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The international locum tenens market is expanding rapidly, offering physicians numerous opportunities for professional growth and adventure. Today, an array of options including destinations, assignment length, compensation levels, and healthcare environments.
Global Medical Staffing have more than 30 years of expertise, and we are constantly adding exciting new opportunities and locations for doctors. Some even include very short-term fly-in/fly-out positions in certain international locations. Here’s an overview of some of the countries currently seeking locum physicians.
Australia
Global Medical has been placing locum tenens physicians in Australia for over 30 years. These are typically longer-term assignments in rural areas and smaller cities that need physicians, like the gorgeous island of Tasmania.
The pay is typically lower than what physicians earn in the U.S. Still, the assignments — which typically last one year — include generous PTO (4 – 6 weeks), housing, travel expenses, and transportation. Some facilities in Australia cover airfare for the physician’s spouse. Visas are required, but Global can assist physicians through the rigorous licensing and credentialing process. They can even help secure visas for their families.
What’s more, the staff in Australian healthcare facilities tend to be close-knit and provide a lot of support to each other. Some rural areas allow doctors to flex different clinical muscles since there tends to be little 24/7 support.
Working in the Land Down Under: Learn about locums in Australia
“The clinical experience in Western Australia has been quite valuable,” says family physician Dr. Mike Spertus. “While there, I saw a whole mix of patients and conditions, including mental health and pain management.”
Emergency medicine physician Dr. Rick Abbott found that the cases he treated as a locum tenens physician in Australia were true emergencies. “A very high proportion of our patients had an acute problem that required an acute intervention. We weren’t trying to manage a chronic disease that had nowhere else to go as in the U.S.”
Canada
Experience international locum tenens in Canada, the world’s second-largest country by land area.
Beyond the sheer size of Canada, you can also expect compensation for locum tenens work to be comparable to U.S. assignments. This means you can earn well while enjoying new adventures.
Registration and visa process varies by province but typically takes over six months to complete. However, malpractice coverage is included, and the frequency of lawsuits is notably lower than in the U.S.
Assignments are usually about 12 months or longer and available in rural and metropolitan areas. Housing, travel, and transportation generally are covered. Additionally, the predominantly English-speaking environment makes the transition smoother for many physicians.
Interested in locums work in the Great White North? See our ultimate guide to working locums in Canada
Caribbean
Locum tenens assignments in the Caribbean offer life-enriching experiences beyond these island paradises’ picturesque turquoise waters and white sandy beaches. While compensation is generally lower than in U.S. assignments, the Caribbean offers a lower cost of living and favorable work/life balance. Credentialing is quick, and no visa is required, allowing for a smooth transition. Malpractice coverage is included, and lawsuits are less common compared to the U.S.
Assignments in the Caribbean typically last one to two weeks, with some lasting three to six months or more. With paid housing and travel expenses, including transportation, the Caribbean is an attractive destination for locum physicians. English-speaking facilities in Jamaica and the U.S. Virgin Islands further ease the adjustment.
Pediatrician Dr. Clark Knutson says the work environment takes a little getting used to but is ultimately worth it. “You do have to make do. You’ve got to figure out how to work together and how to share. There really is a cooperative atmosphere. It’s very nice not to have turf battles at work all the time; they just go with the flow.”
Of her time working in Bermuda, hospitalist Dr. Raymattie Singh says: “I feel like I’m a doctor here, with people looking up to me for advice. In the U.S., I feel like I’m just another person.”
Jamaica
Locum tenens physicians play a crucial role in supporting local doctors and underserved patients in Jamaica, where the physician-patient ratio is roughly one doctor per 2,000 patients.
Although the compensation in Jamaica is slightly less than in the U.S., the slower pace of life and improved work/life balance help reduce burnout. Additionally, you’ll gain valuable experience with the integrated model of care promoted by the Ministry of Health and Wellness.
For those taking on locum assignments in Jamaica, all travel, housing, transportation, licensing, and visa expenses are covered.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico, known as “the heart and soul of the Caribbean,” lies between the Dominican Republic and the U.S. Virgin Islands. This U.S. territory boasts a low cost of living. In fact, it’s one of the lowest among U.S. states and territories. Enjoy more time and money to explore its 700 miles of coastline.
Although compensation for locum tenens in Puerto Rico is typically lower than in the U.S., the slower pace of life, a manageable workload, the chance to enhance your CV, and the opportunity to serve populations in need make it an appealing option. Moreover, Puerto Rico does not require Spanish fluency at the facilities.
Global Medical Staffing will soon offer telehealth locums, enabling you to work from home by simply adding telehealth in Puerto Rico to any U.S. state license.
U.S. Virgin Islands (St. Croix and St. Thomas)
Assignments are typically only seven to 14 days long. These assignments do not involve visas or getting to know a different healthcare system. Staff at these hospitals are very supportive and are used as backup for our locums physicians. Pay in the U.S. Virgin Islands is comparable to, or sometimes lower than what physicians earn in the U.S.
Travel to these islands is more straightforward since no visa is required for U.S. citizens. Global Medical covers round-trip airfare, housing, and car for physicians on assignment in the USVI.
“I’m just realistic about going there,” Dr. Penny Williams, pulmonary and critical care physician, says of her time in St. Croix. “I know what I’m getting when I go, and I enjoy going. It’s the type of medicine you don’t get to practice in the States — you have to be adaptive; you have to make use of the supplies you can find. If you don’t have the equipment to do something, you have to realize you’ve done everything you could.”
“It’s a beautiful place, but it’s hard to get medical care,” says emergency medicine physician Dr. Alan Hogdon. “It’s more difficult to practice because there aren’t as many resources. There’s not as much equipment in the emergency room. It’s hard to get a urologist — they’re only in on Tuesday and Friday, for example, or orthopedics is out of town. So, you’re left to manage.”
Professional growth in the Virgin Islands: Hear one physician’s story
Guam
Guam follows the U.S. healthcare model, so the quality of care and way practices operate are often similar to U.S. rural areas, making it easy for physicians to adjust. Assignments here are as short as three months, and pay is comparable — sometimes slightly lower — to what physicians earn in the U.S., depending on specialty. But there are no exchange rates to consider.
Schedules vary by specialty, and locum physicians in Guam will find the staff at Guam’s healthcare facilities very friendly, supportive, and collaborative. The typical locums assignment in Guam ranges from three to six months. Global Medical works with the two major hospitals and smaller urgent care clinics on the island. At any given time there may be multiple physicians working at these hospitals.
Global Medical covers round-trip airfare and the first two weeks of housing. Clients may cover the cost of housing for the duration of the locums assignment. A visa isn’t required for U.S. citizens.
These assignments are a perfect launching point for exploring Asia.
Dr. Sue Ming, a neurologist who took a first of her many planned assignments in Guam, says about her time there, “As a doctor, I just need to write orders and sign something, and the staff takes care of that. I feel like I’m being pampered compared to healthcare in the mainland U.S. From my experience in Guam, their health system works really well, really efficiently.”
She continues, “If you want to work with the staff, learn from them, and be respectful, they will gladly work with you, and you quickly become a team member. Just get to know them and be humble because you may not know about local policies and how things are done.”
New Zealand
Similar to Australia, we’ve been placing locum physicians in New Zealand for more than 30 years. These assignments range from six to 12 months, sometimes even longer. The work week is three to five days a week in urban and rural areas. You can be placed in large hospital systems to small clinics nationwide.
Though the pay is lower than what physicians earn in the U.S., the assignment includes generous PTO (4 – 6 weeks). The staff in New Zealand facilities tend to be very close-knit, provide a lot of support, and work closely with each other.
There are also differences in expectations for medical staff. For example, the nursing staff are clinically involved and used differently than nurses in the U.S. Some rural areas may also require doctors to wear several hats because of the lack of 24/7 local support.
Global Medical staffing helps physicians through the licensing and credentialing process and assists in securing their visas for themselves and their families. Round-trip airfare for the physician on assignment — and occasionally their spouses — is provided, and Global Medical always provides housing and a rental car in New Zealand.
Physicians choose New Zealand for the slower pace of life, the adventure, the beauty of the island nation, and the travel opportunities.
“It’s been a blast getting to know my patients in this small town; they’re so welcoming and genuinely nice people,” says family medicine physician Dr. Samantha Conroy. “I think in general, New Zealanders are a hearty bunch. They don’t complain about much, so when they come in you know something is going on. One of my patients — an older gentleman — came in for a checkup. He had recently lost his wife and had also had surgery, and I think he was just happy to chat with somebody. He came back the next day and brought me a pair of hand-carved earrings that he made from bone. It was so sweet. I see my patients everywhere and they’re like, ‘I saw you.’ That’s a small town for you.”
Radiologist Dr. Greg Kapala has taken numerous assignments in New Zealand and plans to take more. “I like the culture, I like the people very much, the scenery is spectacular, it’s got really good food. It’s just very comfortable for me, it’s like going home every time I go back there. It’s a very limited resource down in New Zealand so they’re very cautious about how they dole out those healthcare dollars and I think it’s a very smart way to practice medicine. But I think at the same time it’s very good medicine. There are really highly qualified people there and I really respect them for that attitude about medicine.”
Saipan
Depending on the specialty, Global Medical staffs for locum tenens in Saipan in hospitals, small clinics, and rural facilities. Saipan is about 130 miles from Guam. Pay is comparable but sometimes slightly lower than what physicians are paid in the U.S. Round-trip airfare, housing, and transportation are always provided for physicians on locum tenens assignments in Saipan. The best part? no visa is required for U.S. citizens.
The assignment schedules vary by specialty, ranging from three to six months. Physicians will find the staff at the facilities in Saipan very friendly and supportive. Still, there’s more direct support on the main island of Saipan than on the remote and less populated islands nearby.
Saipan is only a three-hour flight to Japan, so this could be your opportunity to explore Asia and beyond!
Hospitalist Dr. Colleen Haynes says she wants to take more assignments in Saipan, she loved it so much. “Pacific Islanders are more relaxed. Everybody I met there, even when I was working, it was really a fabulous experience. I’ve never been told thank you so often as I was in Saipan. It was so fabulous. You don’t get that anymore in America.”
To learn more about working locum tenens internationally, call 1.800.760.3174 or view today’s international job opportunities.