The below are my own personal opinions and views and are NOT affiliated with any institution or company.
I was on the top of a mountain in Acadia National Park in Maine, enjoying the most gorgeous view of the ocean after somehow surviving the climb up Beehive Trail – maybe nothing to the avid rock climber, but something to the novice hiker. Behind me was a group of 4 or 5 that asked for a picture of themselves at the top. I obliged, they returned the favor, and we started to talk. As we all left the summit heading back down the less steep side of the mountain, they told me of how they were coincidentally all medical providers in North Carolina – a few NP’s and a Family Medicine doctor. They asked what I was doing on a mountain in Maine and I told them of my journey as a traveling, nomadic, Pediatrician. Before we parted ways, the doctor asked me, “Don’t you feel bad sometimes? Going to these smaller hospitals and them paying so much for you to be there?” Controversial, awkward, and quiet but obvious, but let’s talk about it.
In one of my very first posts I brought up WHY I chose to do locum tenens. I have found so much fulfillment in my time over the last few years that I openly encourage my learners to consider this path as an adjunct to their other work. I have found great friendships and seen beautiful spots of the country I would have never been to. However, more importantly, I have learned and experienced so much in terms of patient care and hospital flow, deepened my understanding of the public health issues in the country, and grown on many fronts as a person and a physician. While yes, a slight increase in compensation has helped to shorten the lifetime of my loans, it has not been the MAIN reason for travel and, if I had a chance to do it all over again, I wouldn’t change a damn thing.
Yet, by nature of working in places that have needed me, I have also met many others of other places in healthcare that are travelers because they also have been needed. With time, I have seen that while many travel for what i personally view as ‘good’ reasons (eg: broadened horizons, seeing the country, meeting new people or gaining experience), there are many who might travel for solely narrow reasons which may sometimes come under criticism; and, while I hold no personal vendetta against them, they are sometimes worrisome for where I see our priorities lay as healthcare providers.
With the advent of COVID-19 the field of travel health care providers became widely known throughout the country. Many would be asked to uproot themselves from their current jobs to relocate into crisis zones for relief and it was incredibly necessary and reasonable as workforces throughout the country in hot spots were decimated by death and burnout. For the travel, the change in life, and the emergent need, it makes sense to compensate individuals for their sacrifices and economic demand will always call for better pay in worse areas/jobs. It brought to the light a previously more quiet world of travelers and it was no secret the exorbitant money being spent to do it.
Ultimately, to answer his question, I do believe it does remain sensible for any travel assignment to have increased compensation for a traveler that is truly a traveler – I have given up too much to talk about to go to the places I go and have spent months in solitude… but, to be transparent, some take advantage of the system leading to poor connotations for the rest. I have met “travelers” that have quit their permanent job to work at a nearby hospital less than 5 miles away. I have met brand new graduates with minimal experience that take on roles they are not ready for just for the money; and, I have met those that have not cared about the assignment they end up at, too focused only on the dollar sign at the end of the day. I will never forget the day I ran into an the operating room for an emergency life-or-death c-section with the OBGYN to find a traveling operating room circulator that decided to sit in the corner and not help with opening the supplies we needed, as we desperately raced the clock to ensure survival. She froze, “I’m just a traveler.” Well, so was I.
Now, while I STRONGLY believe that the biggest hurdle this country faces is that healthcare systems and individual hospitals should focus on taking care of their workers and providing avenues for well-being and fair compensation to focus on Retention erhmm… My point with this post is focused on the traveler’s side.
When I walk into a new hospital, I may be visiting, but the patients’ lives are still in my hands. When I come across a new program or group, I may be new to their protocols, but I am part now of their team. I did not become a doctor to sit idly by in any situation that seems wrong or inefficient and I have always sought to improve the quality of anything I do. I work locum tenens to help those that are without and view it as a mutually beneficial way to give my energy and time to a community that needs it, but I never believe in doing that halfway. So, I caution and hope to inspire those that are wanting to travel with whatever job they do in the future to focus on the “good” reasons to travel. I will bleed for the patients, doctors and communities I serve regardless of whether or not it is a permanent role or a temporary one. In the end, I have learned that the reasons for which I travel are always less important than the dedication I give once I get there, and that is something that will never change.
The Nomadic Pediatrician 