Making the Most of Your Locum Locations

Making the Most of Your Locum Locations
One of the benefits of working as a locum physician is combining a love for medicine with a love of travel. Yet there is a
trap inherent to the locum lifestyle that sometimes causes the novelty of travel to wear off: getting so busy with work
that the location a doctor is working no longer matters. Doctors can get so busy that they simply forget to enjoy
traveling.
Let's face it; we all get bogged down in a rut from time to time. Locum physicians are no exception. The thing is, it takes
real effort to get out there and experience the world after a long week of work. Sometimes it is just easier to spend
down time sitting at home and binge-watching TV shows rather than going out and doing something more active.
Downtime on the couch is necessary. Everyone needs physical rest. But if you find yourself not enjoying locum travel like
you once did, it could be that you just need to recommit yourself to making the effort to make the most of your locum
locations. Below are some tips for doing so.
Make Plans with Colleagues
Locum physicians are easily tempted to remain at a distance from their colleagues in the knowledge that they will not be
sticking around forever. Unfortunately, this can lead to social isolation that negates the benefits of locum travel. It is far
better to take advantage of social opportunities by making plans to do things with colleagues.
When a person makes plans with colleagues, he or she is a lot less likely to miss available opportunities. Furthermore,
colleagues are a wealth of information regarding things to do locally.
Volunteer in the Community
Volunteering is a beneficial exercise for everyone, even locum doctors. And yes, it is possible to volunteer even though
the locum will only be around for a few months. Volunteering benefits the community, gets the doctor out of the house,
and opens doors to all sorts of new connections. Some of those connections may lead to opportunities for social
interaction.

Learn about Local History
Some locums who love history as much as they do travel make the most of their locations by learning about local
history. Making the effort to learn means going to history museums, participating in community events, talking with
colleagues and patients, reading the local newspaper, and so forth. The pursuit of local history opens a tremendous
number of doors for getting out and doing things.
Experience Local Culture
Hand-in-hand with local history is local culture. Likewise, very few things allow locum physicians to make the most of
their work locations in the same way cultural events do. We recommend doctors participate in community festivals,
outdoor concerts, public exhibitions, art shows, symposiums, and anything else they can find in the area. Even going to
local parks just to meet people can be an exciting adventure.
You Are Traveling Anyway
As a locum physician yourself, the ability to travel might be one of the perks that keeps you involved in the locum
industry. That's great. Just be careful to not fall into the trap of spending all your downtime at home in front of the
television. You are traveling anyway, so you might just as well get out into the community and see what it has to offer.
The one thing to remember is that making the most of your locum locations requires effort. It is not going to happen by
osmosis. The more effort you put into getting out there and experiencing life, the more you will actually experience. It's
just common sense.