Editor’s Note
Career sustainability is cropping up in more clinician conversations lately, and this edition explores several of the reasons why. The lead story looks at new survey data from Weatherby Healthcare that shows continued growth in physician curiosity about locum tenens work and a noticeable rise in peer-driven awareness across the industry. In fact, physician interest is now at its highest level in more than a decade. As more providers explore flexible practice models, many are weighing not only compensation but also scheduling control, workplace expectations, and long-term professional fit.
A number of stories throughout this issue take a closer look at how clinicians evaluate opportunities once those priorities become clearer. Contract structure, staffing support, workplace culture, and communication standards can all shape the everyday experience in different ways. The more plainly doctors, NPs, PAs, and CRNAs define what they want from both work and their personal lives, the easier it becomes to recognize assignments that align with those goals.
Physician well-being and practice longevity remain central themes throughout the issue, too. The focus on feeling seen, evolving primary care models, healthcare technology, burnout, and part-time options all point to the same underlying challenge: stability in healthcare rarely depends on a single factor. More and more, the advantage seems to go to clinicians who remain intentional about how and where they work, as well as what they want their careers to look like moving forward.
– The Locumpedia Editorial Team
Lead Story
2026 Locum Tenens Physician Report
May 13, 2026 | Weatherby Healthcare
Interest in locum tenens work continues to climb, according to Weatherby Healthcare’s 2026 Locum Tenens Physician Report. Survey data showed that 41% of physicians who participated said they’d worked locums at some point in their careers in 2025, up from 20% in 2016. At the same time, 14% indicated they were actively taking locum opportunities last year, nearly triple the percentage reported a decade earlier.
The findings suggest awareness is increasingly being driven by peer experience rather than agency outreach. More than half of respondents said they learned about locums by working alongside locum providers, hearing colleagues discuss it, or knowing friends who had taken assignments. Physician curiosity about locum work also continues to rise among those who’ve never tried it, with 26% describing themselves as very or extremely interested in the career path.
Financial pressures, burnout, and the desire for greater schedule control continue to shape physician decision-making across career stages. Many providers reported using locums to supplement income rather than replace a permanent role entirely, while others cited flexibility, autonomy, and reduced administrative burden as key advantages. The report also noted that physicians are turning to locums at different points in their careers, from early-career doctors managing educational debt to late-career physicians looking to remain engaged in practice on more accommodating terms.
Your Locums Prescription
Top Physician Salaries and Career Outlook: 6 Key Insights to Amp Up Your Earning Potential
May 6, 2026 | Annashae Healthcare Staffing + Consulting
Physician compensation continued to rise modestly in 2025, according to a recent overview examining findings from Medscape’s 2026 Physician Compensation Report. While it increased about 3% overall, the piece also looked at how productivity measures such as work RVUs shape both base pay and bonus structures across many healthcare settings. It was noted that doctors average about 49 work hours per week as well, with time divided among patient care, documentation, and administrative responsibilities.
Contract structure and the freedom to vary practice locations continue to play a major role in career decisions as well. Short-term assignments, evergreen agreements, and locum tenens opportunities were highlighted as options that can offer physicians greater schedule control, exposure to different practice settings, and improved work-life balance. Regional salary differences, ongoing provider shortages, and continued demand in high-need specialties are also expected to shape compensation trends moving forward.
The Physician Assistant’s Locum Tenens Guide: Pay, Benefits, and Schedule Flexibility Explained
May 5, 2026 | CompHealth
Many physician assistants considering locum tenens work start with the same question: Is the compensation actually worth it once the full picture comes into view? A recent article examining factors such as pay and benefits for locum PAs states that hourly rates are only part of the equation. Guaranteed hours, overtime eligibility, call expectations, covered travel, licensing support, malpractice coverage, and benefit structures can all shape the overall value of an assignment.
Schedule control and flexibility, two aspects that continue to draw many APPs toward locums, are also explored. Some PAs pointed to the ability to take time off between opportunities, work in different practice settings, and reduce administrative stress as meaningful advantages over traditional permanent roles. Even so, the piece notes that assignment consistency, budgeting, credentialing timelines, and adaptability still require careful consideration before making the transition.
Finding Perspective and Freedom in Locums: A Q&A with Dr. Oza, OBGYN
April 30, 2026 | Hayes Locums
Dr. Oza did not initially expect locum tenens work to become part of her long-term career journey. After more than a decade in obstetrics and gynecology, however, it helped support her transition toward opening her own private practice while still allowing her to care for patients in a variety of communities. She also described the relationships she built during assignments as one of the most rewarding parts of the experience.
The Q&A explores how working across different practice settings has shaped her perspective on medicine and care delivery as well. Dr. Oza expressed that locums exposed her to new processes, different patient populations, and a broader range of clinical scenarios than she typically encountered in private practice alone. She also emphasized the importance of being able to adapt to changing environments and observing how each facility approaches care when starting a new locum job.
AI on Call
- Medical Economics reports that physicians remain divided on whether AI scribes profoundly improve workflow and save time, even as adoption continues to rise in clinical practice.
- Part 2 of Locumpedia’s AI Guide for Locum Providers shares low-risk AI shortcuts clinicians can use to simplify tasks from scheduling and travel planning to routine communication between assignments.
- NBC News reports that nearly two-thirds of US physicians are now using OpenEvidence, an AI-powered clinical search tool designed to help doctors research treatments, review medical information, and support everyday decision-making.
Wellness Retreat
AI Won’t Fix Physician Burnout; Here’s Why
May 11, 2026 | Healthcare IT Today
AI may speed up some administrative tasks, but it’s unlikely to resolve physician burnout if the deeper problems remain unchanged. A 2025 peer-reviewed study referenced in the article revealed that evidence linking AI directly to reduced burnout is still limited, while the AMA reported that physicians and staff spend an average of 13 hours per week managing prior authorizations alone. Staffing shortages, documentation demands, and overloaded workflows continue to wear down providers across many healthcare settings.
Clinicians considering locum opportunities may want to pay close attention to how facilities actually operate day to day. New technology can help in some environments, but it can also create learning curves during assignment transitions. The broader point is that faster systems do not automatically produce healthier workplaces if physicians are still expected to absorb the same level of strain.
How Peer Recognition Helps Physicians Feel Seen
May 11, 2026 | American Medical Association
Rush University System for Health found that peer-driven recognition strengthened physician engagement by reinforcing purpose, belonging, and connection to its mission. Leaders involved in the initiative said that acknowledgment from colleagues often carried particular meaning because coworkers directly witness physicians’ daily contributions and interactions with patients and care teams. The program also emphasized specific, action-oriented recognition tied to organizational values rather than broad expressions of gratitude.
The subject offers another way for locum clinicians to evaluate assignment culture and team dynamics. Facilities that encourage things like collegial respect, communication, and integration may create a stronger sense of connection for locum doctors stepping into temporary roles. Recognition on its own won’t solve workload or burnout concerns. But settings where physicians feel acknowledged and included may contribute to stronger working relationships, greater trust, and more positive locum experiences overall.
Physician Burnout in 2026: What Mental Health Month Reveals About a System Under Strain
May 5, 2026 | Barton Associates
Burnout may be easing gradually in some areas of medicine, but several high-pressure specialties continue to carry a heavy load. Emergency medicine, hematology and oncology, and urological surgery remained among the fields reporting some of the highest levels in recent survey data. Long hours, staffing gaps, and documentation demands continued to surface as common sources of stress.
A number of physicians continue looking for work arrangements that offer more breathing room and greater say over how their time is structured. Locum assignments won’t erase the pressures tied to practicing medicine, but they may give some clinicians a chance to step away from situations that feel unsustainable. In settings where health systems remain stretched thin, even modest control over scheduling and workload can make a difference.
Doctors’ Notes
Physicians’ Million-Dollar Pay Gap Problem
April 30, 2026 | Becker’s Hospital Review
Compensation gaps between male and female physicians continue to persist across healthcare. Becker’s points to findings from a Marit Health report showing that female physicians earn about $0.78 for every $1 in total compensation and $0.80 for every $1 in base salary compared with male peers. Over the course of a 30-year career, the difference in earnings can reach roughly $3.3 million.
Transparency and contract negotiation remain important topics for locum doctors evaluating engagements. Assignment-based contracts do not eliminate larger compensation disparities, but they may create more direct conversations around pay rates, call coverage, bonuses, and scheduling expectations. Clear language and detailed terms can help reduce ambiguity when physicians are comparing opportunities across healthcare settings.
How to Be a Part-Time Physician
May 11, 2026 | White Coat Investor
Part-time work can become more complicated than many clinicians expect once issues like partnership agreements and benefits are introduced. Reduced schedules don’t always lead to fewer obligations, particularly when physicians continue carrying full-time call responsibilities or lose access to compensation structures tied to FTE status. It’s a scenario that also highlights the importance of clarifying expectations early so workload, pay, and scheduling remain aligned.
Many of the same questions apply to locum providers evaluating short assignments and longer-term engagements. Contract terms and other variables can shape whether an opportunity actually delivers what a clinician is seeking. Locum work may offer a more defined approach to part-time medicine in some situations, but clear agreements and thoughtful planning can make a significant difference.
The Evolving Primary Care Landscape (and Where to Begin Fixing It)
May 12, 2026 | YouTube
Dr. Nisha Mehta welcomes Dr. Kameron Matthews, chief health officer of IMPaCT Care and former chief medical officer of the US Department of Veterans Affairs, to discuss where primary care may be headed as physician shortages and patient needs continue to grow. Topics include value-based care, direct primary care, and other emerging care models, along with questions surrounding access, digital tools, and the role large healthcare institutions may continue to play in delivering care. Dr. Matthews reflected on how her background in both medicine and law shaped her approach to healthcare leadership and problem-solving.
The conversation explores how clinicians can help shape healthcare innovation by identifying gaps and operational challenges firsthand through patient care experience. Dr. Matthews stresses that technology on its own will not solve access or workforce issues without a better understanding of what patients and providers actually need from primary care systems. Physicians interested in leadership, innovation, or nonclinical opportunities may gain insight into how clinical experience can translate into broader healthcare strategy and product development.
