Switching up your medical career to work as a locum doctor can be immensely rewarding, as you reap the benefits of a more flexible schedule that you have 100% control of. Whether you pick up locum shifts full time, or maybe you just prefer to take on ad-hoc work, there are a few key factors that can really define your success in this field. As a Recruitment Consultant here at Total Assist Group, I have plenty of know-how about what gets a locum doctor re-booked and earning money consistently.
Here are my top tips for how to flourish as a locum doctor…
1) Have top notch clinical skills. This is undoubtedly the most important thing you can deliver – your medical expertise. Hospitals that require locum workers are usually struggling with staff shortages, so they need doctors who are confident, very experienced in their field and who can achieve positive patient outcomes. Showcasing your excellent clinical skills is a first rate way to win hospitals over to get re-booked or to have your current placement extended.
2) Understand your placements. It is a good idea to know your remits before beginning a placement, to give you a better understanding of what you will need to deal with. This is turn will help you provide the very best patient care possible. So make sure to ask about the patient to staff ratio, whether you will need to be on call and if any other responsibilities will be added to your usual roster of tasks. Being armed with all the information will mean you can get your placement off to a flying start to make the very best impression possible.
3) Honour your commitments. It is imperative that you do what you say you will do. If you say you will arrive at a set date and time, then ensure you are at the correct location and the mentioned day and time. ‘No shows’ and cancellations are big industry no no’s and will really act against you when trying to secure future locum placements. If you are going to be late, then phone the hospital when you are en route to explain.
4) Listen. Being an active listener is a vital skill for a locum doctor. Not only do you need to listen to what is required of you so that you can make an impact in your role as soon as possible but you will also need to listen to your patients avidly, as you may need to catch up on their medical history or treatment so far. You may only be on placement for a short time, but it is still essential to be as effective and efficient as you can.
[testimonial name=”Ross Jenkins” who=”Recruitment Consultant” imagelinks=”https://totalassist.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Ross-e1407945767732.jpg” vertical=”no”]”I’ve recently joined Total Assist on the medical and surgical desk and I am mainly recruiting for HO and SHO. I have a whole array of locum shifts, short term, long term and weekends. If you are not looking for locum work but know somebody who is, please feel free to contact me.”[/testimonial]
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