by Rob Berton | Jun 5, 2017 | Blog, Locum Tenens |
Increase your odds of landing the locum tenen position that’s right for you by being as prepared as possible for the interview.
How to Prepare for Your Interview as a Locum Tenen
Locum tenen positions can present opportunities to build your resume with practical, real-world experiences. Once you find available positions, the next step is to prepare for the interview. While you may not become a permanent member of the staff, you’re still going to face stiff competition. You want to make that critical good first impression.
Understand What the Employer Expects
The first step in preparing for an interview is to get a solid idea of what’s expected for the position. Read the job description carefully. There may be details you can use to fine-tune your resume to the particular qualities and skills that matter most to a potential employer. Do your research on the hospital, clinic or practice where you may be working by:
• Visiting the facility’s website
• Reading profiles of key players, such as doctors, department heads and board members
• Checking out social media to see where the facility’s focus is with patient care
Arrive on Time with Extra CV Copies
Arrive about 15 to 20 minutes early so that you can get a general feel of the place. You’ll be able to take a moment to calm your nerves and get in the right frame of mind. Bring extra copies of your CV or resume in case other hospital personnel request it.
Be Ready to Discuss Details on Your Resume
Don’t include anything on your resume that you can’t clearly discuss. Leave out any previous experience that’s not relevant to the locum tenen position you’re seeking. Be prepared to give examples of any skills or abilities you claim to possess, especially soft skills like problem-solving.
Be Prepared to Answer and Ask Questions
You’ll likely be asked behavioral questions in which you will be given a scenario and asked how you would react. The purpose of such questions is to get an idea of how you would perform on the job. Keep your answers clear and avoid rambling. Be prepared with a handful of possible questions that you may be able to ask when given the chance. You may wish to take notes and jot down any new questions that come to mind. At the very least, ask what comes next in the hiring process.
Finally, don’t forget to follow up on your interview. Start by sending a thank-you note rather than a simple email that may get lost in an inbox. Write a quick note on actual paper as soon as the interview is over and still fresh in your mind. If you haven’t heard anything back in a few days, send an email or make a call. It never hurts to show a sincere interest. The skills you use to look for locum tenen positions could help you find the perfect long-term position.
References:
1. https://www.locumtenens.com/physician-resources/interview-tips.aspx
2. https://www.monster.com/career-advice/article/temporary-position-interview
3. http://allhealthcare.monster.com/careers/articles/3503-six-must-ask-interview-questions
by Rob Berton | May 25, 2017 | Blog, Credentialing, Locum Tenens |
Make your experience as a locum tenens professional a productive and rewarding one by taking some important steps and precautions when selecting a recruiting agency to find positions for you.
How to Choose a Locum Tenen Agency
Recruitment agencies serve important roles for both medical practices and health care professionals looking to fill available positions. When you’re looking for locum tenens opportunities, the first step is to find a reliable agency to help you secure temporary placements. Here’s what you’ll want to keep in mind when choosing a locum tenen agency.
Availability of Locations
Not all locum tenen agencies place physicians across the country or anywhere in the world. Look for an agency that offers placements in locations where you’ll likely be able to travel without too much difficulty. It’s just as important to know what you want in terms of temporary work and locations.
Getting to Know You
Partner with an agency that’s going to take the time to know your goals with locum tenens positions and your capabilities so that they can accurately match you with the right hospitals. On a related note, make sure they understand the requirements and certifications unique to your specialty.
Accessibility and Communication
Choose a locum tenen agency with recruiters who are easily accessible if you have any questions or issues with one of your placements. This availability should include any assistance you may need with travel arrangements or sorting out any problems with payment and necessary documents. Accessibility and communication also extend to:
• Letting you know before CVs are sent
• Addressing concerns with facility policies and practices once you have been placed
• Handling licensing and credentialing issues
• Clearly explaining compensation arrangements, including frequency of payment and specifications for overtime and call duties
Understanding Potential Work Environments
Do a little digging to see how much an agency knows about potential places where you may be working. Do they check on things like the general working environment and the overall safety and comfort of physicians and patients? Also, consider agencies that have stipulations in place to allow you to back out of contracts or agreements to work for specific periods if conditions aren’t as described.
You don’t have to settle for one agency exclusively. Be wary of any agency that asks you to agree not to look elsewhere. Most reputable agencies will allow you to maintain multiple relationships so that you’ll have as many opportunities available as possible. Also, avoid any agencies that ask you to pay; it’s the medical facilities that pay for these services.
References:
1. 5 Tips for Choosing a Locum Tenens Recruitment Agency. Available at: “https://www.locumleaders.com/news/career-tips/tips-for-choosing-a-locum-tenens-recruitment-agency/”. Accessed April 18, 2017.
2. 7 Questions to Ask Before Choosing a Locum Tenens Staffing Company. Available at “http://www.comphealth.com/resources/locum-tenens/7-questions-to-ask-before-choosing-a-locum-tenens-staffing-company/”. Accessed April 18, 2017.
3. Tips on Selecting Locum Tenen Agencies. Available at: “https://www.nalto.org/tips-selecting-locum-tenens-agencies/”. Accessed April 18, 2017.
by Rob Berton | May 18, 2017 | Blog, Credentialing, Locum Tenens |
Licensing and credentialing is important for locum tenens, who typically have to produce such documents before a position can be offered. Knowing how this works can make your time as a locum tenen productive and efficient.
How Licensing and Credentialing Work as a Locum Tenen
Since locum tenen positions often involve temporary employment in various medical facilities in different states, licensing and credentialing must be valid, current and easily verifiable. Depending on where you’ll be working, you may need to obtain new credentials, privileges, verifications or certificates. In some cases, you may need to reactivate lapsed state licenses. Here’s what you need to know to be prepared for your next locum tenen position.
Adhering to State License Procedures
Each state has a specific process for granting licenses to physicians. Most states have a complex series of requirements that include licensing boards and licensing statutes. Start by contacting the medical boards in states where you’ve applied for locum tenen positions to get a list of specific requirements.
The licensing process typically takes about five to six months in most states, as long as your documentation is sufficient. If you need to obtain a new license or reactivate an expired one, there will usually be a fee. The exact amount varies by state. Generally, licensing is a process that includes:
• Verification of education
• Malpractice documentation
• Controlled substance registration
• Interviews with medical board members
Providing Required Credentialing Documentation
Each hospital or medical facility has a process in place to verify the credentials and privileges of any physician applying for a locum tenen position. It’s largely a process that involves confirming everything that was stated on your application in reference to your capabilities, education and experience as a medical practitioner. The verification process often includes an in-depth interview with a credentialing committee and possibly individuals from the hospital’s board of directors and medical executive committee.
Often, each facility will reach out to previous employers where you had privileges to confirm that those privileges are still in good standing. They may also check any references you mentioned on your application or talk to staff you worked with previously. Documentation usually required for credentialing confirmation includes:
• Medical school diploma
• Proof of residencies and fellowships
• Board certifications
• Life support certifications
Accurate record-keeping is a must. Set up a system that allows you to easily access any credentialing or licensing information and the proof you’ll need to provide. Fully complete all necessary applications and keep copies of any training certificates you’ve obtained.
References:
1. State Medical Boards. Available at: “https://www.locumtenens.com/physician-resources/medical-state-board-licenses.aspx”. Accessed April 21, 2017.
2. Obtaining a Medical License. Available at: “https://www.ama-assn.org/education/obtaining-medical-license”. Accessed April 21, 2017.
3. Physician Credentialing and Privileging. Available at: “http://www.acmq.org/policies/policy21.pdf”. Accessed April 21, 2017.
by Rob Berton | May 9, 2017 | Blog, Opioid Crisis |
Overdose and deaths due to opioid use are rising at a fast rate in the United States. The medical profession is now taking steps to curb opioid usage by trying different pain management techniques and teaching doctors about the dangers of prescribing opioids.
How Doctors Are Managing the Opioid Epidemic
The Center for Disease Control has compiled statistics that show the death toll in 2016 for opioid and opiate-based medication use in the United States was over 30,000 people. This is 2.8 times more than the number of deaths due to opioid and opiate use in 2002. The alarming increase has changed the way the medical profession looks at opioids and how they are used. Here are three of the most significant changes the medical profession has made when prescribing opioids to reduce the number of people becoming addicted to opioid-based drugs.
New Pain Management Guidelines
The opioid epidemic affecting the country has caused the American College of Physicians to update and change its pain management guidelines. The new guidelines state that prescribing opioids for chronic pain should be done as a last resort when other pain management techniques have failed.
Doctors should first incorporate non-drug and non-invasive therapies into the pain management program of a patient. Therapies recommended to be done before using pain medications include things like chiropractic spinal manipulation techniques, acupuncture, massage and heat therapy.
New Prescription Guidelines
The Center for Disease Control has also issued new guidelines on how and when doctors should prescribe opioids for people with chronic pain. The guidelines promote the use of non-invasive and non-drug therapies as well as dictate dose rates and usage.
The Joint Commission that accredits thousands of health care centers, clinics and hospitals in the United States has also addressed the use of non-invasive and non-drug techniques to treat chronic pain. The Joint Commission now recommends that physicians use alternative treatments like chiropractic care and acupuncture for patients suffering from severe chronic pain.
Physician Training on Opioids
One of the most cited reasons for the opioid epidemic is that doctors prescribing the medications are often under-trained on the effects of the opioids on patients. For instance, doctors in Arizona do not have to be educated in opioid-based medications and the effects of their usage on patients. A recent survey of doctors showed that 72 percent who were surveyed had an insufficient knowledge of opioids and their effects. This lack of knowledge is about to change.
Public Health Law agencies across the country are undergoing reviews of the training doctors have received in opioid-based medications and are developing continuing education courses that the doctors will be required to take to maintain their license to practice. In time, as more and more doctors take the advanced training, the hope is that they will be more knowledgeable as to how they prescribe opioid-based medications to avoid future addictions and overdoses.
References:
[1] https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/
[2] http://annals.org/aim/article/2603228/noninvasive-treatments-acute-subacute-chronic-low-back-pain-clinical-practice
[3] https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/prescribing/guideline.html
[4] http://www.jointcommission.org/assets/1/18/Clarification_of_the_Pain_Management__Standard.pdf
[5] https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/hookedrx/doctor-training-pain-management-opioids/
by Rob Berton | May 5, 2017 | Behavioral Health, Blog |
Hospitals around the country continue to pursue a comprehensive approach toward health care. This approach has led to hospitals integrating behavioral health across the industry.
The Integration of Behavioral Health Across the Health Care Industry
The health care industry has been pursuing a way to make health care more comprehensive. This has led to hospitals integrating behavioral health across the industry. The goal is to provide patients with the services that they need when they need them.
Behavioral Health Illness Issues
Integrating behavioral health into hospital health care systems is the next logical step. This is even more apparent considering that one out of every four Americans experiences some kind of behavioral health problem or substance use disorder. Unfortunately, many of these people enter care without ever having their underlying behavioral health issues addressed.
The Path to Integration
Unfortunately, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to how hospitals should modify their current health care delivery system to include behavioral health. It’s important for hospitals to remember that simply maintaining the status quo isn’t an option. The industry and environment are always changing. If hospitals aren’t striving to be ahead of the game, they get left behind.
Why Supporting Behavioral Health Is Essential
Behavioral health is a growing concern among people in the health care industry. In fact, studies show that depression is the third-most common reason that people visit a health care center. Diabetes and hypertension are the most common reasons. While huge steps are being taken to combat the first two issues, little has been done to combat behavioral health issues.
Behavioral health has a huge impact on people; it can help combat problems such as substance abuse, depression and anxiety. Combating depression is important because suicide is a major health concern.
On the Right Path
Many hospitals are already on the right path. In fact, nearly 70 percent of all HRSA-supported hospitals in the country offer some kind of mental health treatment and therapy. On top of this, nearly 40 percent of these hospitals also offer substance abuse counseling. An estimated 4,000 people work in hospitals and provide behavioral health therapy as well.
References:
[1] http://www.hpoe.org/Reports-HPOE/Behavioral%20health%20FINAL.pdf
[2] https://www.hrsa.gov/publichealth/clinical/BehavioralHealth/index.html
