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<\/a><\/a>\nA decade ago, just 5% of physicians worked locum tenens. Today, that figure has nearly tripled to 14%, reflecting the growing normalization of locums as a career option. Drawing on insights from nearly 1,000 physicians surveyed over the past year, the report shows that locum tenens is no longer perceived as a temporary or fringe choice. Instead, physicians across specialties and geographies increasingly view locums as a deliberate, sustainable way to adapt their careers while continuing to deliver patient care.<\/p>
\n\u201cPhysicians aren\u2019t leaving medicine \u2014 they\u2019re looking for ways to practice that are more sustainable,\u201d said Dr. Kenneth Song, an anesthesiologist and locums practitioner. \u201cLocum tenens meets physicians where they are, whether that\u2019s early in their careers, at a point of peak strain, or later on when they want to keep practicing without the demands of a full\u2011time role.\u201d<\/p>
\nThe report found that 26% of physicians are interested in pursuing locum tenens work in the future, up seven percentage points year over year and the highest level recorded in the past 10 years. The surge reflects a profession-wide tipping point. Physicians are 82% more likely to burn out than workers in other occupations, and for many years, traditional practice models offered few alternatives.<\/p>
\nPhysicians are also learning about locum tenens differently than in the past. While staffing agency outreach once drove awareness, peer influence now plays a far greater role, with more than half of physicians reporting they were introduced to locums by working alongside locum physicians (56%) or hearing about the experience from colleagues or friends (55%).<\/p>
\n\u201cWhat this report confirms is something we've observed for years: locums doesn't compete with a physician's career \u2014 it extends it,\u201d said Mike DePaolis, President of Weatherby Healthcare. \u201cThe value isn't that locums is right for every physician, it's that it's there when they need it \u2014 whether that's managing debt early on, reclaiming balance mid-career, or staying engaged past retirement.\"<\/p>
\nDownload the full report here.<\/a><\/p> \nAbout Weatherby Healthcare:<\/b><\/p> \nSince 1995, Weatherby Healthcare has established itself as an expert in locum tenens staffing for physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners. The company employs nearly 600 employees committed to filling locum tenens assignments in large-scale healthcare networks, hospitals, and clinics nationwide. Learn more at weatherbyhealthcare.com<\/a>.<\/p>