Healthcare Career Blog, Physician Blogs

Locum Tenens ideal for retired physicians looking to rejoin the workforce

Author Healthcare Career Blogger | 10.07.2009 | Category Anesthesiology jobs, CRNA, Colorado Physician Jobs, Emergency jobs, Family Medicine, Healthcare Career Blog, Hospitalist physician, Internal Medicine, Locum Tenens, Medical doctor jobs, OB GYN jobs, OB/GYN physician jobs, Orthopedic Surgery, Physician Career Path, Physician Shortage, Physicians, Pschyriatry Jobs, Retired Physician, Surgery jobs, jobs

Coming out of retirement isn’t easy for anyone. Especially for doctors who haven’t practiced in a while.

Doctors looking to re-enter the workforce after a brief career solstice face a number of challenges. Depending on how many years you’ve been out, you may have to catch up on continuing education credits, learn new technologies and be flexible in your medical setting. Either way, the medical profession beckons your skills, even if just for two to three shifts a week.

What’s the solution for a doctor coming out of retirement?

First thing, says Dennis Urbanski, American Traveler Managing Director, is to find a locum tenens agency experienced in matching older physicians with the medical facilities that need them.

“With the physician shortage the way it is, putting a retired doctor back in the workforce is a godsend.”

Urbanski says locum tenens is ideal both for doctors in search of 20 or 30 hours of practice and for providers looking to supplement quality patient care. Top salaries are available, along with mal practice insurance, housing, paid travel and competitive locum tenens benefits.

Urbanski suggests that older, retired doctors make a realistic assessment of their current skill set prior to calling a locum tenens agency. This helps recruiters determine the most efficient course for re-entry and employment. Typically, physicians out of work for a year or less are easier to employ than those who haven’t practiced for two years and more. This, of course, depends on specialty, said Urbanski.

“Hospitalist jobs, for instance, are ideal for doctors coming out of retirement. For those who possess the needed proficiency in inpatient medicine – and who don’t mind working weekends or night shifts – there are hundreds if not thousands of available jobs.”

Once thing retired doctors must consider prior to re-entering the workforce, say experts, is that things will not be the same as when they left. A doctor may find physician jobs in rural areas easier to get than in big city hospitals and university settings. Conversely, high-need areas of the country, often associated with low-income households, are quicker to employ retired physicians because of needed skills and an increased demand for healthcare.

“There are plenty of jobs out there for doctors, retired or not,” said Urbanski. The challenge is; effectively marketing their skills among locations and medical settings in demand. Hospitalist jobs and primary care jobs are hot right now.”

Last month alone, 20,000 people searched Google for locum tenens and more than 27,000 searched for hospitalist jobs.

Find physician reentry resources

You have updated your Physician CV, now what? Add a great Cover Letter

Author Healthcare Career Blogger | 07.07.2009 | Category Anesthesiology jobs, Emergency jobs, Family Medicine, Hospitalist physician, Internal Medicine, Locum Tenens, Medical Student Loans, OB GYN jobs, OB/GYN physician jobs, Orthopedic Surgery, Physician CV, Physician Career Path, Physicians, Pschyriatry Jobs, Retired Physician, Surgery jobs, jobs

Learn the best practices here

The most difficult thing about writing a physician resume is that there is not just one physician CV template that everyone can follow. Because each physician has different types and levels of experience, every physician CV is going to be completely unique. Sample Curriculum Vitae can help, but unfortunately, there is not one easy equation that every doctor can plug his or her information into. To make your resume the most effective it can be, you need to decide how to write a CV that will best sell your unique experiences, and a good place to start marketing yourself is in the physician resume cover letter.

When putting together a resume package, it’s important to remember that the CV itself is only one part of the package; take full advantage of the opportunities that a cover letter gives you. A physician resume cover letter can seem like just one more intimidating task to worry about as you begin your job search, but it is a great chance for you to introduce yourself more fully and more personally to your audience.

Like your resume, your cover letter should be short and to the point; try to limit your cover letter to one side of a page in 11 or 12-point font. Its tone should be formal and professional, but it should also give you a chance to express yourself more personally than the strict CV format allows, so avoid using “one-size-fits-all” cover letter templates that you might see in books and resume software.

What to Include in the Physician Resume Cover Letter:

• Your first paragraph should be a couple of sentences briefly introducing you and your purpose in writing to this employer.
• Your second paragraph should give enough information about your background and skills to interest a potential employer. Be careful, however, not to get repetitive; your resume will also cover your background. This may be a good place to explain your philosophy about caring for patients or why you entered the medical field in the first place.
• Your third, and final, paragraph should relate directly to the organization to which you are applying. Explain why you are looking to relocate and why this particular hospital, practice, etc. appeals to you. What makes you a good fit?
• Close the letter by thanking your potential employer for his or her time and consideration.

Helpful Hints for a Successful Physician Cover Letter:

• Use the same quality paper that you used for your CV itself.
• Address the letter to a specific individual. Show that you have done your homework about the company.
• Avoid generalities. Use specific details that show potential employers why you are particularly interested in their place of employment.
• Keep paragraphs short and clear.
• Be professional, but show some personality – remember this is your chance to distinguish yourself from all other applicants.
• Be confident, but not boastful.

Visit our Physician Resources page for more helpful information about the physician job search.

2009 H1N1 Influenza Update

Author Healthcare Career Blogger | 04.05.2009 | Category 2009 H1N1 influenza, CRNA, Family Medicine, Healthcare Career Blog, Hospitals, Locum Tenens, Physicians, diseases, infectious diseases

Candidate Direct urges our clients and friends to closely monitor the evolving 2009 H1N1 influenza or “Swine Flu” outbreak in the United States. For those in the medical field, it is particularly important to stay informed. The following web sites offer Candidate Direct physicians and locum tenens additional updated information.

• http://www.hhs.gov/ (Federal HHS website for general information on H1N1)
• http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/index.html (International information from the WHO directly related to the swine flu)
• http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/ (Federal Centers for Disease Control updates regarding swine flu)
• http://www.medworm.com/rss/ (Medical Newsfeed for H1N1 news from various media outlets)
• http://www.cdc.gov/travel/ (Centers for Disease Control international and national travel advisories)

The CDC, infectious disease specialists and a multitude of health agencies are collecting data, monitoring and reporting on the latest developments with the H1N1 virus. As of today, they are urging healthcare professionals and the population at large to be prudent, but not to panic. Family medicine and emergency medicine physicians have been inundated with inquiries and visits from patients who are concerned about symptoms and learning how to avoid infection. Every inquiry must be evaluated on a case by case basis, and at this point one of the most important steps that anyone can take is to stay on top of the news. It is also imperative to follow these guidelines to avoid infection:

• Physicians and Locum Tenens should monitor the constantly changing flu event by visiting the web sites listed above and/or watching the news
• It goes without saying that medical professionals must follow the strictest hygiene practices while on duty. Just a reminder to also take personal responsibility for hygiene on your own time. Avoid unnecessary contact with obviously ill people, thoroughly covering your mouth and nose with disposable tissues or the inside of your elbow when sneezing or coughing and dispose of the tissue properly. Thorough and frequent hand washing is also key.
• Physicians and Locum Tenens should carry alcohol-based hand sanitizer and use it frequently through out the day.
• If you develop flu-like symptoms, contact your personal physician as soon as possible.

Help! How Do I Return from Physician Retirement so I can find Physician Jobs in my Specialty?

Author Healthcare Career Blogger | 28.04.2009 | Category Anesthesiology jobs, Emergency jobs, Family Medicine, Hospitalist physician, Internal Medicine, Medical doctor jobs, OB GYN jobs, OB/GYN physician jobs, Orthopedic Surgery, Surgery jobs

A happy, enriching retirement always makes a physician’s short list of financial goals, but the reality is not that perfect. Retirement can be a moving target, even more so for physicians than for other professionals.

Those were the days physicians could plan for worriless retirement life. Not anymore! At least not for now, with the country and the world financial problems even wealthy physicians might have to get back to work and postpone their retirement plans. The good news is that there is plenty of work waiting for experienced physicians nationwide; physicians have permanent job options and locum tenens jobs in all specialties.

Medical Doctor Jobs with the greatest demand today are found in Family Medicine; Internal Medicine jobs; Hospitalist physician; Emergency jobs; Anesthesiology jobs; OB/GYN physician jobs; Surgery jobs and more.

In addition, another factor that also keeps physicians in the workforce for a longer period of time is their passion for medicine. However, if a physician is already retired and decides to get back to work, un-retiring is often far more complicated than seeing if the lab coat still fits. Between landing a suitable practice situation, updating your certifications and licenses, and finding a company willing to underwrite a liability insurance policy, there are many issues facing a physician trying to reenter the work force.

Below are just a few questions and answers physicians should know before re-entering the work force:

Q: How does a physician get re-licensed after retirement to work in a locum tenens job?

• If you’ve been out of practice for a few years, you might have to get yourself re-licensed, get caught up on all the continuing medical education you missed, and perhaps join a formal re-entry program.
• If you haven’t seen a patient from 18 to 36 months it is even tougher. If you have three good references and practiced in the last year or so there should be less of a problem.

Q: What are State Requirements for retired physicians to re-enter and search for locum tenens jobs?

• Arizona does not require a re-entry program.
• The North Carolina Medical Board has one of the more stringent programs. Any physician who has been out of clinical practice for two or more years must meet with a board to work on a plan for re-entry. The plan usually includes working with a doctor-mentor in their same specialty for about six months. However, there is no cost to the physician, who can be earning a salary during this time.
• Some states require physicians who have not practiced for several years to enter re-entry programs that can cost between $5,500 and $30,000.

Q: Need to Know More?

Check out physician resources at Locum Physician Career Information, or talk to a physician staffing expert regarding your personal and professional goals in pursuing locum tenens physician jobs Backed by 25 years of health care staffing excellence, Candidate Direct places top physicians in locum tenens medical doctor jobs where they’re needed most.