What is locum tenens? A beginner's guide
October 20, 2025
Originally designed to help rural communities fill temporary staffing gaps, locum tenens has grown into an option for doctors seeking autonomy, better work-life balance, and a break from burnout. Whether you're early in your career or simply ready for a change, locums lets you practice on your terms—without the long-term commitment.
The benefits of locum tenens
Some physicians grow dissatisfied with their long-term roles and seek a change and renewed vigor for the medical field. Locum tenens gave Dr. Rip Patel, an emergency medicine physician, a way to love medicine again.
“I was on staff, and I just wasn’t happy in my situation. I grew concerned with my mental well-being, and the schedule was difficult. I felt I was constantly working on days I didn’t want to work. I was missing family events. Then, the first time you hear about locum tenens, you’re immediately like, “This is obviously something I can never do.” You convince yourself you don’t want to break out of your mold and change.”
But he did, and ever since, he’s now content in his professional life, because, he says, the benefits of working locum tenens are undeniable.
With locum tenens, you can expect:
A better work-life balance
Extra income and financial freedom
More travel and opportunity for adventure
Skill enhancement and professional growth
Find a better work-life balance
One of the biggest draws of locum tenens is the flexibility it offers. Unlike most permanent roles, locum tenens assignments give physicians control over when and where they work. As a locum healthcare provider, you can choose between short-term assignments, long-term placements, a few locums shifts a month, or test drive a new city or practice.
Physicians who’ve embraced locums often describe it as a way to reclaim their career autonomy. Dr. Patel referred to himself as having a “locums private practice”.
By stepping out of rigid call schedules or administrative burdens of traditional staff roles, locum tenens providers find more space to recharge mentally, spend more time with family, and reconnect with why they went into medicine in the first place—to help others.
I think patients appreciate that I’m there for their care to do the best job and really know I’m purely there for them.
Extra income and financial freedom
Locum tenens jobs provide flexibility both in scheduling and strong earning potential. They typically offer competitive rates for many specialties, and if you work with an agency, you’ll typically be provided with complimentary malpractice insurance coverage, free travel and housing, and licensing and credentialing assistance.
For some physicians in permanent roles, locums becomes a way to earn supplemental income. This could help pay off student loans, cover family expenses, or build savings. For others, it’s a strategic path to achieving larger financial goals.
OB-GYN Dr. Shyrlena Bogard, for example, saved enough through locums work to launch her integrative wellness practice.
Locums gave me the financial freedom to invest in myself and my community, and I was able to fulfill my lifelong dream of owning my own practice.
Whatever your reasons, locum tenens work can offer increased earning potential, whether you choose to make a career of it or simply take on extra work during weekends or vacations from your staff job.
Ready to explore locums? Learn how locum tenens compensation works
Travel and adventure
Since locum tenens assignments are available in every state, from small-town clinics to large academic centers, you can find new opportunities in new environments and feel renewed in your goals as a provider. However, the opportunities with locum tenens aren’t isolated to the continental United States. Some agencies have locums opportunities in countries like New Zealand and Canada, and U.S. territories like Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands are all in need of locum tenens physicians in most specialties.
Dr. Rip Patel described locums as a way to combine medicine with adventure.
I get to see the country, work in different environments, and still maintain the flexibility to live life on my terms.
Skill enhancement and professional growth
Remaining in the same work environment for extended periods can hinder career development and limit the growth of new skills. Because locum physicians practice in diverse settings, they can quickly build a broader scope of experience than they might have in a single, long-term, staff role.
Who is a good fit for locum tenens?
Early career physicians
If you’re finishing residency or a fellowship, locum tenens can offer the chance to explore different practice settings before you commit to a permanent role. Think of it as a test run for your new specialty or environment. Additionally, locum tenens roles can ease the transition into independent practice by providing new medical providers with mentorship from colleagues and diverse experiences in varied environments.
Mid-career physicians
If you find yourself deep into your career, some physicians often turn to locums to avoid burnout, earn supplemental income, or test new specialties and practice settings. The variety can energize you to continue your medical career journey without feeling deprived of new opportunities that wouldn’t be available in a staff position.
Late-career physicians
For those in careers nearing retirement, locums provides a flexible way to scale back their schedule while still staying engaged in medicine. Locum tenens assignments can be tailored to fewer hours, specific locations, or preferred practice types. Locums can be a bridge to retirement and allow you to reclaim your time and energy.
Ready for a change? Locum tenens might be the answer
Why locum tenens is more than just a job
So, what is locum tenens really? It’s not just about filling in where you’re needed; locum tenens is a lifestyle. It’s a career option that gives physicians something increasingly rare in medicine: choice. Locum tenens allows healthcare providers to choose how to balance their medical work and personal life. They have the option of where and how to practice. They have the choice in what the next chapter of a medical career looks like.
Suppose you’re looking for flexible medical jobs, whether an early career doctor seeking experience, a mid-career physician looking for change, or a late-career provider easing into retirement. In that case, locum tenens jobs provide options at every stage of your employment.
How to know if locum tenens jobs are right for you
Curious about how locum tenens works beyond the basics? You can download our free resource: A Physician’s Guide to Working as an Independent Contractor.
Interested in locum tenens opportunities in your specialty? View current locum tenens openings or give us a call at 800.453.3030.