LocumLife - October 2008 - (Page 20)

Gastroenterology families, the ability to travel can help them determine the best place to settle,” comments Ms. Laurence. “Other physicians who have been in practice for years simply want to contribute at different places, while recently retired doctors choose locum tenens to keep their hands in medicine. And then there are those gastroenterologists who are just looking for the next adventure and want to experience various destinations and cultures. “Regardless of career stage, all of these gastroenterologists are very hard-working individuals and understand the intricacies of managing digestive disorders and the growing cancer rates facing patients.” These committed physicians can expect to receive satisfactory compensation for their time. “Salary depends on your clinical responsibilities and the contract locale,” says Ms. Laurence. “For example, your pay will be higher if you have a heavy patient load and are practicing in a rural setting.” A VERSATILE OPTION “I took up gastroenterology opportunities for multiple reasons,” explains David E. Adams, MD, MS, a gastroenterologist with 30 years of experience. “First of all, I was able to decide on a contract-bycontract basis exactly how much I wanted to do. Additionally, I wanted to keep up my skills and explore possible permanent opportunities. I did not want to travel far, and locum tenens enabled me to stay close to home. It worked very well.” Now retired, Dr. Adams turned to locum tenens in January of 2006 after a long private practice and academic career. “After completing my internship and residency in internal medicine, and “The locum tenens template allows you to slow down and moderate the amount of commitment you make to professional medicine and time away from family.” —David E. Adams, MD, MS a 2-year fellowship in gastroenterology, I became a part of an internal medicine multi-specialty group in the Midwest. I joined a 30-doctor multi-specialty group, which grew to approximately 250 doctors. Over the course of 22 years, I practiced as a private GI practitioner and as a collateral faculty member at the local university. Having grown up in California, and because of changes in the huge clinic environment, I decided to move my practice to the Intermountain states. There I had additional tenures of GI practice in three settings, in addition to being the gastroenterologist for the U.S. Air Force Academy.” Interspersed with these practices, he took two locum tenens contracts in the Intermountain West, each arranged by Irving, Texas-based Staff Care. “My first contract was at a regional medical center 1 hour away from my home,” recalls Dr. Adams. “The facility had four THE MARKET Demand for locum tenens gastroenterologists is on the rise due to the growing need for colon cancer screenings, as well as increasing instances of acute and chronic GI conditions, including GERD, Barrett’s esophagus, and esophageal adenocarcinoma. Gastroenterologists from all professional stages practice locum tenens. Many diverse opportunities are available in both the private and government sectors. 20 LocumLife OCTOBER 2008 gastroenterologists on staff, and when one of them needed to leave, I would stand in for 5 to 7 days at a time. My shift was 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and then I would be on call the rest of the day and night—all of it hospital based. “My second contract involved covering two, 3-week stints for a gastroenterologist who underwent orthopedic surgery. The facility was a nice free-standing endoscopy center, where I provided endoscopy services from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. without hospital or call responsibilities.” What conditions did he encounter as a locum tenens gastroenterologist? “The first opportunity was more representative of a general private consultative GI practice, in which I saw the full gamut of gastroenterology problems, from peptic ulcers to colon cancer and everything in between,” notes Dr. Adams. “I treated esophageal problems such as heartburn and reflux, as well as stomach and duodenal ulcers, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, colon cancer, and colon polyps. Procedure-wise, the bulk of my duties involved gastroscopies and colonoscopies.” He emphasizes the need for people skills when practicing as a locum tenens physician. “Entering a new setting is like going into a fraternity. As a new member, you encounter a lot of different personalities and names to remember. So, you need to be somewhat of a social creature.” Although Dr. Adams has received an offer to return as the Chief of Gastroenterology for the U.S. Air Force Academy, a prestigious military institute, he is currently still enjoying retirement. For his time as a locum tenens practitioner, he has nothing but glowing remarks. “The locum tenens template allows you to slow down and moderate the amount of commitment you make to professional medicine and time away from family, all while earning a guaranteed income. Plus, you can protect your skills and credentials as a gastroenterologist so that you remain marketable. You also often have the ability to negotiate your clinical duties from contract to contract, and you have the opportunity to practice with the people you might ultimately work with permanently. It is very versatile and quite good.” www.LocumLife.com http://www.LocumLife.com

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LocumLife - October 2008 Insights Editorial Contents From Nalto STAT! The Basics Med Ec-cerpts Last-Minute Luxury Where Do You Stand? Gastroentrerology Career Center Advertiser Index Opportunities Direct Destinations Passport - Cairo, Egypt Contest Rules Anyone's Guess La Vita Locum

LocumLife - October 2008

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