Locum Tenens Physician
A locum tenens physician provides temporary clinical coverage at facilities with physician shortages or vacancies, delivering specialty care across short-term and extended assignments. This is a sample job description from Excelon Associates that you can adapt as a template for your own hire.
What does a locum tenens physician do?
A locum tenens physician provides temporary clinical coverage at hospitals, clinics, and health systems experiencing physician shortages, leaves, or vacancies. The role delivers patient care within the physician’s specialty during each assignment, which may last days, weeks, or months, while adapting quickly to new facilities, teams, and electronic health records.
It combines specialty clinical practice with the flexibility of contract work. It is a temporary physician staffing role within the healthcare and staffing markets.
Locum tenens is a Latin phrase meaning to hold a place. A locum tenens physician temporarily takes the place of another physician on a contract basis, providing continuity of care during staffing gaps while completing credentialing and privileging at each assigned facility.
What does the locum physician handle?
Key responsibilities of a locum tenens physician
- Provide patient evaluation, diagnosis, treatment, and procedures within the physician’s specialty and scope.
- Cover inpatient, outpatient, on-call, or procedural responsibilities as defined by the assignment.
- Maintain continuity of care and clear handoffs with the facility’s permanent staff.
- Learn and follow each facility’s clinical protocols, electronic health record, and workflows quickly.
- Integrate effectively into new clinical teams and support staff at each assignment.
- Complete orientation and onboarding efficiently to begin coverage on schedule.
- Maintain active licensure, board certification, DEA registration, and an organized credentialing file.
- Complete facility credentialing and privileging and obtain state licensure for each assignment location.
- Document care accurately and adhere to quality, safety, and regulatory standards.
What qualifications does a locum tenens physician need?
- MD or DO degree and completion of residency in the relevant specialty.
- Active, unrestricted medical licensure, with multi-state licensure an asset, and current DEA registration.
- Board certification or board eligibility in the practicing specialty.
- Clinical versatility and the ability to perform effectively from the first day of an assignment.
- Strong adaptability, communication, and self-direction across varied facilities and teams.
- Flexibility to travel and maintain assignment-ready credentials.
Why are locum tenens physicians important?
Locum physicians maintain access to care when permanent staff are unavailable, preventing service interruptions and closures. They are especially vital to rural and underserved facilities that face chronic physician shortages and cannot leave coverage gaps unfilled.
Because each assignment is a new environment, the strongest locum physicians pair full clinical competence with rapid adaptability. The role rewards physicians who can step into an unfamiliar system and deliver safe, effective care without a long ramp-up.
A hiring note from Excelon
Locum physician placements hinge on licensure breadth, credentialing speed, and adaptability as much as specialty fit. Through our staffing and healthcare practices, we look for board-certified physicians who keep credentials assignment-ready and perform immediately in new settings, since the value of locum coverage depends on starting on time.
The strongest locum physicians can step into an unfamiliar system and deliver safe care without a long ramp-up.
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Frequently asked questions
What does a locum tenens physician do?
A locum tenens physician provides temporary clinical coverage at facilities experiencing physician shortages, leaves, or vacancies, delivering patient care within their specialty during assignments that may last days, weeks, or months.
What does locum tenens mean?
Locum tenens is a Latin phrase meaning to hold a place. A locum tenens physician temporarily takes the place of another physician, providing continuity of patient care on a contract basis.
What qualifications does a locum tenens physician need?
The role requires an MD or DO degree, completion of residency in the relevant specialty, active medical licensure (often in multiple states), board certification or eligibility, and current DEA registration, plus flexibility to credential across facilities.
How does credentialing work for locum assignments?
Each assignment requires facility credentialing and privileging and state licensure where the facility is located. Locum physicians keep organized, current credentials and complete onboarding efficiently to begin coverage on time.
Why are locum tenens physicians important?
Locum physicians maintain access to care when permanent staff are unavailable, preventing service interruptions. They are especially vital to rural and underserved facilities that face chronic physician shortages.
Hiring a Locum Tenens Physician?
Excelon Associates places locum tenens physicians and temporary clinical providers for hospitals, clinics, and health systems across the United States through our staffing and healthcare recruitment practices. Retained executive search since 2007, headquartered in Asheville, NC, with offices in Boca Raton and Delray Beach, FL.
More Sample Job Descriptions
Templates you can adapt for your own roles.