Interested in locums work?


Learn more and connect with the community by joining the new SIR Connect Locums Forum. Scan the QR code below or log into SIR


Connect and find it under the "communites" tab.


submitting the same tedious paperwork over and over for each new position.


For easy access to facilitate this repetitive process, I created a folder on my computer that contained copies of all the documents that licensing/ credentialing boards typically request (i.e., copies of my MD diploma, certificates, procedure logs, state medical licenses, etc.). I also took advantage of the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (ISMLC), which is an agreement between the medical boards of certain states that significantly accelerates the licensing process if a physician already holds a license in good standing in a participating state.


If you contract through a locums recruiting agency, they will help you navigate the licensing and credentialing processes. They can also help you get emergency or short-term credentialling at a hospital which tends to be a significantly faster process than obtaining full-time employee credentialing.


Pursuing locums work If you are interested in pursuing locums work, it’s crucial to be clear about your motivations and goals (e.g., whether the ultimate goal is full-time employment or a better work–life balance), which will determine what type of positions you seek, as well as how many gigs you want to take at the same time.


Once you determine your goals, you will have to market yourself. Work on your CV and keep records of your procedure logs, experience, skillsets and recommendations from colleagues. Learn how to use these to negotiate competitive rates.


There are many locums positions available online via recruiting companies. Keep in mind that these companies will take a cut of what you negotiate and often require you to sign a noncompete contract that prohibits you from directly negotiating with the group or hospital for a specified period (usually 1 year). However, they also provide benefits such as malpractice insurance, assistance with licensing and credentialing, travel arrangements, and reimbursements.


30 IRQ | SUMMER 2023


Locums work can be challenging and requires immense flexibility and an open mind. But, if you are clear about your goals and what you want from a position, it can offer untold opportunities.


It is also possible to contract directly with a group or hospital, especially if you have a personal connection to the group and are aware that they need coverage help. The new SIR Connect Locums Forum is an ideal way to find and advertise locums listings, discuss compensation and benefits, and share advice without relying on a recruiting company to be the go-between. This will facilitate direct communication between groups and providers and promote transparency. If you are interested in pursuing locums work, I highly recommend joining that forum and starting a discussion.


Conclusion Locums work can be challenging and requires immense flexibility and an open mind. But, if you are clear about your goals and what you want from a position, it can offer untold opportunities. In the past, locums work carried an unfair negative connotation and many believed that those who took these positions only did so because they could not find “real” employment or were soon heading into retirement. But this misconception is shifting, and as the field of IR evolves and physicians focus more on work–life balance, practice models do, too.


For me, not only did locums work turn out to be a resourceful strategy to reset my career path, it was also an invaluable teacher that broadened my skills, experience and perspectives on IR. As a result, I became a more resourceful and resilient interventional radiologist overall with the confidence to face any challenge—whether in the procedure suite or out.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40