The appeal of independence, flexibility, and patient-centered care that comes with owning a private practice is undeniable for many physicians and advanced practitioners. At the same time, establishing and maintaining a practice requires significant commitment, with attention to business operations, overhead, and long-term planning.

Working locum tenens provides many of the same benefits as practice ownership without the ongoing responsibilities of running a business. It allows you to focus on your clinical career while maintaining balance and flexibility in your professional life.

What Makes Locum Tenens Work Feel Like Owning Your Own Practice?

Enjoying Work-Life Balance & Flexibility

Owning a private practice offers the independence to be your own boss and design your schedule. It can be deeply rewarding, yet the reality of running a business means that responsibility often follows you home. Managing staff, finances, and operations can make it challenging to fully step away, which can impact work-life balance and increase the likelihood of burnout over time.

The Locum Tenens Advantage: A locum tenens career gives you similar independence without the ongoing demands of ownership. As a locum tenens physician or advanced practitioner, you select your assignments, determine your schedule, and focus solely on patient care. When your clinical day ends, so does your work, creating the space to recharge and maintain work-life balance.

Delivering Meaningful, Patient-Centered Care

One of the most rewarding aspects of private practice is the ability to build long-term patient relationships and to make a lasting impact on your community. However, owning your own practice often requires years of commitment to a single location, which may limit exposure to different clinical experiences.

The Locum Tenens Advantage: Locum tenens work allows you to support communities in a different but equally impactful way. By filling gaps in coverage, you ensure that patients in rural or short-staffed facilities receive timely access to quality care. Locum tenens assignments can also take you to new locations, allowing you to experience different healthcare settings and patient populations. Over time, this variety can expand your skill sets and strengthen your adaptability, allowing you to provide experienced, patient-centered care wherever you go.

Increasing Your Earning Potential

Private practice ownership can increase your income, but it often requires a significant financial investment. Startup costs can range from $70,000 to $100,000, which can be a considerable hurdle, especially for those early in their career.

The Locum Tenens Advantage: Locum tenens work is typically contract-based and often provides higher hourly rates than traditional employed roles. As a locum tenens, you can take on additional shifts or choose assignments in locations that offer higher compensation. This flexibility enables you to align your workload and income with your personal and professional goals, without the financial risk associated with ownership.

Starting Your Locum Tenens Career with Confidence

Starting a locum tenens career can feel like stepping into the benefits of practice ownership without taking on the full weight of running a business. You choose when and where you work, focus entirely on patient care, and shape your career around the life you want to lead.

Partnering with Medicus can make the shift to locum tenens work even smoother. Our team supports you with licensing, credentialing, and travel arrangements so you can concentrate on meaningful work. By removing operational hurdles, we enable you to enjoy the independence and flexibility of locum tenens in a way that mirrors the best aspects of owning a private practice—without the added risk or stress.

Ready to get your locum tenens career started with Medicus? Complete the short form below to connect with a Medicus recruiter.

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