Daily News

View All News

Survey finds more younger physicians practicing as locum tenens

March 02, 2015

A growing number of younger physicians just out of training are practicing on a temporary basis, according to a survey released today by Staff Care, a division of AMN Healthcare Services Inc. (NYSE: AHS).

The annual survey polled 2,087 physicians who work as locum tenens, and 21% said they began working as locum tenens right after completing their training, up from 16% in 2013 and 14% in 2012.

“Newly trained doctors are seeking alternatives to traditional private practice, and locum tenens offers them an avenue to explore these alternatives,” said Staff Care President Sean Ebner. “It’s a way to ‘test drive’ a practice before they buy.”

The survey also included responses from 259 healthcare facility managers regarding their use of locum tenens physicians. It found 91% of respondents indicated they had used a locum tenens physician at least once in the last 12 months, up from 90% in 2013’s survey and 73.6% the year before that, and the highest number Staff Care has recorded in any of its annual surveys. Additionally, 42% said they currently are looking for one or more locum tenens physicians, up from 39% last year and 32% the year before that, and again the highest number Staff Care has recorded in any of its annual surveys.

Primary care physicians are in the most demand as locum tenens, according to the survey, followed by psychiatrists and other behavioral health specialists and hospitalists.