LocumLife - December 2008 - (Page 16)

THE COPPOLAS enjoy sun and surf on Martha’s Vineyard. probably not going to happen. It really depends on the contract and what the physician is expected to do. If he or she is practicing every day and taking call every night, there is not going to be much time left for family activities. But if the practitioner is on call and merely expected to be in the general area, that arrangement could indeed allow for some family time.” Dr. Coppola’s reasonable schedule allowed him to carve out time to spend with his family. Their cottage, provided by the hospital, was on the south side of the island, about a mile from the water. While Dr. Coppola practiced his profession, his family hit the beaches. When not on call, he would join them in the evenings for dinner and walks around the island. The Coppolas took advantage Quick Facts The vast majority of engagements are in rural communities. Senior locum tenens practitioners may take along their spouses 50% of the time. Physicians who bring their children along generally take shorter contracts—a week or two in length. More temporary professionals are choosing to take their families with them on opportunities. Additional family expenses and airfare are typically covered by the physician or non-physician provider. of many attractions: a game arcade in Oak Bluffs, a parade and fishing derby in Edgartown, a Boston Bruins old-timers game and autograph signing, a drive onto the dunes at Chappaquiddick, a trip to the Gay Head (Aquinnah) Lighthouse, and a skate around the local hockey rink. In mid-August, the island hosted Illumination Night—a display of decorated gingerbread houses on an old Methodist campground—a bit of Christmas in summer. Mr. Smith notes that another approach to spending time with family is to tack on a few extra days either before or after the contract. During an earlier engagement in the Northeast through another staffing agency, Mr. Smith’s family would drop him off at the hospital in the morning before heading off to explore nearby cities for the day. After finishing up his contract, he and his family took 5 or 6 additional days and traveled the state’s entire coast, exploring quaint towns and national parks before flying home. Over the past few years, Mr. Phillips has seen more and more temporary professionals choosing to take their families with them on opportunities. As he sees it, “Physician and non-physician providers today recognize the importance of quality of life and value time with family.” Mr. Smith and Dr. Coppola are cases in point. By making the most of his locum tenens opportunities, Mr. Smith believes he has given his family not just a string of vacations, but an education as well. “These experiences are something you can never replace by merely looking at pictures in a book,” he says. “My family will have some great memories and my daughter has learned so much about the country.” Dr. Coppola agrees. Instead of starting a new full-time job as a hospitalist/emergency room physician in July, he took 3 months to investigate another career path and, at the same time, have some fun with family. “Given the right circumstances, I would do it again in a heartbeat,” he says. “I certainly see locum tenens practice down the road, particularly as a large part of my retirement.” He adds, “I do not doubt that we will sit around the fireplace, reminiscing about this summer while looking at photos, and say, ‘Yeah, that was a great move.’” L L Kathleen Moore, RN, is a freelance medical writer based in Port Orange, Florida. 16 LocumLife DECEMBER 2008 www.LocumLife.com http://www.LocumLife.com

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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

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