Any locum tenens docs here?

Not a doctor, just an RN but used a 32 foot fifth wheel as temporary lodging while working 250 miles from home. It was awesome for two people. With your family involved make sure you get the floor plan to give everybody some privacy when needed.

For those of us not educated: What is a locum tenens doc?

Like being employed by a "temporary" service. These docs travel around and provide short-term contracts to hospitals and the like.

RoadLife wrote:
Like being employed by a "temporary" service. These docs travel around and provide short-term contracts to hospitals and the like.

Thanks.

We're a his and her's RV family (I won't share mine). My husband is not locum but he has a ten day on ten day off call schedule. When he's on he lives at the hospital (they provide electricity) in his camper. He likes it, not far to go if he gets called in at night.

Most of the hospitals around here have RV facilities and are happy to plug in the docs. Actually they are getting off cheap not having to provide hotels for the locums that way.

I did some locums ER work a few years ago. The place I worked at was almost exactly 100 miles from my house. I would work 3 days in a row and then head back home. Just before I started working there I spoke with the facilities management folks (may be called something different where you are) and asked them if it was OK to camp out in the parking lot in my RV. They were absolutely great about it and suggested a spot where I could park in such a way that no one could park next to me. For the 3 years I did locums work there, I would come in my 21ft class C and plant it in the parking lot. The hospital admin thought it was a hoot and when they saw my RV they went out of their way to come down to the ER and say hi.

Thanks. Medicine is changing rapidly and so we are feeling out solutions, including Locum Tenens positions. We may be a good fit for this lifestyle. Glad to hear experiences.

For people who don't know, DH is considering (considering.... Just beginning to think about it)... Getting out of private practice and leaving the hospital where he if affiliated and taking temporary "substitute doc" positions, Locum Tenens. It would be a large shift with positive and negatives, but e docs we know who have done this have loved it.

Also, could stay in private practice and take a weekend Locum position (covering someone else's vacation) a couple of times a year. This would supplement income and get his name and skills out in a broader region in case medicine collapses in on itself in the next several years.