Dr. Pasha knew from a young age that she wanted to pursue a career in medicine.
She told her family as much after going to the ED with a stomachache when she was nine years old. After years in a permanent position, she still loved the work but wanted more control over her schedule. Locum tenens offered a path that let her pick assignments on her own terms while still having enough time for her family.
“I love emergency medicine, and locums just works best for me. It fits my personality.”
Locums Gave Her the Freedom She Wanted
About nine years into her career, Dr. Pasha was ready for a change. She still cared deeply about her patients, but she wanted more say over her schedule.
“A friend I trained with in residency was doing locums, and she liked it,” Dr. Pasha recalled. “It seemed like it could give me what I was looking for.”
She initially split her months between 12 locum shifts and 12 shifts at her permanent job.
“It worked well, but the more locums I did, the more I asked myself, ‘Why am I holding on to this regular job?’”
Roughly a year later, she left her permanent position and transitioned to full-time locum work.
How Locums Lets Her Practice Medicine on Her Terms
The biggest reason Dr. Pasha has continued working locum tenens is the flexibility it gives her and her 10-year-old son. Since she decides where to work, she can choose facilities that fit their lifestyle.
“I homeschool my son, so wherever I work has to accommodate him. Sometimes that means bringing a nanny or another helper along. It all comes down to how I want to do it.”
She also wants a team that respects her time. One of her best placements came in Los Angeles, where she did her residency.
“I was excited to go back when the chance came up. New places can come with politics, but my time there was amazing. I was named Doctor of the Year, and I got more respect there than I ever did in my regular career.”
Now licensed in eight states, she can be selective about the assignments she takes.
“Just because I hear about a job doesn’t mean I’ll take it. I’ve been doing this a long time, and I need more downtime than I used to. I work hard, but I make sure I have time to rest, bring my cortisol levels down, and be with my son.”
Her Advice to Emergency Medicine Physicians Considering Locums
For new locum tenens providers, Dr. Pasha’s advice is simple and direct.
“You need to insist on orientation. Don’t let it blow over.”
She learned this on her very first assignment, which fell on the Fourth of July, one of the busiest days of the year for injury-related ED visits across the country. Everyone was too swamped to get her up to speed.
“I’m glad I stuck with it, because locums has been so rewarding. But there’s a learning curve any time you start somewhere new.”
She recommends setting aside your first day for orientation and learning the systems, taking a day off to recuperate, then hitting the ground running the day after.
“One of the best things about locums is that you can ask for the structure you need. Make your voice heard, and you can get what you want.”
Using Locums to Make Room for Life Outside of Work
Working locums has also opened up time to travel with her son.
“Our plan is to visit every Disney park in the world before he’s older. We’ve been to three so far, along with the Disney resort in Hawaii.”
She says none of it would be possible otherwise.
“I’ll always want to practice medicine, but with locum tenens, my career works around my life instead of the other way around.”