Locum Tenens
Locum Tenens is the Latin term used in ancient medical history which means"in the place of". Locums’ physicians and/or mid-levels provided by Unisource Medical take temporary vacancies in solo or group practices, on hospital staffs and in managed care organizations. Thus, in the strictest sense, a locum tenens physician/mid-level is one who temporarily fills in for another physician, etc.
According to the latest research, on average there are close to 4 opportunities currently available for each locum tenens physician. Since the demand is greater than the supply, the choices available are becoming numerous. Demand for locum tenens physicians is at an all-time high, and the number of physician locum tenens jobs grows every day as more companies, practices, and hospitals turn to locum tenens physicians to fill their vacant positions.
The combination of an aging population
An increase in insured Americans
An aging physician workforce
A limit on the number of residency spots has led the AAMC to estimate the United States faces a shortage of more than physicians by 130,000 by 2025
Physicians doing locum tenens work are also able to concentrate on patient care and avoid much of the paperwork associated with a traditional practice. In a time when physicians are being forced to discontinue their practice because of the high cost of insurance, recent surveys show that 88% of locum tenens physicians don't have to deal with insurance issues! Physicians working in permanent practice must also deal with office politics, overhead expenses, administrative hassles, and seniority rank.