Using recruiter for locums hospitalist work?

[nope80]

Is this how most people find parttime/locums hospitalist work?

I am wondering however if there are disadvantages to using a recruiter - such as salary/hourly rate? If you don't use a recruiter, do you just try to contact the hospitals directly?

Recently I was in a situation where one recruiter was giving one hourly rate but another company was stating a higher rate for the same hospital. But because I was already working with the first recruiter (the one w a lower rate) on another hospital, the second group told me I had to go with them. Which seems a little ridiculous - how can they monopolize doctors especially when I was only working with the first recruiter on a different hospital. Anyway, I am wondering if the use of recruiters alters ones hourly rate and if they somehow control these rates by controlling doctors in the way I described above. Thoughts?

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[rokshana]

Is this how most people find parttime/locums hospitalist work?

I am wondering however if there are disadvantages to using a recruiter - such as salary/hourly rate? If you don't use a recruiter, do you just try to contact the hospitals directly?

Recently I was in a situation where one recruiter was giving one hourly rate but another company was stating a higher rate for the same hospital. But because I was already working with the first recruiter (the one w a lower rate) on another hospital, the second group told me I had to go with them. Which seems a little ridiculous - how can they monopolize doctors especially when I was only working with the first recruiter on a different hospital. Anyway, I am wondering if the use of recruiters alters ones hourly rate and if they somehow control these rates by controlling doctors in the way I described above. Thoughts?

to work locums you have to work through a locums company...and you generally sign a contract with them thats states that if they present you to a hospital for a position, you can only work at that hospital through them...usually you have to wait 2 years before you can contact that place to work there without going through the locums company.

you can work directly with a hospital in a per diem capacity and generally you can get a higher rate this way since the hospital doesn't have to pay the locums company (which typically gets the same rate as you do per hour, meaning that the hospital s paying double your hourly rate to the locums company). However a per diem position may not pay for housing and travel while locums positions general do.

you are only "controlled" by the locums company through the agreement that YOU make with them...if you signed a contract with a locums company and they presented you to the hospital, then you can't then have another locums company present you to the same hospital for the same position...you can however tell your locus company that you know that the program is offering a higher rate with through a mother company and that you would be interested in the position if they can get the higher rate.

 

[nope80]

I worked with locums company A about hospital A but now I am interested in hospital B.
The broker gave me one rate but said because i have worked with locums A before (about a different hospital mind you), I have to work this them for ALL hospitals they represent. I can't go through the broker. which sounds super shady to me

 

[rokshana]

I worked with locums company A about hospital A but now I am interested in hospital B.
The broker gave me one rate but said because i have worked with locums A before (about a different hospital mind you), I have to work this them for ALL hospitals they represent. I can't go through the broker. which sounds super shady to me

look at your contract, but that is generally not the case...after all many of places work with a number of locums companies. If locums company A presented you to hospital B about a position, then locums company B cannot also present you to hospital B.

Locums company B may put something like that in THEIR contract and they think that other companies do the same, but I have not typically seen that to be the case (but then I haven't work with a lot of companies, so there could be some out there where this is the norm).

 

[DrMetal]

you can work directly with a hospital in a per diem capacity and generally you can get a higher rate this way since the hospital doesn't have to pay the

So, whats the impetus for going through a locums company? If you want to work local per diem (you dont want to travel), youd be far better off calling hospitals directly, right? Or, is it the case that some hospitals only work through locums companies?

 

[rokshana]

So, whats the impetus for going through a locums company? If you want to work local per diem (you dont want to travel), youd be far better off calling hospitals directly, right? Or, is it the case that some hospitals only work through locums companies?

yes, some places are small enough that they may not want to deal with all the issues.

locums companies will pay for a lot of things...licensing, credentialing, medical staff fees, hotels, airfare, car rental, etc so they don't have to come out of your pocket...and coming straight out of residency, many aren't exactly flush with money. Plus they will do a lot of the legwork and paperwork and just send you the paperwork filled out and ready to sign.

 

[nope80]

with hospitalist positions, sometimes i never knew who to contact at the hospital. sometimes there are multiple groups and you never know who is in charge from the website. so it seems a bit more complicated to reach out

 

[rokshana]

with hospitalist positions, sometimes i never knew who to contact at the hospital. sometimes there are multiple groups and you never know who is in charge from the website. so it seems a bit more complicated to reach out

you can look for or ask for the physician recruiter for the hospital.

 

[Raryn]

Is this how most people find parttime/locums hospitalist work?

I am wondering however if there are disadvantages to using a recruiter - such as salary/hourly rate? If you don't use a recruiter, do you just try to contact the hospitals directly?

Recently I was in a situation where one recruiter was giving one hourly rate but another company was stating a higher rate for the same hospital. But because I was already working with the first recruiter (the one w a lower rate) on another hospital, the second group told me I had to go with them. Which seems a little ridiculous - how can they monopolize doctors especially when I was only working with the first recruiter on a different hospital. Anyway, I am wondering if the use of recruiters alters ones hourly rate and if they somehow control these rates by controlling doctors in the way I described above. Thoughts?

If you have a specific hospital in mind, you'll typically be better off if you work for them directly. But if you want to shop around, a recruiting company might be the easiest thing to do.

Ex: I moonlight as a hospitalist doing the occ weekend night. I found the gig through a recruiter, and they pay me $130/hr. I mentioned it to my co-fellow, and she's getting priveleged at the exact same hospital... for $150/hr. Because she went to the hospital directly. My bet is that this not only gets her more money, but it saves the hospital money (because the staffing company surely gets more than $20/hr cut).

That said, once you get one offer from a hospital you can't switch. Every hospital has contracts with their recruiters. If the recruiter shows them a candidate's CV and they go on to hire them, that recruiter gets a cut. Otherwise, what would stop the hospital from getting your CV, contacting you directly, and cutting the recruiter out routinely? Would be cheaper for both of you.

Similarly, if a real estate agent shows you a house and you go on to buy it, they have to get their cut or you break the contract. You can't employ a real estate agent, have them make you appointments, show you houses, etc, then contact the owner separately and negotiate a lower price because you don't have an agent taking a cut.

 

[rheummate1]

I tried getting a locum position with locum.tenens com and credentialing has been >5 months and not finalized. I agree it is better to go with hospital as I have been credentialed in <1 week before. Salary is more accurate if you talk directly with hospital

 

[UncommonVariable]

I do occasional locum work. If possible, avoid recruiter by contacting hospital directly....credentialing is faster (less than 2 weeks in my experience vs > 8 months) and pay was higher within the same hospital system ($180/hour versus $110/hour).

 

[DrMetal]

I do occasional locum work. If possible, avoid recruiter by contacting hospital directly....credentialing is faster (less than 2 weeks in my experience vs > 8 months) and pay was higher within the same hospital system ($180/hour versus $110/hour).

But you have to get your own insurance right? What did you do for that?

 

[gutonc]

But you have to get your own insurance right? What did you do for that?

There is no way that malpractice is worth $70/hr. Plenty of people buy their own malpractice insurance. If you're doing locums as your primary gig, getting your own is probably the way to go.

 

[UncommonVariable]

But you have to get your own insurance right? What did you do for that?

No. Hospital covered my malpractice plus tail.