There are a variety of motivators for working locum tenens, such as having more control over your work schedule, earning uncapped income, or just a change in scenery. Physicians, advanced practitioners, and CRNAs who accept locum tenens jobs during the warmer months discover many benefits, here are just a few:

  1. Enjoy top-rated summer vacation destinations. Plan your next assignment in an area filled with stunning views, perfect weather, and summer activities such as boat tours, biking paths, beaches, state parks, etc. If you are looking for spectacular scenery, pick up an assignment in Bar Harbor, Maine, or Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Visit the Outer Banks in North Carolina and experience shipwreck diving sites and open-sea beaches. Travel to New York’s Finger Lakes region or Chicago, Illinois, for noteworthy art and entertainment.

  2. Excuse for a road trip. Take a drive down the 469 miles (755 kilometers) Blue Ridge Parkway running through Virginia and North Carolina counties, linking Shenandoah National Park to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This is a road trip you won’t find anywhere else and boasts some of the most spectacular scenery in the world.

  3. Bring family and friends. Summer is the perfect time for your significant other, children, or friends to accompany you on an assignment. Tailor the length of your contract based on what works for your family and friends, whether it’s a two-week adventure or an eight-week getaway. Brainstorm places and activities everyone enjoys or would like to experience, establish location options with your recruiter, and involve the whole group in the selection process. (Of course, you can bring your significant other and kids on assignment any time of year. Several clinicians who practice locum tenens away from home always take their families along.)

  4. Allow other providers to enjoy a well-deserved summer break. Making it possible for a peer to take time off and maintain continuity of quality care for patients is a great way to give back to your profession. For many physicians, particularly those who live in rural areas and have solo practices, the absence of regular vacations leads to burnout, career dissatisfaction, and a desire to leave clinical practice. With your assistance, another clinician can unwind, enjoy hobbies, and regroup, allowing the clinician to return to work refreshed and exhilarated (and consider returning the favor to another physician)!

If you want to turn work into mini-vacations this summer, check out our available locum tenens assignments here.