For 24 years, Dr. Asif Masood worked as a full-time hospitalist and eventually became a chief medical officer. Throughout his career, he’s managed dozens of locum tenens providers, earning deep respect and appreciation for their work.
While he valued the flexibility and opportunities the locum lifestyle provided, he found himself comfortable in his in-person leadership role. He appreciated the stability and satisfaction of managing people and working closely with patients.
“The reason I became a doctor was to serve patients, serve humanity, and take the knowledge God has given me and put it to use for good,” said Dr. Masood.
Dr. Masood thrived on a balance of direct patient care, leadership, and personal travel. Exploring the world allowed him to recharge before returning to the steady rhythm of hospital life—a routine that fulfilled him.
But in 2020, that balance was shattered.
When COVID-19 lockdowns took hold, travel was no longer an option. The pandemic upended everything, and as a leader, Dr. Masood had to be available around the clock to make critical hospital decisions.
“I didn’t have a wife or kids, so I would just always travel all over the world,” he recalled. “Then, COVID-19 halted all of that. At that time, if I was staffed to work in the ER or ICU, and if anybody got sick, I was the one on the line. After a couple of years of that, I was just totally burned out.”
Finding Freedom in Locum Tenens
As the world began to open up again, so did Dr. Masood’s mindset. With travel back on the table, he was drawn to the flexibility of the locum tenens lifestyle—something he had long admired. The idea of working as a locum tenens hospitalist started to take shape.
Determined to take the leap, he contacted a friend who was already working with a staffing agency he had enjoyed collaborating with as a stationary hospitalist. By 2023, he had officially transitioned into his new role as a locum hospitalist with Interim Physicians. He loved it immediately—not just for the work or the income, but for the freedom it offered, allowing him to reignite his passion for travel.
“I’m very open to new experiences,” he said. “I will travel anywhere.”
Dr. Masood knows this lifestyle isn’t for everyone, but it fits him perfectly. With Interim Physicians, he blends his love for in-person patient care with his desire to explore new places. He never wants to feel tied down for too long. Instead, he embraces the unknown—packing up and moving whenever the urge strikes, whether across the country or worldwide. And with Interim Physicians by his side, he never has to go it alone.
From Pakistan to Nationwide Practice
“I was born and raised in Pakistan. My grandfather was a physician, and ever since I was a child, I just knew this was something that I wanted to do.”
After completing medical school in 1998, Dr. Masood moved to the US, where he finished his residency and began practicing. His journey started in Florida, where he had distant relatives, but his career soon took him across the country. From Florida, he moved to New York, then Kentucky, and eventually settled in Dallas—where he found the opportunity to live and work closer to his brother and two nephews.
“I’ve enjoyed staying in Dallas and having family nearby,” he said. “But another great thing about Dallas is that it’s a hub for Southwest and American Airlines.”
With Dallas as his home base, traveling for locum tenens work became effortless. With Interim, Dr. Masood now practices in multiple states, including familiar places like Florida, New York, and Kentucky, and has new opportunities in Illinois and Tennessee. Interim helped him secure the necessary licenses when he signed on, ensuring a smooth transition into his flexible, travel-friendly career.
The Perfectly Unexpected Path
Locum tenens has allowed Dr. Masood to travel all over the US and the world.
“I was introduced to Interim Physicians through one of my friends,” he explained. “Then, I got connected with my recruiter, Gatlin. He’s a really good guy, and he’s always very professional and willing to help out. We’ve become friends. I think everyone I’ve worked with at Interim, they are all nice people.”
Dr. Masood acknowledges that he might eventually choose to return to a full-time leadership role. After all, he has never avoided any opportunity life presents, but he feels content as a locum for now.
“I’ve always felt like if you can combine your passion with your profession and use those two together, that’s when you will be the happiest,” he said. “You know, money comes and goes. If you run after money, it can outrun you, but if you do what you love, money follows you.”
