If your family and friends haven’t yet seen the light, here’s how to convince them that being a locum tenens provider is an ideal career choice for you as a physician or APP.

<h2>How to Explain Your Decision to Make Locum Tenens a Career</h2>

 When you first told your family and friends you were planning to become a
 doctor or advanced practice provider, they (like you) might have envisioned
 that you’d be in a permanent position, settled in one location.


 Instead, you’ve fallen in love with the locum tenens path. (We get it!) While
 you see the benefits firsthand and certainly don’t need them explained to you,
 it may help to consider how you can tactfully present your decision to loved
 ones.

<ul style="list-style:none;">
 <li>
 1. Focus on the fact that they want the best for you.
 Parents, siblings, spouses, mentors or colleagues may feel that success
 comes from putting down roots. They may believe staying put is the only way
 for you to build networks, gain expertise and earn a good living. When
 talking with them, point out that locum tenens assignments allow you to meet
 even more professionals, learn from providers and facilities across the
 country, and in many cases, make better pay than you would in a permanent
 position.
 </li>
 <li>
 2. Explain your desire to reach underserved patients. If
 you’re driven to provide care for patients who need you most, explain that
 to your family and friends. Let them know that locum tenens assignments will
 allow you to expand your reach. Whether you want to provide care for
 children in urban areas, adults in remote rural regions, seniors at the VA
 or indigenous Americans through IHS, locums is the answer.
 </li>
 <li>
 3. Point out your desire for variety. Older generations
 often value “earning the gold watch.” They may feel that committing to one
 company and retiring from that company is paramount to enjoying a
 comfortable lifestyle. This mindset may make it hard for them to understand
 why you would ever want to switch it up. Let them know that, for you,
 comfort means having the freedom to enjoy a change of pace. Moving around
 can help you avoid burnout. Many providers like to test out living in
 different cities or states. Some like trying different specialties. Some
 even love to bounce between private practices, hospitals, ambulatory surgery
 centers, clinics or other settings. If freedom and flexibility is part of
 what motivates you, let loved ones know.
 </li>
 <li>
 4. Show them you’ve got a team of experts behind you.
 Hearing that you want to travel around as a physician or APP might make your
 family and friends nervous. It can sound like a gamble to those unfamiliar
 with the process. What happens when an assignment ends? Will you have work
 lined up? Where will you go next? Do you have to start all over each time?
 These concerns may be similar to those you had before learning about locums
 agencies. Explain that you have a relationship with a locum tenens agency
 you trust and a team who is on your side. Let them know you have experts who
 set you up with the right opportunities and help you with licensing,
 credentialing, interviewing, onboarding, travel, housing and so much more.
 Share your agency’s website and social media channels with friends and
 family so they feel more confident.
 </li>
 <li>
 5. Assure loved ones you won’t be lonely. They may feel it
 will be lonesome for you on the road. Explain that you’ll be meeting a whole
 host of colleagues and making new friends. If you have a pet, you can find
 assignments that allow you to take your companion along. You can arrange to
 take a spouse or partner with you; this is especially convenient if they
 work remotely. You can even take local locum tenens assignments if you're
 settled with a family and children. The possibilities are endless.
 </li>
 <li>
 6. Let them know it’s an upstanding career choice. As
 increasing numbers of physicians and APPs choose locum tenens, the caliber
 of professionals and demand for them continues to grow. Hospitals, surgery
 centers, private practices and other facilities appreciate and respect these
 providers for their enthusiasm, adaptability, professionalism and
 engagement. The vast majority of physicians and APPs who choose the locums
 lifestyle are lifelong learners eager for adventure.
 </li>
</ul>


 Hopefully, these tips will help your loved ones catch the excitement you feel
 about all of the possibilities locum tenens opens for your career. The
 flexibility, freedom, and enhanced quality of locums life are unparalleled
 (We’ll admit that we’re biased! But then, so are you!) May your family,
 friends and colleagues see the light!



 To make locums a full-time, steady and rewarding career,
 <a href="https://www.crosscountrylocums.com/job-search" target="_blank"
 >connect with a member of our team today.</a
 >

Cross Country Locums

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Discussing Your Locums Lifestyle with Friends and Family

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