LocumLife - July 2008 - (Page 32)

DESTINATIONS La vita locum Memorable tales from the road Reliving the dream Former Peace Corps volunteer and radiologist Murray Schwartz, DO, takes advantage of the locum tenens lifestyle to return to his roots. Amy Sutton people coming from the outer islands to the district center to work.” With the Marshallese language he remembered, Dr. Schwartz touched base with old friends who had gone on to play key roles in the islands’ current government and economy. His exotic excursion also allowed him to trek back to his old island home.“The islands are maybe a tenth of a mile wide and maybe as much as a mile long, and the people live on the lagoon side,” Dr. Schwartz explains. Although he resided in a thatched hut without electricity during his first stay, island homes now sported aluminum roofs and solar panels. I n 1966, Dr. Schwartz, who was a chemist at the time, hopped a plane and began an adventure that would bring him full circle four decades later. A 2-year stint with the Peace Corps in the Marshall Islands, a Micronesian nation in the western Pacific Ocean, left Dr. Schwartz with a lifetime longing to return. “I always talked about the Marshalls to my wife Joni, my friends, and colleagues. And even though it was only 2 years, it was a big part of my life. It really got me interested in seeing the world and I have traveled extensively since then.” As part of the first Peace Corps group to aid the Marshallese, Dr. Schwartz participated in a variety of goodwill projects, including building schools, teaching languages, planting gardens, and immunizing residents. Later, he visited Asia, the Middle East, and Europe on his own and with the U.S. Army. But even after returning home and settling in the Northeast, starting a family, and beginning a radiology career that spanned 22 years, Dr. Schwartz always felt his overseas experiences tugging at his heart. With an upcoming 6-week break between contracts, Dr. Schwartz contemplated filling his down time with work at home. But when Joni urged him to consider revisiting the islands, he took advantage of the freedom offered by locum tenens and booked a return flight to the Marshalls. GOING BACK IN TIME Upon his arrival in Majuro, the islands’ district center, Dr. Schwartz noticed tremendous changes. “When I was there in the 1960s, the population was about 4,000; now it is about 25,000, with 32 LocumLife JULY 2008 MURRAY SCHWARTZ, DO, with long-time friend, Jerry Kramer, in the islands. places and to explore each of them, not just to provide services,” Dr. Schwartz says.“I have always taken vacations, a week here and a week there. But in the Marshall Islands, I had 6 weeks off and I knew if I wanted to stay longer, I could have done so. It was a good feeling.” Thus far, Dr. Schwartz, a locum tenens provider since 2000, has enjoyed opportunities close to home in the East, but his practice has also taken him to the Midwest, Northwest, and Southern regions. He continues to practice locum tenens full-time. In his current contract with Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based Weatherby Locums, he teaches residents 3 weeks a month as an associate professor at a state university in the South. SAGE ADVICE For physicians beginning their careers, Dr. Schwartz believes that the locum tenens lifestyle offers numerous advantages. “If you are not sure where you want to live, it gives you the opportunity to see different parts of the country and affords a ‘try it before you buy it’ type of situation.” As he looks toward the future, Dr. Schwartz plans to arrange his locum tenens practice so that travel with his wife takes priority. “For physicians like me who are at the tail end of their careers and do not want to practice fulltime but still want to keep their hands in medicine, locum tenens is a great opportunity.” LL Amy Sutton is a freelance writer based in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. www.LocumLife.com “Locum tenens gives me the chance to explore interesting places.” — Murray Schwartz, DO Despite the enjoyment of reliving his youthful memories and meeting old friends, the trip was tinged with disappointment as he also noticed how little the healthcare system had improved. Even routine emergency medical care proved difficult to obtain in this island republic, as Dr. Schwartz found out when he visited the hospital emergency room for a foot laceration. “They did not have the basic antibiotics or the necessary bandaging material. It is still a developing country—it is still a work in progress.” CHANCE TO EXPLORE “What I like about locum tenens is that it gives me the chance to go to interesting http://www.LocumLife.com

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LocumLife - July 2008 Editorial From Nalto Stat! Survey Says Last-Minute Luxury Dynamics Caring For the Older Generation Enjoying the Rewards of a Locum Tenens Lifestyle Advertisers' Index Opportunities Direct Going Mobile Contest Rules Anyone's Guess La Vita Locum

LocumLife - July 2008

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