Becoming a locum doctor offers lots of benefits, such as the opportunity to gain experience within the medical industry, flexibility, variety of work and the chance to travel to different parts of the world. Not to mention that it can be a great choice financially.
Enhanced Flexibility
The flexibility of locum work is one of its key advantages. Doctors can take up positions that range from a day up to a year and can choose the hours and days that they wish to work. This means that as well as having the flexibility to work around their other commitments, locum doctors can opt to increase their hours if they wish to earn more money.
Variety of Work
Medical recruitment agencies such as Tu Recruit, founded by Dr Adam Alexander, know that many healthcare professionals choose locum work due to the variety it offers. Locums can be involved in everything from supporting specific departments to covering last-minute shifts, experiencing a wide range of medical disciplines in the process.
Financial Benefits
There are a number of financial benefits that come with working as a locum doctor. For example, locum doctors tend to earn a higher hourly rate compared with permanent doctors. They are also often eligible to receive overtime pay, which can significantly boost their earnings.
Opportunity to Travel
As a locum, doctors can choose to either work at hospitals local to them that they’re familiar with or take the opportunity to travel to practice. This is particularly great for those who love to travel and enjoy experiencing different cultures across the UK.
Exploring Career Options
For junior doctors, locum work is an effective way to explore a variety of roles and responsibilities and experience different working environments. This can help doctors make a decision regarding their future career options. Locum work is also a chance for senior doctors to explore other areas of healthcare, outside of their specialism, if they’re considering a change of career direction.
Work-Life Balance
Locum doctor roles allow for more autonomy in relation to work-life balance. By choosing the locations and hours they wish to work, locum doctors can retain control over their lifestyle and fit their work into other commitments, such as those relating to childcare and the outside interests they like to pursue.
For more information about working as a locum doctor and how this can help reduce staffing shortages within healthcare systems, take a look at the embedded PDF.