LocumLife - November 2008 - (Page 32)

DESTINATIONS La vita locum Memorable tales from the road Cultivating confidence For diagnostic radiologist Sampath Ramachandran, MD, PhD, locum tenens offers the opportunity of staying current with his clinical skills while boosting his confidence in patient care. Amy Sutton contract hospital had a similar PACS (picture archiving and communication system) to the one that I have at my permanent practice, so I had no problem navigating through it.” Patient care typically involved treating white, blue-collar workers who visited the hospital for a variety of conditions, including emphysema, pneumonia, ischemic events, diverticulitis, appendicitis, and trauma. Dr. Ramachandran recalls, “Some of the patients had not seen a doctor regularly and many had developed advanced diseases.” in my skills. When you are in your own element, you think that you know everything there is to know. But when you go into new practice environments, your film reading and communications skills are put to the test, and you find out how good your abilities really are. “Locum tenens will definitely broaden your horizons, and you also get to meet new types of people. I enjoy the interactions I have had with other radiologists while on locum tenens contracts. Not only does it help you learn about new procedures, but you are also able to teach others what you know. It is an interactive process.” For radiologists considering locum tenens, Dr. Ramachandran suggests openness and honesty regarding filmreading skills. “If you are upfront from the start, there will be no confusion when you arrive at the location. In addition, I would talk to the administrators at the facility beforehand, so you are clear about their expectations.” A POSITIVE IMPACT Dr. Ramachandran intends to continue his full-time radiology practice while accepting weekend-long, recurring situations. Since completing the contract with Maxim Physician Resources, he has primarily focused on local opportunities in the metropolitan area within driving distance of his home. While Dr. Ramachandran has taken temporary contracts to enhance and expand his imaging skills, the benefits are applicable anywhere. “With locum tenens, I can practice my own style and provide better care in the process. So this practice alternative has definitely had a positive impact on the way I work.” LL Amy Sutton is a freelance writer based in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. www.LocumLife.com K eeping tabs on the latest imaging technology was Dr. Ramachandran’s primary impetus for going mobile in August 2007. He explains, “In my regular practice, I focus on emergency radiology, and we do all the modalities except for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). I wanted to keep up my skills in that area, so I began taking locum tenens opportunities where performing MRIs played a role.” Dr. Ramachandran, a diagnostic radiologist with 2 years’ specialty experience, practices full-time at a teaching hospital in the northern Midwest. He accepted his first locum tenens engagement at a small community hospital through Dallas, Texas-based Maxim Physician Resources. While facility administrators mainly needed him to provide a week’s coverage for another physician, he was able to gain some experience reading MRIs. “The community hospital offers a practice setting that is different from my permanent position,” he notes. “Case mixes at teaching hospitals are more skewed toward advanced trauma and cancer, whereas in smaller community hospitals, you tend to see the gardenvariety type of cases. Most of them involve a single diagnosis, as compared to the complex conditions that you see in teaching facilities.” SMALLER SETTING Dr. Ramachandran’s schedule at the 200-bed hospital typically began at 8:00 a.m. and ended at 5:00 p.m., with no on-call duty. After a brief orientation, involving report documentation, inter-departmental consults, and a review of the computer system, he hit the ground running. “Thankfully, the 32 LocumLife NOVEMBER 2008 “Locum tenens allows me to become more proficient in my skills.” —Sampath Ramachandran, MD, PhD The last day of his locum tenens contract brought the most dramatic case of the week. “On my final day, I cared for a female patient who had experienced chest pain for approximately 5 months. When I performed an esophagram on her, I could see that something was wrong—she had a large mass in her esophagus. Because she also had low back pain, an MRI was performed the same day. It turned out that she had a huge mass in her pelvis that was likely metastasis.” AN INTERACTIVE PROCESS As this situation underscores, the lessons that can be learned during locum tenens opportunities are great. “Professionally, this practice alternative allows me to become more proficient and confident http://www.LocumLife.com

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LocumLife - November 2008 Editorial Contents From Nalto Stat! Residency Corner Sailing the High Seas Last-Minute Luxury International Colleagues Explore the U.S. Advertiser Index Opportunities Direct City Beat Contest Rules Anyone's Guess La Vita Locum

LocumLife - November 2008

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