The stability of the 9-5 work schedule, Monday through Friday, at the same practice may be ideal for some physicians. In contrast, others may be more interested in various professional and travel opportunities by looking for GP Locum jobs. Many of these adventurous individuals are seeking short-term contract positions as temporary physicians in a variety of settings. Perhaps you have stumbled upon the greatest career advice you can find if you are interested in seeing more of Australia while working! Here’s what you need to know about working as a locum doctor in Australia.
What are the benefits of working as a medical locum?
To flourish in a locum working environment, you must have a specific type of personality – changing jobs regularly, moving around, and tackling new challenges isn’t for everyone. For those who are willing to accept locum assignments, they can have a lot of perks. To succeed as a locum tenens physician, you need to possess the following traits:
The desire to travel and experience new things.
You can be placed all over Australia as a locum, so you must be flexible. Especially in smaller practices where you may be the only treating physician, you need to be able to juggle a range of medical responsibilities.
A desire to develop your career.
Providing medical care in all sorts of practices and communities across the country is part of being a locum GP. This can be an excellent learning opportunity for you, especially when you start in medicine.
Characteristics that make you likable.
The ability to work with different medical colleagues and patients regularly is a requirement for locum tenens doctors.
Check those boxes, do you? A locum tenens career may be right for you!
As a locum tenens physician, you can enjoy these five benefits
The following are just a few of the many benefits of switching to a locum medical career:
1) Travel possibilities
You may be the only doctor in bush towns where you are the only patient for miles. The locum life can take you all over Australia. Temporary doctor jobs allow you to experience everything that Australia offers, whether you prefer busy cities or secluded Outbacks, or vibrant tropics.
The length of healthcare assignments varies as well, which gives you a wide range of professional experiences. You can travel overseas while maintaining complete control of where you go and how long you stay – all without taking time out from your medical career.
2) Flexibility in career choices
The majority of locum tenens assignments are short-term, usually to cover for another doctor who is away from the office.
Since this is a temporary position, you may choose how often you work and how many hours you operate. Taking on locum work can easily be integrated with other responsibilities, like caring for children or pursuing a full-time hobby. As an independent contractor, you’ll have the flexibility to work weekends or after hours or leave for a few hours in the afternoon if you need to!
3) Continuing education and training
A doctor’s professional skills are better developed as they are exposed to various medical roles. Several responsibilities can limit a GP’s drive to pursue further training – familiarity breeds lethargy after all! Where you work full time in the same practice year after year can hamper your ability to pursue new training!
The situation of locum tenens is more distant from this kind of stagnation of professional development. Since placements are temporary, doctors will be placed in various environments with varying resources, patient types, and support staff. By doing this, you’ll face new challenges every day and will always be prepared for anything you can encounter in your career!
4) Attempting to land a permanent role through trial runs
Interviews alone won’t help you find your dream doctor job, the one that will prepare you for life. Please be sure that the medical practice you see on the surface is the right place for you down the road, but how can you be sure? During locum appointments, medical professionals have the opportunity to learn about a variety of clinics and positions across the country. Especially early in their careers, doctors can use this sample to determine whether they are interested in working in a small or large practice, private or public sector, big cities, or small towns.
5) Increased incentives and remuneration
Locum work can offer highly attractive opportunities for short-term contracts, as well as the security of a regular income from a full-time job. The role of locums is often filling for a medical practitioner who is away on annual leave or another assignment. For this reason, practice managers must find the right candidate quickly. A clinic’s manager must also minimize the time a clinic is without its general practitioner, so they frequently offer highly lucrative remuneration and incentives to encourage doctors to take the job immediately.
Here’s how you can break down a locum income
Even though locum doctor income can be significantly higher than that of resident doctors, calculating an accurate locum salary over a year depends on several factors, including:
- The number of assignments doctors take on/how often they work.
- Choosing where to practice medicine.
- Private or public sector GPs.
- Doctors work in practices or clinics that are of various sizes.
- Medicare bulk billing is optional for medical practitioners.
There is a difference in rates between states and districts in Australia based on the number of nearby practices and their remoteness. GP roles in metropolitan or rural/remote areas typically range from $1,200 a day – $1,500 a day, but a good starting point is typically between $1,200 and $1,500. Positions in emergency medicine range from $1,800 per day to $2,200 per day.
Doctor in Australia
As a locum, you can manage your career in various ways, but the most important thing to remember is that you are in control of your earnings – the more you work, the more you earn. Nevertheless, some people are willing to sacrifice higher earnings to spend more time with family or pursue hobbies if they want to be more selective with their hours and assignments. With locum work, your options are endless – and you might find the perfect role just around the corner!