How to Become a Traveling Doctor

Doctors are medical professionals that provide treatment in settings such as hospitals or medical offices. Sometimes doctors work in the same location each day. For instance, a doctor may be hired to work at a hospital on a permanent basis, which requires the doctor to come to the same hospital to work each day. However, sometimes physicians are hired to be traveling doctors who do "locums tenens" work. Locums tenens is a Latin term that means "one who holds the place," and it refers to the fact that the travel doctor is there temporarily to take the place of another doctor who is on vacation or otherwise absent. Traveling doctors work for several weeks or several months in a location, then they move to another location, where they work for several weeks or months, depending on the job. Becoming a traveling doctor is challenging. However, if you have sufficient academic skills to complete medical school and become a doctor and if you are willing to accept moving every few months, being a traveling doctor could be for you.

Instructions

1

Decide where you want to travel as a doctor once you have attained your medical license. Decide if you hope to travel and work in a city or a small town. Decide also the length of the assignment that you want. Determine if you are comfortable with working at the same place for a few months or if you prefer to work at the same place for six months or a year before moving on.

2

Seek a staffing agency that specializes in the recruitment of travel doctors. As to which agency to choose, much depends on where you hope to travel. Some agencies specialize in placement of travel doctors within a certain area, while other agencies have placements nationwide. Before settling on one agency, talk to several staffing agencies to determine which agency would be the best fit for your needs as a travel doctor.

3

When talking with the staffing agency, ask for details. For example, ask about salary and find out if medical insurance and life insurance will be provided as part of the work assignment. Find out if any kind of retirement account or 401k is offered, how many hours per week you will be required to work, exactly what will be required of you and if housing will be provided as part of the job package. Very often housing is included with the job offer, or if not, a supplemental housing stipend to find your own housing.