Medical Malpractice

Newly graduated physicians, especially those who do not have to fulfill any pressing personal responsibilities, may choose to find a locum tenens job in order to test the professional environment. This opportunity is highly beneficial for individuals who are not sure in what type of institute they would like to practice medicine. By experiencing a wide range of professional contexts the physician is able to assess the one that is most appropriate for him.

Generally, locums are required to possess the skills and abilities needed to successfully perform the job of the family practice physician. This may include but not be limited to; performing physicals, interpreting the results blood analyses, performing acute non-invasive procedures, assessing illness and referring patients to the appropriate specialist. Aside for those duties that are directly related to patient contact, the family practice locum must also adapt to the immediate social environment. Since staff members such as medical secretaries, nurses assistants, registered nurses and office administrators are not used to working with the locum, a period of social adaptation must traversed. If there is some degree of conflict between the locum and staff members then social adaptation to the environment could be jeopardized. In most contexts the locum must undergo a training period during which he has the opportunity to develop rapport with coworkers.

When medical students finish their studies they may not seek to immediately pass the board. Most family practice locum jobs offer a convenient alternative because they do not require a state board license, but only state board eligibility. If a physician spends several years working as a locum he may reside in many different states before finally settling for a staff position. If all medical establishments required that the locum possess a state license , they would quickly limit the number of potential applicants.

Although family practice locums do not receive the same salary as staff physicians they do usually earn six figure incomes even for temporary work. For example, a locum may be hired to help a community clinic that has been affected by particular epidemic such as the flu. The assignment may only require the locum to work for a maximum of two weeks. However, the remuneration for the given time period will be adjusted to the expected salary on a year long basis. If the salary is $120,000 per year, a two week assignment may be worth 5,000.

While employed by a qualifying medical institution, the locum will usually receive the same benefits as the staff physician, which may include full health insurance as well as company paid malpractice coverage. If the locum was hired to replace a staff physician on temporary leave it is expected of him to uphold the same schedule and on call availability. In some cases, especially if the physician had full list of patients, the locum may have to undergo a chaotic adaptation period.