Travel Tips for Physicians in Locum Tenens Positions

Are you a Physician that has recently signed up with an agency or looking at taking on a locum tenens role? Most locum tenens positions involve travel, which is one of the many perks of this type of work.

Traveling offers you unique opportunities, exposure to various communities, and different practice settings. Primary Care Providers also have the opportunity to earn slightly higher compensation if they are willing to work in remote areas. Working as a traveling Physician may also offer a unique opportunity for personal growth, perhaps by visiting family members or just enjoying unseen rural areas and other parts of the country.

So, continue reading to discover your seven essential travel tips for locum tenens Hospitalists.

How to Travel in a Physician Role with a Locum Tenens Travel Team

You may find an opportunity in your local area when it comes to short-term assignments and positions. However, many locum tenens roles come with unique travel opportunities for traveling Physicians. While some Physicians may be jet-setting experts, it's a whole new experience when travel is for work instead of leisure.

Working in locum tenens role, you can travel, gain experience, and make your mark as a Primary Care Provider. Whether you work and practice as a Primary Care Physician, Internal Medicine Specialist, Infectious Disease Expert, or another branch of Physician jobs, we are here to help. Here are our top travel tips for Physicians in locum tenens positions.

1. Plan Ahead as Much as Possible

To pave the way for success as a travel Physician, plan as much as possible before your start date. Planning can include connecting with your locum tenens agency, applying for multistate licensure, looking into travel routes, and talking to other travel Physicians who have completed locum tenens work. If you can gather advice, resources, and information before your start date, you can save yourself from a more difficult time in the future as you travel for Physician jobs.

2. Stay in touch with your locum tenens agency

An important tip for traveling Physicians is to keep the lines of communication open with your agency. Staying in contact with your locum tenens rep keeps you informed of any problems during travel while in between jobs. This can include flight delays, hotel cancellations, or other issues traveling Physicians may face.

3. Come prepared with necessary technology

To help stay in touch with your locum tenens agency, have a reliable cell phone and other technology so you can always be reachable. Also, ensure you have both your rep's email, first name and last name, and the agency's contact phone number for any emergencies that may arise. This goes both ways as you should also provide your agency recruiter with your phone, email, and other contact information.

4. Rely on your locum tenens agency for your housing needs

Your locum tenens team works diligently to care for your specific housing needs across state lines. One of the first things they will take care of is finding you a safe place to stay for the duration of yourassignment. This includes asking questions about your preferred type of housing such as a hotel, apartment, or house. Concierge staff members are available 24/7 to help you with any potential travel or housing emergencies.

Working with a locum tenens firm with nationwide reach lets you travel around the country while working as often as you want to offer acute care solutions. Locum tenens agencies handle all the logistics and travel arrangements to help make your next assignment hassle-free. A competent locum travel team takes care of all the details so you can practice medicine and provide care wherever you want while traveling across the United States.

5 . Anticipate unforeseen delays and consider driving instead of flying

Traveling can be unpredictable, so it’s important to have a backup plan and consider other options for Physician travel. Most locum tenens agencies will coordinate your travel and lodging arrangements, including hotels, flights, and rental cars. But, what if the assignment is fairly close to home - say within a five-hour or less drive? Driving to that assignment might be a better choice as airlines offer fewer direct flights.

Time spent driving to and from the airport, layovers, delayed flights, and cancellations can make what should have been a short flight take a long time. And when you choose to drive, you have the option of either driving your car or getting a rental. Either way, you will be reimbursed for gas and mileage when using your vehicle.

6 . Use the support that's available to you

A locum tenens agency like Health Carousel Locum Tenens offers three levels of travel service. Choose as much or as little travel support as needed:

• Essentials - offers optimal flexibility while maximizing compensation
• Advantage - lets you work jobs with an assigned travel coordinator
• Premiere - for the ultimate in first-class accommodations

These different tiers offer a higher level of service so you can focus on treating patients while we take care of all the booking and travel arrangements.

7. Sign up for travel rewards programs

Consider signing up for rewards programs to get the maximumbenefits out of your locum tenens travel assignments if you love traveling. You earn points and miles, which are redeemable for discounts, upgrades, and exclusive services. Even if you plan to stay in a place for at least one year, you can still reap the benefits of travel reward programs.

Sign up and take advantagetravel reward programs such as:

• Hotels - earn free night's stays, hotel restaurant discounts, and room upgrades.
• Airlines - earn airline miles redeemable for flight upgrades, free flights, priority boarding, free checked luggage, and more.
• Rental cars - earn free car upgrades and free rental days.

If the locum tenens agency you are working with is booking your travel, make sure you share your rewards information with them. That way, they can use your member ID during the reservation process.

Reach out to Health Carousel Locum Tenens

No matter your specialty, Health Carousel Locum Tenens can help Hospitalists, Intensivists, Family Medicine Specialists, and more find the perfect locum tenens opportunity for healthcare jobs. We specialize in short-term, temporary, and part-time placement for Primary Care Providers.

Reach out to us today. We are ranked among the top 10 locum agencies in the nation. Our provider-first approach and specialty-focused recruiting teams offer flexible jobs and assignments, ongoing professional development, and income to meet your needs.

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