Physician burnout: we hear about it all the time. In fact, a recent Medscape survey found that 22% of physicians have considered leaving their careers in favor of a nonclinical position,
Burnout isn’t just physical fatigue. Physicians might experience depression, cynicism, numbness, and a bitter awareness that their current career doesn’t match their original vision of a life in medicine. Some feel they work long hours while barely making a dent in their medical school debt.
An increasingly popular solution: becoming a part-time physician.
4 Reasons Part-Time Physicians Are on the Rise
Hospitals and clinics benefit from hiring locum tenens physicians in many ways. It stops their current staff from burning out, they can improve capacity management and accommodate more patients, and busy clinics can extend their hours. But what’s in it for physicians? Here are the 4 reasons we hear over and over.
Dr. Work-Life Balance
Working locums or part-time can appeal to physicians looking for better work-like balance. We’ve seen older physicians take this route to ease into retirement; it’s also popular with new parents who want to spend more time at home with their children. In fact, 55% of physicians would consider a salary reduction if it meant improved work-life balance.
Working as a part-time physician can also help families when one spouse must relocate for professional reasons and their physician spouse doesn’t want to commit to a specific hospital or position.
Earning extra money
Physicians just starting their careers can feel demoralized when they realize that even a healthy full-time salary can’t pay down their loans as quickly as they’d like. That’s why we see so many young physicians pick up extra shifts at other facilities to lower their debt or begin building their retirement wealth. Others work locum tenens just for supplemental income.
Solving health disparities
Ask a physician why they got into medicine and you’ll often hear about a dream of bringing excellent care to underserved patients. Many will say that was their primary motivation for going into medicine. Then, 15 or 20 years down the road, they find themselves working in a massive hospital system where they see a parade of patients and spend much of their time on documentation. They rarely see the impact they have on their community.
Working locums in disadvantaged communities can reinvigorate a physician’s sense of purpose – and make their impact more visible. At Tribal Health, some of our physicians hold down full-time jobs in big health systems but devote one weekend a month to working on reservations. Others dedicate one or two months every year to serving in Tribal nations.
Network and skillset expansion
If working in one facility can help you build a network of your immediate colleagues, working locum tenens or part-time can exponentially multiply that effect. You’ll meet many healthcare professionals and physicians with ties to some of the best hospitals and clinics in the world. You’ll also get the opportunity to learn new skills, observe a wide range of physicians, and even practice wilderness medicine in some cases.
Physicians often tell us that working locums has deeply enriched their clinical abilities and fast-tracked their professional development, empowering them to pursue leadership positions at a younger age than would be otherwise possible.
Is Being a Part-time Physician the Right Fit for You?
One of the great benefits of being a part-time physician is that it protects your professional options. If you add a side hustle and decide it’s too tiring, you can simply stop and focus on your full-time job only. If you give up your full-time position and work locums only, your physician credentials are still active. You can return to a permanent position without problem.
That said, there are some factors to keep in mind.
Make sure your primary workplace allows it. While plenty of full-time physicians work locums, your contract at your main job could have a non-compete clause or a stipulation forbidding other employment. Make sure you can accept outside work without damaging your primary job. You’ll need to be transparent with them for scheduling purposes – and when you’re credentialed by your new agency or hospital, they may contact your workplace for references.
Decide how far you want to travel. Some physicians welcome the adventure of flying to Alaska or enjoying a winter weekend in sun-soaked Arizona. But if you prefer to stay with driving distance of your home, you can easily find organizations and hospitals in your region.
Pick the right staffing partner. The easiest way to find part-time or locums opportunities that fit your preferences is to work with a staffing agency. They’ll understand and accommodate your other commitments and they’ll make an effort (if they’re a good agency) to match your preferences and goals with the right assignment.
If you’re interested in exploring locums or part-time work, your first step is to talk to a recruiter. They can walk you through your options and help you identify the right assignments for a trial run. To get started, give one of our recruiters a try.
