LocumLife - May 2008 - (Page 22)

eurology advice is to be prepared, and to know what others anticipate from you. “As a locum tenens physician, you are expected to provide the best neurological care that you can to handle the variety of situations, and to serve the needs of the medical staff with respect to consultations, either in an intensive care or a medical-surgical setting. You are also expected to manage the outpatient needs of the community.” “Because of locum tenens, I have handled neurologic conditions I have not seen regularly since training.” —Jeffrey Rosenfeld, PhD, MD, FAAN Key to success, he advises, is flexibility. “You need to be flexible, and this is not unique to neurology. Every locum tenens practitioner is fulfilling a need. Whatever you are there to do, you cannot have predetermined notions about the kind of patient you will or will not see. Relax and take it as it comes. Also, if you are the only neurologist, you do not have the luxury of walking down the hall and getting another opinion from a colleague. So, rely on your assessment and critical thinking skills and offer the best treatment you can, whether you are a generalist or specialist.” Focus on interpersonal relationships with staff, as well. “Introduce yourself and become integrated into that culture for the time you are there,” offers Dr. Rosenfeld. “Talk to colleagues and ask about the restaurants they like in the area and where they go after hours. Not only do you engage them in nonmedical conversation, you also learn where to spend your off time and you show an interest in their community.” Although he will continue with locum tenens for the time being, a new career move is on the horizon for Dr. Rosenfeld. “I have a contract to be the chief of neurology for a new university-based program on the West Coast. They were attracted by my experience of having set up neurology divisions and a department in the past, so if all goes as planned, that is what I will be doing by the end of the summer.” TAKING THE TIME “I used to have my own private solo practice on the West Coast, but for multiple reasons—the managed care system, high premiums, low and delayed reimbursement, and a demanding call schedule— I was forced to close,” recalls Victor Jaramillo, MD, who has 13 years of experience in neurology, with subspecialties in neurophysiology and neuromuscular disease. “At that point, I decided to pursue locum tenens.” A part-time locum tenens neurologist since 2004, Dr. Jaramillo also works as a permanent employee at a private practice in the Mid-Atlantic, using his free time for opportunities. He has accepted multiple contracts through various staffing firms, including Dallas, Texas-based Delta Locum Tenens. “I predominantly practice locum tenens within multi-specialty practices and hospitals, and I prefer contracts lasting at least 2 or 3 weeks,” says Dr. Jaramillo, who has five state licenses. “In addition, I do not cover for practices where I am required to see a minimum number of patients within a certain timeframe, as I practice medicine the way doctors did in the old days, when comprehensive histories and physician examinations were done and patient relationships were of paramount importance. This is how medicine should be practiced, but doctors, for many reasons, cannot do that. Locum tenens, however, offers that advantage.” When entering a new contract locale, Dr. Jaramillo knows what to expect.“I practice adult and pediatric neurology, and my patients represent every age range,” he notes. “My role typically involves consults in the ICU and ED, interpretations of electroencephalograms (EEGs), electromyographies (EMGs), evoked potentials, and diagnostic spinal taps, among others.” One patient still stands out in his mind. “There was a female patient in her mid-40s who came in with www.LocumLife.com What to expect ● Acclimating to the technology at each facility. ● Familiarizing yourself with recordkeeping, dictation, and scheduling protocols. ● Learning new names and seeing new faces. ● Forming short-term relationships with patients. ● Having the potential for providing a different diagnosis than previously given. ● Being presented with a growing number of increasingly complex pathologies. 22 LocumLife MAY 2008 http://www.LocumLife.com

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LocumLife - May 2008

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