Beat Medical Blog

Are locums less skilled mercenaries, who will never complete a training program?

Posted by Beat Medical

Things aren’t exactly as they seem, according to Beat Medical Director Shaun Hughston.


There are a few myths about locums which seem to have persisted, even though many - perhaps most- doctors work as a locum at some point in their career. Here are some of the most popular ones:

1. Locums are less skilled

This myth can be true, but mostly not. It really depends on the individual. The bulk of Beat Medical locums are specialty qualified, or senior practitioners with over 20 years of experience.

2. Locums are mercenaries

Guns for hire, who will work for the highest bidder?
Put this way, it sounds terribly sinister. Sure, a great benefit of locum work is that the market rate is higher than regular salaried employment. Simple economics dictate it: high demand - low supply = high price.

3. Doing locums discourages people from completing training programs

This is just not true. The workforce is changing, and many people use locum work as a gap year between junior years and training, or even as a break in the midst of a training program. With the average age of medical graduates increasing, they tend to enter the workforce with more responsibilities - and debt! Doing some locum work often helps supplement the meagre income of a registrar. And, there are some people who will simply never complete a training program. They are often the pillars that hold up the staffing of Emergency Departments around Australia.

Here is the reality of locums:

• Locums are needed because there has been insufficient health planning at government levels to ensure that healthcare facilities are adequately staffed. 
• Locums are needed because some colleges still have protectionist policies to limit the amount of trainees in their programs for less than positive reasons.
• The majority of locums aren’t necessarily doing it just for the money. When we ask people why they want to do locum work, the answers are more likely based around lifestyle, change in routine, adventure - and to develop a given skill set.

Unfortunately, there is a dodgy element amongst locums and locum agencies that has encouraged some negative perceptions by employers and the medical community about doctors who choose to work as locums for a short time, or even on a long term basis.

Next time you work with a locum, ask them what brought them there. You might be surprised.

Beat Medical offers locum jobs as as means to income, working holidays and adventures - have a look at our locum doctor vacancies to see what we have on offer.