional insights address financial realities such as 1099 tax planning, as well as the career plateau many physicians experience several years into practice.
With today being National Doctors’ Day, it’s also a moment to acknowledge the complexity of modern clinical work. Physicians, including those practicing locum tenens, often navigate shifting schedules, documentation demands, and evolving practice environments while maintaining continuity of care. As you consider your next move, this edition aims to provide practical insight to help you choose assignments that support both professional sustainability and personal well-being.
– The Locumpedia Editorial Team
Lead Story
The Physician’s Guide to Locum Tenens and Per Diem Jobs
March 18, 2026 | Sermo
Per diem and locum tenens are often grouped together because both can look like “extra shifts.” They’re not the same model, and the distinction matters when you’re deciding how to balance flexibility, stability, and total compensation. The article explains the difference clearly. Per diem work is typically single-shift and designed to fill immediate coverage needs within an existing schedule. Locum tenens assignments are structured contracts, often lasting weeks to months, where you step into a defined role with a start date, end date, and clear expectations for coverage.
That structure affects what you can negotiate and what surprises may arise. A per diem shift can provide quick supplemental income, but it usually does not include travel, housing, or malpractice coverage. Locum tenens assignments often do, because they’re designed to address sustained coverage needs that can’t be solved with a one-day fill-in. The trade-off is commitment. Per diem offers maximum day-to-day control. Locum tenens assignments typically involve defined schedules and coverage expectations for the duration of the contract, which may range from intermittent shifts to full-time blocks depending on the role.
If you’re weighing the two, treat it as a planning decision rather than a lifestyle choice. Both per diem and locum tenens work can supplement income or provide flexible coverage, but they differ in structure, expectations, and support. The right choice depends on your availability and whether you prefer ad hoc shifts or defined assignments with negotiated terms.
Your Locums Prescription
4 Ways Locums Can Boost Your Career After Residency
March 12, 2026 | Hayes Locums
Early-career physicians can use locum tenens assignments to gain experience across different practice settings while maintaining income during career transitions. Short-term roles allow providers to refine clinical skills, explore workplace cultures, and clarify long-term goals before committing to a permanent position. Rather than delaying career decisions, this approach can provide practical insight into what type of role and environment best fit.
For those finishing residency or fellowship, locum tenens work can also create flexibility while licensing, credentialing, or job searches are still in progress. Assignments allow physicians to evaluate workload, staffing support, call expectations, and organizational culture firsthand. This real-world exposure can help inform future employment decisions while reducing pressure to accept a permanent role before finding the right fit.
Top Tips for Shaping Up Your CV as a Locum Tenens Provider
March 17, 2026 | VISTA Staffing Solutions
A strong locum CV should be clear, concise, and easy to scan. Because assignments often move quickly, facilities and recruiters rely on well-organized documents to understand your training, experience, and availability without delay. If key details are difficult to find, credentialing and placement can slow down.
Focus on accuracy and structure. List dates consistently, account for each work period, and present your experience in a clean chronological format. Locum clinicians often have diverse practice histories, so organization becomes a major advantage when roles need to be filled quickly. A clear CV helps decision-makers evaluate fit faster and keeps the onboarding process moving.
Top Locum Tenens Jobs for Spring and Summer 2026
March 17, 2026 | AB Staffing Solutions
Spring and summer often bring increased demand for locum tenens coverage across multiple specialties, driven by scheduled vacations, graduation cycles, and advance staffing plans. Facilities frequently finalize these needs months ahead of time, especially for high-demand specialties and desirable locations. Clinicians interested in warm-weather assignments typically need to start the process earlier than expected to secure the best opportunities.
Use this as a planning signal rather than a last-minute rush. Licensing and credentialing can take time, and positions may fill quickly once facilities finalize coverage needs. Providers who prepare early and can commit promptly are more likely to secure assignments that align with their preferences.
How to Avoid Work Gaps as a Locum Provider
March 5, 2026 | Consilium Staffing
Planning ahead can reduce the financial and scheduling issues that gaps between assignments can present. Key strategies include preparing for lag time between contracts, recognizing the risk of cancellations, and maintaining a financial buffer so you are not forced to accept unfavorable terms when work slows. Recruiters can also help clarify coverage details before you incur travel or licensing expenses.
Credentialing delays and last-minute facility changes can disrupt even carefully planned schedules, especially when locum assignments are arranged back-to-back. Maintaining a pipeline of potential opportunities, budgeting for downtime, and asking direct questions about timelines help preserve flexibility. These steps allow clinicians to protect compensation, workload expectations, and overall stability when market conditions shift.
AI on Call
- AI adoption among physicians has risen to 63%, with neurologists and gastroenterologists reporting the highest use across specialties.
- Ambient AI tools are helping reduce documentation burden, with physicians saving up to an hour per day in the EHR.
- AI scribes may help reduce documentation burden and give clinicians more time for patient interaction and teaching.
Wellness Retreat
Scratch That: A Dermatologist’s Guide to Battling Burnout
March 18, 2026 | Dermatology Times
Burnout affects physicians across specialties, including those often perceived as lower stress. It is defined by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a reduced sense of personal accomplishment, and it reflects more than a difficult day in clinic. Recognizing these patterns early is an important step in addressing them and maintaining long-term engagement in practice.
Maintaining connection with patients, setting boundaries around workload, and preserving time outside of medicine are practical ways providers can protect against burnout. Heavy clinic volume, documentation demands, and administrative tasks can quickly erode that balance if they are not managed intentionally. Being deliberate about schedule structure and recovery time can help support more sustainable practice over time.
Every Year, Doctors Are More and More Tired
March 19, 2026 | BOSS Publishing
Physician burnout continues to be driven less by clinical care itself and more by the structure surrounding it, including administrative burden, documentation requirements, and productivity pressures. Clinicians continue to find purpose in patient care, but the system they operate within can make that work feel increasingly unsustainable. Over time, that imbalance can reduce time with patients and limit opportunities for reflection, connection, and professional growth.
When evaluating next steps, it helps to identify the specific factors contributing to fatigue, whether that is documentation load, schedule intensity, or workflow constraints. Locum tenens work can offer more control over those variables, allowing providers to select assignments that better align with their capacity and priorities. It can also create space to reassess career direction and explore alternative ways to stay engaged in medicine without replicating the same pressures.
Staff Burnout Adversely Affects Patients, Payers
March 16, 2026 | Hospice News
Dr. Darren Schulte points to clinician burnout as a system-level issue that extends beyond staff well-being to affect care access, patient experience, and overall healthcare costs. Workforce strain can lead to staffing gaps, delayed appointments, and shorter or less effective patient interactions, particularly in high-need populations. These pressures also make it more difficult for healthcare organizations to sustain coverage and meet growing demand.
Evaluating a role requires looking beyond compensation and location to understand how the work is structured day to day. Asking about visit expectations, documentation time, staffing levels, and after-hours support can reveal how manageable the workload will be in practice. Those details provide a clearer picture of whether an environment supports sustainable care delivery over time.
Doctors’ Notes
Tax Deductions for Healthcare Professionals: The Complete 1099 Guide
March 10, 2026 | Barton Associates
Working as a 1099 clinician comes with higher tax exposure, including the full self-employment tax, but it also creates opportunities to reduce taxable income through planning. Key areas include retirement contributions, health insurance premiums, business expenses, and the Qualified Business Income deduction. Choosing between options such as a Solo 401(k) and a SEP IRA can affect contribution limits and long-term financial strategy.
Tracking expenses consistently, maintaining clear documentation, and working with a tax professional familiar with multi-state income can help reduce risk and improve accuracy. A structured approach also makes it easier to understand true take-home earnings and evaluate opportunities with greater confidence.
The 7-Year Career Wall for Physicians: What to Do When Growth Stops But You’re Not Ready to Quit
March 16, 2026 | Passive Income MD
Many physicians experience a plateau around years 7 to 10 in practice, when the pace of learning slows and forward progress becomes less defined. The work may still feel meaningful, but the structure that once supported continuous growth begins to level out. Recognizing this shift as a need for new challenges, rather than a lack of commitment or ability, is an important step in addressing it.
Introducing new variables into your work can help restore that momentum. A different setting, adjusted schedule, or defined locum assignment window can provide a clearer view of what is driving dissatisfaction, whether it is workload, administrative demands, or autonomy. Using that insight to make more deliberate career decisions can help you move forward without defaulting to either staying stuck or making a complete change.
Publishing From Pitch to Market
March 24, 2026 | YouTube
Dr. Nisha Mehta is joined by Dr. Jennifer Lincoln, OB/GYN, author, and social media creator, to discuss how physicians can expand their voice and influence beyond clinical practice. Dr. Lincoln shares how she built a large following by focusing on clear, evidence-based communication and why authentic physician voices are increasingly important in today’s digital landscape. The conversation also covers her path to publishing a book, including how a moment on TikTok helped shape that direction.
The episode of Physician Side Gigs offers practical insight for physicians interested in writing, content creation, or building a platform outside of traditional clinical work. Topics include getting started with book publishing, understanding traditional versus self-publishing, and protecting intellectual property while employed. It also explores the business side of publishing, from contracts to marketing, and how physicians can approach these opportunities strategically.
