When it comes to being a locum tenens provider, Dr. Richard C., an emergency medicine physician from Pennsylvania, has seen it all. In fact, he started taking locum assignments right after he finished his final fellowship in the early 1990s, when “I had dark hair and my mustache was black,” he joked.
Over the years, Richard took locum tenens jobs across the United States, in Maryland, New York, New Mexico, and even on a few Native American reservations. But it wasn’t until he connected with Wellhart for assignments when he realized how simple the locum tenens recruitment and credentialing process could actually be for providers like him when done right.
“Without question, [working with Wellhart] has been one of the smoothest processes, and it’s because of individuals like my recruiter and the credentialing team, who have been phenomenal. I would recommend them to anyone,” Richard said. “They have made opportunities for me that would not have existed had they not taken the time to listen to my preferences and figure a few things out.”
It’s that careful attention to detail and respect for his wishes as a provider that made Wellhart stand out to Richard. He credits both his recruiter, Mo, and the credentialing professional he worked closely with, Maggie, for making the process straightforward and easy. Their combined professionalism allowed him to focus on what matters most: caring for patients.
“I’ve been doing locums for many different assignments, and I can say that this is truthfully one of the best processes—certainly within the last five to ten years—of accessing a job and then the support of getting through to where I’m actually on the schedule,” he said.
The Evolution of Locum Tenens Work
Richard graduated from medical school as an emergency medicine physician in the mid-1980s, but after he finished his residency, he completed fellowships that granted him specialization in pediatric emergency medicine.
Since he started taking locum tenens assignments, Richard said he’s seen the industry change tremendously. When he first became a locum, Richard said the paperwork was less complicated, and the job placement process was more direct between recruiters and healthcare facilities.
While other locum tenens agencies may have not figured out how to handle these changes to make the process seamless for providers, Richard says Wellhart has. He said Maggie, on Wellhart’s credentialing team, was integral in helping him fill out forms that he would have “stumbled over.”
“She literally did all of the clerical work for me which was a huge help,” Richard said. “Some places don’t do that—they turn it back to you and say, ‘Fill it out, doctor.’”
It wasn’t just Maggie who made finding an assignment easy for Richard—his recruiter, Mo, took charge and handled the complex ins and outs of the recruiting process that could cause headaches.
“He knew what he was doing—and there’s a lot of people who don’t,” Richard said. “In many cases, the recruiter only knows the front end of it but can’t tell you what the next few steps are. What I like about Mo is that when he took over my case, he knew all of the steps.”
The Wellhart Advantage
Richard plans on starting his very first Wellhart assignments in July at two hospitals in his home state of Pennsylvania—jobs which he said had been advertised for about a year. Richard talked to about six or seven different locum tenens agencies about these open assignments, but he chose Wellhart to help him secure them.
“Mo and Wellhart were the first ones that I felt comfortable moving forward with,” he said. “I just didn’t feel comfortable letting anyone else present me until I talked to Mo.”
Richard felt so at ease working with Mo because of the careful and close attention Mo paid to his preferences and concerns. He also felt as though Mo was in his corner throughout the entire process.
“I didn’t feel that any of the other recruiting firms with whom I spoke were connected strongly enough to the hospital, and had my back enough to push to make sure that if I was presented that I would get hired,” Richard said.
Ultimately, Richard said that he couldn’t trust other recruiting firms to back him up and advance his case far enough for these specific jobs.
“He respected what I wanted to do, my preferences, and my reluctances,” Richard said about Mo.
Why Dr. Richard C. Chooses Locum Tenens Work
There are many reasons why a medical provider might choose to do temporary locum tenens assignments over working in a permanent position, but for Richard, the decision came down to the fact that locums often make more money. Not to mention, locum tenens providers also often don’t have to attend staff meetings like permanent providers do.
“By going locum you have better money, a better schedule, and have to go to less meetings where no one cares what you have to say,” he said.
While traveling the country is often a major incentive for providers to choose the locum tenens lifestyle, this isn’t the case for Richard. However, he said he does recognize that seeing new places is an important benefit for many, and that locum tenens can be a great excuse to see new places.
“It’s there for some people,” Richard said. “There’s none of the romance of going to a new place for me, personally.”
Richard had one piece of advice for medical providers who are looking to start locum tenens work: pick Wellhart.
“I am truly happy with Wellhart, Mo, and Maggie, and the sincere personal attention they’ve shown,” Richard said.
If you’re a healthcare provider looking to take on a locum tenens assignment, check out our open positions and reach out to our talented recruiters to get started.