LocumLife - March 2009 - (Page 32) DESTINATIONS La vita locum Memorable tales from the road A change of scenery When anesthesiologist William Baker, MD, unexpectedly found himself out of a job, he decided it was time to make some major changes in his life. And he knew that locum tenens could offer just the stability he would need. Lisa Daggett “ n the last year, there has been a lot of upheaval in my life,” explains Dr. Baker. “I recently went through a divorce and was also released from a full-time hospital position where I had worked for 3 years. So with my newfound freedom, I began to re-evaluate my career situation.” Dr. Baker ultimately decided to return to his mountain retreat in the Northeast to regroup. “The house has been neglected for almost 10 years, so I am looking forward to fixing it up properly. I also want to do some skiing and cooking, and hopefully start a vineyard. Right now, I am living the life of a hermit here in the mountains with my cats, and I really like it.” A TIMELY CONTACT Since practicing anesthesiology is another thing that makes Dr. Baker happy, he was thrilled to receive a call from Alpharetta, Georgia-based Locum Leaders. “As fate would have it, the staffing company contacted me the very same day that I was let go from my job. Since I had provided locum tenens coverage through I another company a few years back, I already knew I enjoyed the lifestyle.” Dr. Baker enthusiastically accepted the offer and headed off to the Southeast location. “I initially agreed to a 2-week stint, but at the request of the facility, I ended up extending for an additional 2 weeks. It was a great experience. The 250-bed acute care facility had 12 operating rooms, which were serviced by six nurse anesthetists and two groups of anesthesiologists. I met all of the permanent staff within a few days and it was a very congenial situation.” The only challenge for Dr. Baker was that his role at the facility was largely supervisory. “I prefer to perform my own anesthesia, but this contract required that I do a fair amount of nurse anesthetist supervision. This opportunity afforded me the chance to enhance my supervisory and interpersonal skills.” Covering at a hospital located in a military town with patients ranging in age from 18 months to 85 years, Dr. Baker got to see a little bit of everything. “I provided anesthesiology services primarily for general surgery, but also ENT procedures twice a week, as well as some thoracic, vascular, neuro, and urology surgeries. I also had some very interesting and challenging cases in which the patients had carcinoma of the epiglottis with masses encroaching their airways.” Dr. Baker provided services Mondays through Fridays, from 6:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. “I had no on-call duties, and no weekend responsibilities. So there was ample time to enjoy the area, and to fly my helicopter, which I rarely get to do. Since we were on the coast, I got to eat some wonderful oysters and explore the beautiful beaches. In fact, my hotel was right on the beach, which was idyllic.” The area was so impressive, in fact, that Dr. Baker invited some friends to come and spend a weekend with him. “We had a great time. Within walking distance from my hotel, I had an oyster place, a steak house, a waffle house, and an Italian restaurant. Of course, my staffing agency also provided me with a rental car, so I was able to go anywhere I wanted.” Photo: Getty Images/Southern Stock “These contracts provide a wonderful opportunity for me to use new equipment and practice with different surgeons.” —William Baker, MD READY FOR MORE Now back at home, Dr. Baker is looking forward to his next opportunity. “Ideally, I would like to provide locum tenens services on a full-time basis until I retire in about 10 years. I am open to any location and any contract length, as long as I can bring my cats along. “These contracts provide a wonderful opportunity for me to use new equipment and practice with different surgeons. Plus, it is a lot of fun to see new places and meet new people. Best of all, I finally feel in control of my own time and finances. With locum tenens, I can get a change of scenery whenever I want.” LL Lisa Daggett is a freelance writer based in Saugerties, New York. www.LocumLife.com 32 LocumLife MARCH 2009 http://www.LocumLife.com
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