Whether you’re craving snow, or trying to escape it, holiday locum tenens jobs can be just the change you’re looking for. From pay to personal development, there are many benefits for physicians who are open to taking holiday locum tenens assignments. Here are five reasons to give it a try.

1. Higher pay and bonus potential

The money you can earn as a locum tenens physician is almost always higher than what you would earn doing the same work as a permanent physician. Locum tenens pay potential depends in part on your specialty and the needs of the facility, but physicians who take holiday assignments often find the pay differential is a big one.

Whether you’re looking to put a little extra money aside or saving for the next big trip on your bucket list, the higher rates you can earn working locums can be a great way to add to your cash flow. Pediatrician Dr. Trevor Cabrera worked locum tenens to pay off medical school debt faster. In fact, he paid off more than $100,000 in private student loans in the first 12 months after residency.

Regardless of what you’re looking for, your recruiter can help you find holiday jobs with the right pay structure to suit your needs.

2. Better schedule flexibility

Need a break from working nights, call, or other shift constraints, but don’t want a break in your income stream? The high demand for holiday locum tenens jobs often gives physicians the negotiating power to choose the schedule that works best for their family.

Hospitalist Dr. John Thieszen says the flexibility of locums makes it easy to plan out his schedule to suit his needs. “What I found with this lifestyle is I’m able to make the schedule,” he says. “I can be gone for three days or a week or two weeks, then I can come home and have that real concentrated family time. Consolidating my work schedule into chunks has allowed us some amazing flexibility.”

Your recruiter can help you set limits on your hours, days, or other assignment particulars, so you can work when and how much you want to.

3. Clinical skill development

Even if you only take occasional assignments, working locums can be a practical strategy to keep your clinical skills sharp and broaden your experience.

Otolaryngologist Dr. Tom Willson enjoys working locum tenens for the opportunity to do procedures that he doesn’t get to see regularly in his subspecialty. “As a subspecialist, my scope of what I see in otolaryngology is pretty narrow on a day-to-day basis,” he says. “So when I go on a locums assignment it’s as a general otolaryngologist, and I get to see a wider scope of practice and maintain the skillset I learned as a resident.”

Many of our locums providers say that regular exposure to new facilities and patient groups has helped them to expand their clinical and communication skills. Holiday locum tenens jobs are a great way to explore different aspects of your practice without the long-term commitment.

4. Giving back in a fulfilling way

The relief you bring to a facility by taking a locums assignment can make a huge difference to the permanent staff who could use a break during the holidays. Depression is a common problem during the holidays, when feelings of isolation or burnout can be intensified.

Holiday locum tenens jobs are a great way to give back to your own community or help in an underserved rural location. Psychiatrist Dr. Heather Cumbo seeks out the jobs in areas that have the most need. “Most of the places where I go and do my assignments are in rural communities,” she says. “It’s gratifying to take care of people who otherwise would not have any mental healthcare at all.”

So, if you want to make a difference for other providers and patients alike, holiday locum tenens jobs can be an easy way to give back in a meaningful way.

5. A healthy break from the routine

It’s tough to take care of others if you’re not taking care of yourself. The demands of medical life can make it easy to neglect taking time for yourself. Friends and family are great, but sometimes holiday expectations can add to your stress rather than reduce it.

Taking a holiday assignment out of town can help you to have some time just for yourself. Family medicine physician Dr. Colin Zhu says working locum tenens has allowed him to take more time for himself. “Self-care was not something that was taught in medical school. Neither was there time to care for yourself in medical school or residency training. If you are not careful, that can easily transfer over to your professional career,” he says.

Whether you’re a full-time locum or just interested in an occasional locum tenens assignment on the side, holiday assignments can be an effective way to keep your professional and financial goals on track and maybe even take a little time for yourself.

Want to learn more about holiday locum tenens jobs? Give us a call at 800.453.3030 or view today’s locum tenens opportunities.