The healthcare industry is facing a significant primary care physician (PCP) shortage that's impacting treatment access, quality, and consistency across the U.S. According to a recent Washington Post article, the number of primary care positions offered to medical students by the National Resident Matching Program soared to record heights in 2019. Unfortunately, the overall percentage of primary care positions filled by fourth-year medical students dipped to the lowest number on record.

A career as a Locum Tenens physician yields a multitude of professional and personal benefits. Locum Tenens positions allow you to travel the country, gain exposure to multiple healthcare environments, and enjoy workplace flexibility not often found at standard medical practices and facilities. Pursuing medical staffing jobs also typically offers a higher salary than full-time positions and can even deliver an opportunity to "test drive" a particular practice setting to determine if it's the right choice for you.

Launching Your Locum Tenens Career? Ask These Three Questions to Find the Right Agency

Lao Tzu said: “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” The first step in your successful locum tenens journey begins by selecting the right locum tenens firm. It’s an important decision, which can (and often does) color your entire experience as a locum tenens physician. Go into the process armed with the information you need to select a qualified, experienced, and innovative locum tenens recruiter for your job search. Below are three essential questions to ask every prospective locum tenens agency before making your final decision.

The robust Locum Tenens job market offers physicians across multiple healthcare specialties an opportunity to travel and expand on their current professional skill set while treating patients on a national scale. As this employment model continues to gain momentum within the medical staffing industries, many practitioners recognize that partnering with a reputable Locum Tenens staffing firm offers the best, most direct route to landing the right opportunity. That's the good news.