When to Look for Your Next Locums Opportunity

Living the locums life involves a lot of planning to minimize unnecessary or undesired gaps in working. One of the more common questions I get asked is when to start hunting for opportunities. The long story short is that it’s probably never too soon to lock down gigs. But you also have the option to take advantage of your flexibility and not book yourself out for months at a time.

Here’s a rough timeline to help outline when you should start looking for your next derm locums opportunity:

6 Months Out: If you don't have the state license for the opportunity you're interested in yet, start now. Between the board's paperwork and clinic credentialing, it can take half a year to get into a new location. It’s best not to delay, especially given the variability in state licensing timelines. Some states will license you much more quickly than others, while some can take months just to assign an analyst to your file.

3 Months Out: If you already have a particular state license for an opportunity, this is your window. It’s enough time to negotiate your contract and make travel arrangements. For outpatient clinics, this usually provides a comfortable buffer for the facility to verify your credentials before your start date.

1–2 Months Out: This is more for recurring opportunities at clinics where you already have an established relationship. I’m talking about a 1 week/month or brief 2 week stint to cover a vacation at a clinic you’ve already worked at. This is a good window to reach out and ask if you’re needed since your file is already on site and active.

For Gaps in Work

You can use the time for the administrative stuff that can pile up: CME tracking, license renewals, and bookkeeping. You can also work on side gigs like medical surveys, chart review, or telemedicine. If you've hit your financial goals for the quarter, just take the time off. One of the perks of this lifestyle is that you don't have to ask a boss for permission to have a slow month.