What it’s like working locum tenens as a surgical PA

Locum tenens provides surgical PAs with a chance to advance their careers while enjoying a variety of benefits. By adopting a flexible work schedule and collaborating with diverse medical teams, PAs in locum positions can broaden their skills, increase their income, and travel to new places. We talked to three surgical PAs working locum tenens to get their perspective.

Why they became surgical PAs

Hugh Degannes is a surgical PA specializing in orthopedics. Hugh was interested in medicine, but that interest became personal when his wife at the time was diagnosed with cancer.

“I wanted to be able to do something that would take care of the both of us. I always was interested in the health field and it just made a lot of sense for a host of different reasons,” says Degannes.

Jennifer Fluke is a surgical PA specializing in cardiac and vascular surgeries. Jennifer originally planned to go into software engineering, but she says, “I found out that I like people a lot better than computers.”

She also knew she wanted to specialize in cardiology and pulmonary surgery before she started PA school. “I was able to observe a heart surgery, and I was hooked,” says Fluke. “I saw an open chest with a beating heart, and I was like, that's what I want to do. It was instant.”

Jennifer Brown, also a surgical PA, decided to go into orthopedic surgery to help people move. “Whether it’s helping a little boy in a wheelchair or an adult who doesn’t move like they used to, I want to help their bodies move better,” says Brown.

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Why they switched to locum tenens

The reasons these PAs decided to try their hand at work locum tenens are varied, from travel opportunities to better work/life balance.

Degannes has been working locum tenens for the past year. He has an 18-month-old baby, and he and his wife decided to travel around the United States to find the best place to raise their child. “We both fell out of love with New York City,” says Degannes. “And travel seemed to be a great opportunity to go out and explore.”

Fluke made the change because she had been looking for a better sense of work/life balance, and when CompHealth called, she felt that locums was the solution she was looking for. She’s been working locum tenens for 10 years now.

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Benefits of working locum tenens as a surgical PA

Degannes explained that a big benefit of locum tenens is working in underserved communities where patients are particularly grateful for his care.

“It's great being able to serve these communities because the people are just so grateful. I've had patients ask to hug me,” says Degannes.

Fluke says that practicing in new areas helps her learn new things. “Even though the work model is essentially the same, there is a lot of variability in that. So it gives you exposure to different ways of doing things,” says Fluke.

How surgical PAs use locums to keep their schedules flexible

At his former PA job, Degannes was working 12-14 hours a day, and he says he couldn’t go back to that. In between assignments, he tries to take one or two weeks off so he can decompress and start each assignment fresh.

Brown explained that she’s been busier during the days, but she balances that by taking time off between assignments. Her rule is whatever the length of each assignment she takes, she makes sure to take the same amount off before the next assignment.

Fluke also balances her schedule by taking time to do fun things outside of work. She’s an avid hiker and loves to fly fish, so she chooses assignments that allow her to get outdoors.

Locum tenens can involve families and pets, too

Surgical PAs working locum tenens can choose to bring their families with them, or they can travel solo. Degannes travels with his wife, 18-month-old, and two dogs. While Degannes used to have to work long hours, he now uses his spare time to cook for his wife and toddler.

Brown’s husband visits her on assignments, but for the most part, she travels by herself. “I get to work when I’m working and then be home when I’m home,” says Brown. “It’s a good work/life balance for me.”

Fluke travels with her cat, Cooper. Through their locum tenens journeys, Cooper has traveled on ferries, planes, and cars across the United States.

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Higher pay for locum tenens surgical PAs

Part of Brown's reason for starting work as a locum tenens was that she experienced pay cuts at her former job, and the only way she could continue working in her specialty was by working as a locum tenens.

Degannes estimates that his compensation is 25-40% higher than it would be in a traditional role — and that doesn’t include housing, which is covered for most locum tenens assignments.

Fluke has had some assignments where the pay is hourly, which she appreciated because it means that any extra-long day comes with extra compensation. “If you pull a 16-hour day, you're getting compensated fairly for all 16 hours,” says Fluke.

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Locum tenens tips for surgical PAs

Degannes’ advice for surgical PAs considering locum tenens is that it’s always worth trying. “The opportunity to do travel work opens you up to see what's out there,” says Degannes.

For Fluke, she says, “Flexibility is the name of the game. You'll have experience and knowledge, just be prepared to be able to think about it in a different way.”

Brown says, “Locum tenens is like a revolving door. People might want you to come back, so you want to put forth all that you can.”

Interested in learning more about locum tenens as a career alternative? Give us a call at 800.453.3030 or view today's locum tenens job opportunities for PAs.