LocumLife - December 2008 - (Page 15)

both personally and professionally. Dr. Coppola notes, “I increased my clinical knowledge of tickborne diseases, which are prevalent in that part of Massachusetts, and was impressed with the expertise of my colleagues. In particular, I would trust their opinion about Lyme disease diagnosis and treatment over that of an infectious disease specialist anywhere else in the country.” PLANNING ESSENTIALS Preparation is important when planning a combined locum tenens opportunity/vacation. The Smiths are veterans in this respect. “My daughter is a teenager and we had to set limits regarding what she could take,” offers Mr. Smith. “But she quickly learned how to pack light.” Because Mr. Smith’s staffing company representative knew his family routinely accompanied him, she explained this situation to the clients ahead of time. This way, the Smiths were ensured they would have a suite or apartment conducive to family living. “Our situation is always explained up front,” he states. “If there are extra charges that the facility is not willing to pay, I cover them.” As Mr. Phillips explains, “The contracting hospital is responsible for lodging the physician or non-physician provider only, not necessarily the spouse or family. These additional expenses, if incurred, are covered by the physician or negotiated with the locum tenens company. The same goes for the family’s airfare.” “Normally, staffing companies will make all the travel arrangements for you,” acknowledges Mr. Smith, “but we book our own flights so that we can reserve our seats together, in advance, and secure low fares for the whole family. Of course, I am reimbursed for my flight.” As far as planning goes, the Coppolas prepared for their 3-month locum tenens opportunity/vacation the same way they would for any other trip. “To ensure that we would not forget anything, my family made a list of what to pack and moved the big items—bikes, beach chairs, blankets, coolers, and the like—to one side of the garage before loading up the two vehicles. “Closing down the house was a bit of an issue,” Dr. Coppola admits. “We had to make sure that the boiler was shut off and we arranged for someone to forward the mail and cut the lawn. But we like to travel and it was not the first time we took off for a few weeks, so we were familiar with the routine.” REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS When looking to combine a locum tenens opportunity with a family vacation, some caveats are worth heeding. “One of the most important factors to consider is that the physician is going to be practicing medicine a good percentage of the time,” emphasizes Mr. Phillips. “A doctor should not accept an engagement with the expectation that he or she will be spending a lot of time vacationing; that is DECEMBER 2008 LocumLife 15 http://www.sermo.com http://www.sermo.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of LocumLife - December 2008

LocumLife - December 2008 Editorial Contents From Nalto Stat! The Basics Last-Minute Luxury Mixing Business &�Pleasure Med Ec-cerpts Neonatology Advertiser Index Opportunities Direct On Location Contest Rules Anyone's Guess La Vita Locum

LocumLife - December 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.