In recent years, an increasing number of doctors have begun moving away from self-employment and into employment situations. 
Medscape recently surveyed 4,600 doctors about their current career situation to reveal the benefits and downsides of being an employed physician. When asked to name the aspects about employment doctors like best, more than half of the respondents (58%) chose “Not having to deal with the business side of running a practice”. Getting bogged down with the business of running a private practice is a common complaint among self-employed physicians. For a previous post, I spoke with Dr. Tom, a locum tenens hospitalist, who closed his private practice in Virginia due in part to regulatory requirements that made it hard to stay financially viable. On the other hand, the aspects of employment doctors do not like were “Limited influence in decision-making” and “Limited income potential”. Interestingly, a locum tenens career offers the same main benefit of employment (freedom from administrative burdens) without one of the major detractions (limited earning potential). Just look at Dr. Tom. Since becoming a locum tenens hospitalist, he has been able to earn more than he did as a self-employed because he does not have to invest in the overhead costs that come with running a practice. He also has no shortage of work, and therefore his earning potential is only limited by the number of assignments he chooses to take. In fact, he said that he turns down many offers to work because he simply doesn’t have the time. If you are looking to make a change from self-employment, consider locum tenens as an option. Learn more at our Locum Tenens Physician Jobs page.
Medscape recently surveyed 4,600 doctors about their current career situation to reveal the benefits and downsides of being an employed physician. When asked to name the aspects about employment doctors like best, more than half of the respondents (58%) chose “Not having to deal with the business side of running a practice”. Getting bogged down with the business of running a private practice is a common complaint among self-employed physicians. For a previous post, I spoke with Dr. Tom, a locum tenens hospitalist, who closed his private practice in Virginia due in part to regulatory requirements that made it hard to stay financially viable. On the other hand, the aspects of employment doctors do not like were “Limited influence in decision-making” and “Limited income potential”. Interestingly, a locum tenens career offers the same main benefit of employment (freedom from administrative burdens) without one of the major detractions (limited earning potential). Just look at Dr. Tom. Since becoming a locum tenens hospitalist, he has been able to earn more than he did as a self-employed because he does not have to invest in the overhead costs that come with running a practice. He also has no shortage of work, and therefore his earning potential is only limited by the number of assignments he chooses to take. In fact, he said that he turns down many offers to work because he simply doesn’t have the time. If you are looking to make a change from self-employment, consider locum tenens as an option. Learn more at our Locum Tenens Physician Jobs page.
