Locum tenens jobs are often associated with short-term coverage, but assignments can range from a single shift to several months or longer. For physicians and advanced practitioners, that range creates a wide spectrum of options, from brief locum tenens jobs that supplement a permanent position to longer locum tenens assignments that resemble a full-time schedule.
Since the length of a locum tenens assignment affects schedule, income, travel, and family life, it is one of the first details that many physicians and advanced practitioners want to clarify. Knowing how facilities typically structure locum tenens assignments makes it easier to identify opportunities that align with personal and professional goals.
How Long is a Locum Tenens Assignment?
Locum tenens jobs vary in duration based on facility needs, specialty demand, and provider availability. While every locum tenens opportunity is unique, most assignments fall into three general categories:
Short-Term Locum Tenens Assignments: Days to Several Weeks
Short-term locum tenens jobs typically cover immediate gaps in coverage, such as vacations, brief medical leaves, or seasonal surges.
Locum tenens jobs on the shorter side are ideal for physicians and advanced practitioners who want to earn supplemental income while continuing in a W-2 or permanent role, maintain a flexible schedule, or try locum tenens before committing to full-time work.
Mid-Length Locum Tenens Assignments: 1-3 Months
Mid-length locum tenens assignments often support facilities during temporary vacancies, extended leave, or active recruitment for permanent providers. These locum tenens jobs help maintain continuity of care while teams work through staffing changes or ramp up new programs.
For physicians and advanced practitioners, mid-length locum tenens jobs offer enough time to fully engage with a facility and its patients, build familiarity with workflows, and contribute meaningfully to the team without taking on a long-term commitment.
Long-Term Locum Tenens Assignments: 6+ Months to a Year
Long-term locum tenens jobs are common when facilities face ongoing staffing shortages, hard-to-fill positions, or extended staffing transitions. This can include shifting from an outsourced to an employed model or opening a new service line that requires sustained coverage while the permanent team is being built.
These longer locum tenens jobs offer physicians and advanced practitioners greater consistency and stability, along with the opportunity to build deeper professional relationships and integrate with the local community, while still preserving the flexibility and independence of a locum tenens career.
Why Do Locum Tenens Assignments Vary in Length?
The duration of a locum tenens assignment depends on the specific needs of the healthcare facility. Hospitals and clinics bring in locum tenens physicians and advanced practitioners for many reasons, and those directly influence whether the work lasts a few days or several months.
Covering Vacations & Sick Leave
When a permanent physician or advanced practitioner takes time off for a short vacation or an unexpected illness, locum tenens steps in to keep schedules running smoothly and maintain access to care. These locum tenens assignments are typically brief and generally align with the length of the absence, often ranging from a few days to a few weeks.
Supporting Maternity, Parental, or Sabbatical Leave
Longer absences, such as maternity, parental, or sabbatical leave, often call for several months of temporary coverage. Facilities often arrange locum tenens contracts for a duration of two to six months to support continuity of care and minimize disruptions until the permanent physician or advanced practitioner returns.
Bridging Staffing Gaps & Recruiting Delays
With ongoing physician shortages across the country, many healthcare facilities rely on locum tenens coverage while they recruit permanent staff. Because full-time physician and advanced practitioner recruitment can take several months, locum tenens assignments often extend for half a year or longer, depending on hiring timelines, specialty demand, and patient volumes.
Responding to Seasonal Increases in Patient Volumes
During periods of heightened patient demand, such as flu season, healthcare facilities bring in locum tenens for short-term support. These locum tenens assignments might cover a few weeks during the busiest periods, ending once patient volumes return to baseline.
Opening a New Facility or Program
When health systems open new locations or expand services, locum tenens physicians and advanced practitioners often provide early coverage while permanent teams are being assembled. These locum tenens assignments generally last several months, ensuring uninterrupted care as operations ramp up.
Aligning with Specialty & Location Demands
The medical specialty as well as the location of the healthcare facility heavily influence assignment length. Hard-to-staff specialties, such as radiology and anesthesiology, as well as roles in rural or underserved communities, often require longer locum tenens assignments, sometimes lasting six months or more. By contrast, urban hospitals with more staff may only need short-term help for brief coverage gaps.
Accounting for Credentialing, Licensing, & Facility Policies
Administrative requirements can also shape how long a locum tenens assignment makes sense. Credentialing, state licensing, hospital privileging, and facility-specific onboarding all add time to the start of an engagement; therefore, many healthcare organizations prefer assignment lengths that make this investment worthwhile.
Locum tenens staffing agencies, such as Medicus, help coordinate licensing, credentialing, and onboarding on behalf of physicians and advanced practitioners, streamlining the process and supporting a smoother start to each assignment.
The Benefits of Varied Locum Tenens Assignment Lengths
Having access to short, mid-length, and long-term locum tenens assignments gives physicians and advanced practitioners more control over how, when, and where they practice. Some of the benefits include:
- Supporting Work-Life Balance: With a range of locum tenens assignment lengths, physicians and advanced practitioners can choose locum jobs that align with schedules, family commitments, and planned time off, which helps keep a healthier work-life balance.
- Broadening Clinical Experience: Working locum tenens assignments of varying lengths across diverse clinical settings exposes physicians and advanced practitioners to a wide range of patient populations and care environments. Over time, this variety can enhance adaptability, deepen clinical skills, and broaden experience across different healthcare settings.
- Aligning Work with Financial Goals: Many physicians and advanced practitioners use locum tenens to support specific financial objectives. Short-term locum tenens jobs can supplement income to boost savings, pay down debt, or cover major expenses. Longer-term locum tenens jobs typically offer higher earning potential compared to traditional roles in certain specialties and locations due to the temporary nature of the work.
- Expanding Access to Care in High-Need Areas: Many physicians and advanced practitioners value locum tenens work for its impact on underserved communities. Whether for a few weeks or several months, these locum tenens assignments help close care gaps and improve access to care for patients who might otherwise go without timely treatment.
The Benefits of Partnering with Medicus for Locum Tenens Assignments
There are many benefits to working locum tenens, but finding the right fit, in both length and location, is easier with the right support. Medicus is a leading locum tenens agency that takes a personalized, hands-on approach to help each locum tenens physician and advanced practitioner secure locum jobs that align with their goals, lifestyle, and scheduling preferences.
Tailored Job Matching
At Medicus, every placement begins with the individual physician or advanced practitioner. Our recruiters take time to understand key preferences, including:
- Desired assignment length (short-term, long-term, or recurring)
- Ideal locations and travel flexibility
- Scheduling needs, such as preferred days or timeframes off
- Career objectives and lifestyle goals
Once these criteria are defined, we share only those locum tenens opportunities that align with the physician’s or advanced practitioner’s parameters. This helps reduce time spent sorting through assignments that are not a fit.
Flexible Locum Tenens Job Options
With access to a nationwide network of healthcare organizations and roles across many specialties, Medicus offers a wide range of locum tenens opportunities. Whether a physician or advanced practitioner is looking for:
- A two-week assignment close to home
- A multi-month position in another region
- A recurring locum tenens role that fits around other commitments
Our recruiters narrow options based on availability, location preferences, and desired assignment duration.
Schedule Coordination
At Medicus, we recognize that time and balance are central to a sustainable career. Our team works closely with each physician and advanced practitioner, as well as with the facility, to align locum jobs with individual scheduling preferences, including:
- Weekday-only or alternating week schedules
- Specific months reserved for personal plans
- Seasonal or part-time work preferences
Because every physician and advanced practitioner defines flexibility differently, we collaborate to identify locum tenens opportunities and scheduling that support both their professional goals and life outside of work.
Contract Negotiation
Medicus acts as an advocate in discussions between physicians and advanced practitioners and the hiring facility. Our team helps manage key aspects of the contract and, when appropriate, will request adjustments such as:
- Shortening an assignment from the initially posted length
- Extending an assignment at a facility where the physician or advanced practitioner would like to stay longer
- Adjusting start or end dates for better timing
- Reviewing compensation details in the context of market demand and assignment requirements
Our goal is to help arrive at an agreement that works well for both the physician or advanced practitioner and the facility.
Exclusive Transition Projects
Through the Medicus Transition Program, teams of locum tenens physicians and advanced practitioners help facilities bridge large gaps in coverage and stabilize or rebuild service lines. These projects offer meaningful, longer-term opportunities for those interested in supporting high-need communities.
Physicians and Advanced Practitioners Can:
- Help restore or strengthen key service lines during staffing transitions
- Support ongoing access to care in high-demand or underserved areas
- Take on multi-month locum tenens assignments that offer both stability and impact
Seamless Support from Start to Finish
Medicus manages the administrative and logistical details that help locum tenens assignments run smoothly. This comprehensive support enables physicians and advanced practitioners to choose assignments with confidence, knowing that key steps are supported by our internal teams.
Our In-House Services Include:
- Licensing & Credentialing Assistance: Our teams help coordinate required documentation and paperwork to support a timely start.
- Travel Support: Our travel team arranges transportation and lodging, allowing physicians and advanced practitioners to focus on patient care.
- Ongoing Locum Tenens Job Support: For those taking back-to-back assignments, we help support a smooth transition between roles.
- MedicusIQ Portal: Through the MedicusIQ Portal, physicians and advanced practitioners can access assignment details, travel itineraries, schedules, timesheets, and more in one convenient location, creating a seamless locum tenens experience from start to finish.
Interested in partnering with Medicus for your next locum tenens assignment? View our open locum jobs here or complete the short form below to connect with a Medicus recruiter.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can a Locum Tenens Assignment be Extended?
Yes. Extensions are common when both the facility and the locum tenens physician or advanced practitioner agree, especially if a permanent hire has not been secured. Interested physicians and advanced practitioners should discuss extension preferences early with their recruiter, who can help coordinate details. Some limits may apply depending on budget, hiring progress, and other factors.
What is the Shortest Possible Locum Tenens Assignment?
Most short-term locum jobs run about 3 to 14 days. These locum tenens jobs fill brief staffing gaps or vacation coverage.
How Long Can a Locum Tenens Assignment Last?
Many locum tenens jobs start at 3, 6, or 12 months, but renewals can extend beyond a year. Multi-year locum tenens jobs are less common and are usually tied to ongoing staffing needs or highly specialized positions.
Can a Locum Tenens Position Turn into a Permanent Job?
Yes. Many physicians and advanced practitioners transition from locum tenens to permanent roles when both sides find a good fit. A locum tenens assignment can act as a trial run for a long-term position.
