The Locumstory Physician Advisory Board is a collaborative group of locum tenens physicians who support Locumstory’s goal of driving locum tenens awareness and preference. Through the sharing of expertise, perspective, and advice, Physician Advisory Board members will work to encourage the acceptance and practice of locum tenens among physicians.
The creation of the Physician Advisory Board strengthens Locumstory’s commitment to showcasing the viewpoints and experiences of real-life locums and bringing locum tenens education to locums physicians from locums physicians.
Meet the Board
Dr. Rip Patel, emergency medicine (chair)
Our board chair, Ripal “Rip” Patel, MD, MPH, has worked locum tenens for over half a decade in addition to his permanent position. Dr. Patel is the founder and lead for Mercision Emergency Medicine. He completed his MD at the UT Southwestern Medical Center and his MPH at Kings College London. After a short hiatus in general surgery, he found his home in emergency medicine, where he completed his residency at the Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals. Dr. Patel is an assistant professor at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX.
Dr. Nicholas Kusnezov, orthopaedic surgery
Nicholas Kusnezov, MD, is a board-certified, fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeon currently practicing in Southern California. He works locums in addition to his full-time practice. He specializes in total joint replacement and limb salvage and reconstruction, with extensive experience in managing complex sports and traumatic injuries. He graduated summa cum laude from UCLA bioengineering and AOA from the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine. After medical school, he commissioned into the U.S. Military and completed his residency through the U.S. Army. Following the fulfillment of his military service, he returned home to sunny Southern California to attend the nationally renowned Adult Reconstruction Fellowship at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine.
Dr. Marye McCroskey, family medicine
Marye Lois McCroskey, MD, FAAFP, is a family medicine physician who has worked as a locum tenens physician in urgent care and primary care for the last 7 years. The ability to work a flexible schedule has allowed Dr. McCroskey to enjoy semiretirement while continue to practice. Dr. McCroskey is board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine and earned her Doctor of Medicine at the Medical College of Virginia at Virginia Commonwealth University. She completed her residency at the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville, TN. Her permanent home is in Key West, FL.
Dr. Trevor Cabrera, pediatrics
Trevor Cabrera, MD, is a West Coast-raised, southern-trained, board-certified pediatrician. He works locum tenens full time, preferring back-to-back assignments. Originally from Roseville, CA, he attended medical school at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, LA, with particular interests in culinary medicine as well as end-of-life care. He went on to complete his pediatric residency training in Texas at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. He will soon be heading to fellowship training in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine at Children’s Mercy in Kansas City, MO, where he plans to focus on transport medicine.
