Locum tenens—a Latin phrase that means “to hold the place of”—is a unique career path that can improve OB-GYN work-life balance. When you work as a locum tenens OB-GYN, you can set your own schedule, carve out time for longer vacations and family events, and earn a competitive salary while traveling the country. Here’s what every OB-GYN should know about locum tenens.
What should I consider before taking locum tenens OB-GYN jobs?
Before you start the job search or contact an agency, keep the following in mind:
You can make it fit your needs. Whether you are looking at locum tenens as an alternative full-time employment or just want to pick up a few extra shifts on the side, you can structure locum tenens to fit your desired lifestyle.
Know what you can be flexible on. If you want to stay within easy driving distance of your home, it may take some time to find the right locum tenens OB-GYN jobs. If you’re willing to travel further or work in an underserved area, you may earn a higher salary and also have more control over your schedule.
“After doing this for a few years, I’ve learned that having the exact job you want in the exact place you want may not necessarily be able to align at every point in time. But if you’re flexible about the location, you can always find work. I decided I will just enjoy my location when I’m not working, and I have fun in my own life rather than waiting around for the perfect location and job opportunity,” says Dr. Jacqueline Brown, an OB-GYN from New York.
It’s not permanent. One of the biggest benefits of locum tenens is the “try-before-you-buy” aspect. You can take one assignment and see if you like it. If you don’t, you don’t have to return. On the other hand, if you love it there, many locum OB-GYNs return to the same facilities again and again, year after year.
Plan ahead. The licensing and credentialing process at a new facility can be lengthy, and certain positions fill up fast—especially if you want to spend Christmas in Hawaii. Start looking for jobs or working with an agency at least six months before the time you’d like to be working.
Consider the IMLC. The Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC) allows doctors to get licenses in multiple states that participate, which streamlines the licensing process if you’d like to work in at least two states.
How do I find locum tenens OB-GYN jobs?
The easiest way to find locum tenens OB-GYN jobs (especially if you’d like to travel) is to work with an agency. They’ll connect you with a recruiter, who’ll get to know you and ask about your preferred schedule, type of facility, locations, and salary requirements.
Once they know what you’re looking for, the recruiter will begin searching for jobs that meet your needs and send them along for you to consider. You can then choose to apply for a job, and the recruiter will get your CV and other paperwork and send it to the hiring manager.
Of course, a Google search of “locum tenens OB-GYN jobs” may bring up positions on various job boards, often in cities within your geographic area, and some physicians find jobs this way or by contacting local hospitals directly, but it means doing all the legwork and paperwork yourself. So, there are pros and cons to both approaches. Most experienced locums recommend starting with an agency first, at least until you learn the ropes.
What should I look for in a locum tenens agency?
If you decide to work with an agency, start with the National Association of Locum Tenens Organizations (NALTO), which requires member agencies to follow a code of ethics and maintain high industry standards. You can find a list of members on their website.
Next, consider the agency’s support services. A CHG Healthcare survey asked physicians to rank the attributes when working with a locum tenens agency, and 83% said support services were very important to them. Support services include teams that help with licensing and credentialing, housing, transportation, and travel. It’s also nice to have 24/7 support.
Your locum tenens agency should understand your specialty and offer a wide variety of locum tenens OB-GYN jobs. Do some research about the size of the agency. Do they focus on jobs in only one area of the country and only a few specialties? Do recruiters have expertise in your field, or do they cover all physician specialties?
Finally, ask your colleagues what they’ve heard about specific agencies and whether they’ve worked with any. If the company has a positive reputation, there’s a good chance you'll have a good experience there as well.
“Having someone you can actually trust is really important. The people I’ve worked with at Weatherby Healthcare gave me the sense that they were genuine, that they really had my best interests at heart,” Dr. Brown says.
How do I find a good locum tenens recruiter?
The best locum tenens recruiter will be responsive and proactive about jobs that interest you (and respectful of your time when you’re not interested in talking), and knowledgeable about your specialty and your specific job needs. They will also coach you for any interviews, present your information to the hiring manager at the healthcare facility, and connect you with teams to help with transportation, housing, licensing, and credentialing if your agency offers these services.
“My CompHealth recruiter has bent over backwards to be available, even if there are other people in the office that I need to contact. She’s a go-to person for anything,” recalls Dr. Roseann Freundel, an OB-GYN based in Virginia. “I got stranded in an airport because of the weather one night, and she and the rest of the people in the office got me transportation to a hotel, a hotel room, and then transportation back to the airport the next day. Plus, she goes out of her way to find me assignments she knows will suit me, which I really value.”
In short, a locum tenens recruiter will be invaluable in helping you find and secure your job and achieve a better OB-GYN work-life balance.
“When I got a call from a recruiter, it was just a lightning strike. I thought, ‘This is a real opportunity,’” says Dr. Ashita Gehlot, an OB-GYN based in Ohio. “My recruiter was awesome in highlighting all the benefits of locums.”
How does locum tenens OB-GYN pay work?
Locum tenens agencies typically pay you an hourly or daily rate, paid weekly or bi-weekly.
Locum tenens OB-GYNs earn on average $150 – $225 per hour, depending on location, patient load, and shift type. The Midwest currently has the highest demand for OB-GYNs.
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What taxes do I pay as a locum tenens OB-GYN?
When you take locum tenens OB-GYN jobs, in most cases you will work as an independent contractor. This means that instead of reporting your income on a W-2 form as you likely do at a hospital or clinic, you’ll receive a 1099 form. Independent contractors must pay both portions of Medicare and Social Security taxes (whereas W-2 employers automatically deduct them from their paychecks) and also make estimated tax payments four times a year: April 15, June 15, Sept. 15, and Jan. 15 of the following year.
How do benefits work as a locum tenens OB-GYN?
If you need benefits such as medical insurance, retirement plans, and other coverage, you’ll need to secure them on your own through an independent marketplace or through a spouse or partner’s employment. Most agencies do not pay for benefits.
While health and retirement benefits are not included, most locum tenens agencies do provide the following:
- Medical malpractice insurance: Large agencies generally provide claims-made and tail coverage, which cover legal fees and potential settlements and protect you as a locum tenens OB-GYN.
- Licensing, credentialing, and privileging costs: Many agencies cover the license application, verification, and delivery fees. They may also pay for additional licenses if you work in another state. Look for an agency with a dedicated team to help you through the process.
- Housing: Depending on the length of the locum tenens OB-GYN jobs, your agency will pay for a hotel room (you’ll be responsible for room service or other amenities) or a fully furnished apartment or home close to the healthcare facility. They can generally accommodate family members or even pets if they’ll be traveling with you, though you may pay an additional cost.
- Travel: The agency will cover your airplane ticket and/or rental car. If you drive your own vehicle, you may be reimbursed for mileage to your assignment.
“Initially, I was like, ‘I’m going to live in a hotel, how weird is that? What am I going to do in a hotel? I need a house.’ But it’s worked out really great. Whenever I’ve needed anything, the folks out at Weatherby Healthcare have been like, ‘Hey, what can we do to help? How can we make you comfortable?’” Dr. Gehlot says.
Why should I work as a locum tenens OB-GYN?
Healthcare facilities across the United States hire locum tenens OB-GYNs on a temporary basis, whether to fill in for a doctor on leave, to provide extra coverage during a busy season, or to provide care while they search for a permanent physician.
These positions help the patients you care for and the healthcare providers you support. However, you may not have considered all the various benefits for you as an OB-GYN.
Better OB-GYN work-life balance
Dr. Freundel explains that because you can choose your schedule and how often you work, you can achieve a more manageable split between time at work and time at home.
“Work-life balance was something that I struggled with as an attending because I still had long hours. I had at least 10 calls a month, office hours were 8 to 5, but by the time you got all the paperwork done and all the things you had to do, it was still 7 or 8 at night—so I didn’t have a work-life balance,” she recalls. “I have one now. Is it where I want it to be? Not yet, but it’s a work in progress.”
Relieving OB-GYN burnout
“For a lot of physicians who are in really dissatisfying practices, locums means you’re paid by the hour, and you don’t have to deal with all of that bureaucracy that makes practicing medicine so hard," Dr. Brown continues. "It burns a lot of physicians out. A lot of that stuff gets taken out of the equation when you’re doing locums because you have a different benefits structure than what you’re doing.”
For Dr. Freundel, locum tenens work was a reprieve from the committees and hospital bureaucracy that took her away from patients.
“I understand the need for things like peer review and the medical executive committee and all the administrative stuff that you have to do, but I hate the politics of medicine," she says.
Higher compensation
“My biggest fear in working locum tenens was, Am I going to get steady work to pay my bills? I had over $300,000 in student loan debt to pay off. It fit that bill. It certainly paid more than I was paid as an attending,” Dr. Freundel says. “I’m able to make my payments, and the salary is good.”
Expanding clinical skills
Dr. Gehlot says one of her criteria for locum tenens work was allowing her to practice both obstetrics and gynecology.
“Or if you didn’t want one, you could do the other,” she explains. “This turned out to be a place where they were amenable to working with me and saying, ‘Yep, we’ll let you do both obstetrics and gynecology, the full spectrum of your specialty.’ I’m really lucky that it worked out.”
Exploring the globe
Locum tenens OB-GYN jobs allow Dr. Brown to indulge her passion for scuba diving. She has a PADI Divemaster certification and has traveled throughout the world as a diver.
“I started working locums in 2016, and I’ve been doing it exclusively for work since then. Between times when I do locums work, I travel internationally. I end up working for three or four months of the time, and I travel for about a month and do that over and over again,” she says.
Would you like to get paid to explore beyond the U.S.? Global Medical Staffing, the leader in international locums staffing, has locums positions in locations such as New Zealand, Guam, and the Virgin Islands.
Spending more time with family
Dr. Gehlot frequently takes locum tenens assignments within a few hours of home and appreciates that her husband, a neonatologist with a busy schedule, can sometimes visit her.
“I’ve got the best of both worlds. If I’m on call every other weekend, then I’ll stay here, and he’ll come here. When I’m not, I go home,” she says. “It’s really nice that locums allows you to not feel like you’re separated from your family. There’s this idea that you’re a traveling doctor, so your family gets compromised. I haven’t felt that.”
Locum tenens work also makes extended vacations with faraway family possible for Dr. Freundel.
“I have a child and grandchildren who live in England, so I can decide when and for how long I want to go visit them. It’s my duty to spoil grandchildren,” she says.
Locum tenens is a great option for OB-GYNs seeking better work-life balance, greater flexibility, higher pay, and professional growth opportunities. You’re also able to support staff members, care for patients who might otherwise not receive healthcare, and network with new people across the country. Why not give it a try?