Locum Etiquette

[MiamiMann2018]

I finally finished the credentialing process at a well known locums company with the hopes of supplementing my income.

Just today one of the recruiters offered me a few shifts at a FSED. 210/hr in Texas which I think was a bit low. I declined saying the rate was comparable with my current job, basically told the guy point blank that I would just work an extra shift at my current shop rather than doing a locum elsewhere if the hourly wasn't competitive. So he countered asking what minimum rate I was looking for in general.

Is it okay to tell these locum recruiters that I wouldn't work for them unless they offered ___ per hour. Don't want to seem like a brat. Is it reasonable to tell them I wouldn't do locums for less than 300/hr (not sure if i'm being unrealistic. I stayed at my academic site after residency, only now looking to community medicine)

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[southerndoc]

Those locums guys are charging $500-1,000 per hour to staff you in that position. Only accept it if the pay makes it worth your while. If picking up an extra shift and being away from family is worth only $210/hr, then take it. If it will take $500/hr to get you away from your family, then do it.

Every time a locum calls me, they usually hang up when I tell them I won't work for less than $500/hr plus travel expenses, hotel expenses, meals, etc.

 

[link2swim06]

$300/hr is not unreasonable in Texas.

I make >300/hr, and I live in a somewhat less desirable area of Texas. And I am not locums and work for one of the big cmgs.

 

[emergentmd]

Never feel bad about asking high. What is the worse they can say? I have been so busy lately, that I set my minimum at $400/hr if it requires a plane ride or travel over 2 hrs

 

[GonnaBeADoc2222]

You can get >$250/hr with guaranteed hours working as a traveler for a CMG. Being true locums requires more work in my estimation, therefore I wouldn't accept <$300 / hr + expenses for one of these gigs.

$210/hr for Texas?! Unless you're seeing like 0.5 pt/hr and sleeping half the shift this is a ripoff.

Don't feel bad asking for more. They can always say no and find some other sucker. They would pay $10/hr if someone accepted it.

 

[bravotwozero]

$210/hr for a low volume FSED is actually a pretty good rate, even for Texas. Most of them will pay like $180. You’re mostly sitting on your butt watching Netflix at these places.


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[deleted109597]

$210/hr for a low volume FSED is actually a pretty good rate, even for Texas. Most of them will pay like $180. You’re mostly sitting on your butt watching Netflix at these places.


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Laughable. Some are that way, but some are much, much busier. You need to know the volume before you make the decision for hourly.

 

[bravotwozero]

Which is why I specifically said low volume ...


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[deleted547339]

Whoever gives the first number is going to lose in these sorts of negotiations.

 

[goodoldalky]

You should probably take it. The locums company may be charging $500 plus per hour to staff you there, but you need to realize that they have overhead, they need to turn a good profit, they have shareholders who they need to pay a dividend to as well as private equity folks that expect a return on their investment. Asking for more than the $210 you were offered is definitely greedy and you’re really ignoring the needs of everyone else, when really your only role is to see patients, which is a very small piece of what is going on here. Good luck, greedy.

 

[deleted109597]

Which is why I specifically said low volume ...


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But he didn't. The low volume places pay terrible. You need patients to cover overhead. It's simple.

 

[TooMuchResearch]

You should probably take it. The locums company may be charging $500 plus per hour to staff you there, but you need to realize that they have overhead, they need to turn a good profit, they have shareholders who they need to pay a dividend to as well as private equity folks that expect a return on their investment. Asking for more than the $210 you were offered is definitely greedy and you’re really ignoring the needs of everyone else, when really your only role is to see patients, which is a very small piece of what is going on here. Good luck, greedy.

Sarcasm!

 

[MiamiMann2018]

$210/hr for a low volume FSED is actually a pretty good rate, even for Texas. Most of them will pay like $180. You’re mostly sitting on your butt watching Netflix at these places.


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Also what about this offer:
176/hr for 9000 pts/year. reasonable?

 

[KGflyboy]

Also what about this offer:
176/hr for 9000 pts/year. reasonable?

Sounds terrible. But then again, I'm in the Midwest. Even the CMGs pay around 250/hr for full time docs near me.

 

[MiamiMann2018]

Sounds terrible. But then again, I'm in the Midwest. Even the CMGs pay around 250/hr for full time docs near me.

Bad deal even with the low volume?

 

[Janders]

Only take it if its worth it to you. Only you can set that $/hr.

I get occasional calls (and frequent emails) for locums / per diem / extra-shifts at places near me. As in, within a two-hour drive. And routinely this are for significantly less than I make per hour within even accounting for benefits from my primary job.

Needless to say I don't jump on these offers. If its a phone call, i tell them (a much higher) $/hr which would make me give up a day off and drive to a new place and learn a new computer system. Thus far they haven't taken me up on my offers either

 

[goodoldalky]

Also what about this offer:
176/hr for 9000 pts/year. reasonable?

Ok, ok, ok.. let me save you some time. These offers stink, the pay stinks, it’s bad. But the question you need to be asking is, what’s my best offer? If you ask USACS and they give you these two offers and that’s all you’ve got, yep, they’re bad, and you’re going to take the less bad one. If I were you I would cast a broad net and go interview for 5-7 more jobs, get a good one, and then pat yourself on the back when you come back and read these posts.

 

[The White Coat Investor]

Only take it if its worth it to you. Only you can set that $/hr.

I get occasional calls (and frequent emails) for locums / per diem / extra-shifts at places near me. As in, within a two-hour drive. And routinely this are for significantly less than I make per hour within even accounting for benefits from my primary job.

Needless to say I don't jump on these offers. If its a phone call, i tell them (a much higher) $/hr which would make me give up a day off and drive to a new place and learn a new computer system. Thus far they haven't taken me up on my offers either

Exactly. We all have a different marginal utility for extra cash. As I become more wealthy and gain a higher and higher income each year, the number it would take for me to be interested in flying across the country to work shifts also rises. That number would be at least $500/hour for me, probably much more if there is a number at all. But I'd work a local shift for less than half that at a low volume place where I get to see my friends.

 

[shookwell]

Ask for whatever you want. You don't owe them anything. There is no etiquette.

One recruiter was pushing me to work a week that was inconvenient for me and I didn't want to deal with it so I told him only for $600/hr (usual at this place was $300) and he called me back the next day and offered me $550.

 

[W19]

$300/hr is not unreasonable in Texas.

I make >300/hr, and I live in a somewhat less desirable area of Texas. And I am not locums and work for one of the big cmgs.

Wow!

 

[alphaholic06]

Ask for whatever you want. You don't owe them anything. There is no etiquette.

One recruiter was pushing me to work a week that was inconvenient for me and I didn't want to deal with it so I told him only for $600/hr (usual at this place was $300) and he called me back the next day and offered me $550.

Did you take it?

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[emergentmd]

Recruiter asks me what I would need to cover shifts requiring getting on a plane. I told them 600/hr. Never heard back, but getting on a plane and spending 6 hrs of my life one way is worth alot of money to me.