At Consilium, we know that accepting a locum tenens assignment comes with a lot of questions. For some of the most common, we chatted with FNP-C, Ebony Thyme, for expert insights on what to expect and how to get the most out of your next locum job.
1. Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable
Q: There’s often hesitation when presented with an opportunity that requires leaving a stable job – what’s your advice to healthcare professionals facing this challenge?
Ebony Thyme: My number one tip [on that front] is to make sure you’re financially prepared for that transition. You need to adapt your mindset from “getting paid every two weeks”, because that’s often not how contract work operates.
The biggest thing is to make sure you have a savings account and take the time to figure out your flow and what a contract payment routine might look like for you.
Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Go explore and get acclimated before you start. Act like it’s the first day of school! I like to have dedicated notebooks for each assignment with login information, contact information, and anything else that might come in handy.
2. Be Willing to Learn
Q: How can new grads take advantage of locum tenens opportunities? What should they look for?
A: Keep up-to-date on what specialties are in high demand. Go broad and don’t limit yourself by over-specializing. For example, my first job was with Consilium as a primary care NP – my experience was in urgent care.
Your goal should be to gain experience and always be willing to learn. I like to recommend that new grads avoid opportunities as a solo provider. One of the best ways to learn is to have someone with more experience in your corner.
3. Take Time to Perfect Work-Life Balance
Q: How do you maintain work-life balance while constantly changing locations?
A: Work-life balance as a locum provider is definitely something you perfect over time. For me, I typically work six to nine months out of the year and I’m able to schedule my work around everyday life.
If you’re starting out, do a little math and figure out how much you’d like to make per year with locums, whether that’s full-time or part-time. A great tip for full-timers is to take advantage of travel credit cards!
4. Ask Questions
Q: How do you build relationships with agencies and get the best opportunities?
A: Put yourself out there! Shop around for a recruiter that you connect with, build a relationship, and keep that relationship.
Once I’m at a facility, I like to ask a lot of questions as far as policies, who’s doing scheduling, who I’ll be working closely with, and pieces like that. It’s really all about building relationships and being adaptable.
5. Stay Organized
Q: What’s your advice to healthcare pros who feel overwhelmed at the prospect of organizing everything that comes with contract work on top of practicing medicine?
A: Firstly, I totally understand – it’s a lot to take on. Truly the best advice I can give is simply to stay organized. Have a clear separation between your business and your personal life, especially where finances are concerned.
There are a lot of free tools out there that make this easier, one of my favorites is just Google Drive. I like to keep separate file folders for all of my contracts, and I like to recommend a separate email account for your business and a phone number if possible.
Ebony is consistently taking her business to the next level with mentorships, educational content on social media, and her very own seminar.
If you want to learn more, come meet Consilium and Ebony Thyme at her next event, Paychecks 2 Profit Healthcare Summit!
