The gig economy and/or temporary contract work have become increasingly prevalent among healthcare professionals, including physicians. Approximately 7%opens in a new tab or window of the U.S.-trained physician workforce practice medicine as locums or temporary assignments. This is only expected to grow as a new generation of young physicians become disenchanted by increasingly demanding jobs and the growing prevalence of burnout.
According to the American Medical Association, 63% of physiciansopens in a new tab or window experienced burnout in 2021, up from 38% the previous year. Practicing physicians in the post-pandemic era are reducing their clinical hours or closing their private practices, worsening the expected critical workforce shortageopens in a new tab or window. Similar trends are playing out in other healthcare fieldsopens in a new tab or window. Overall, it is not surprising that physicians of my generation (and likely the following generations) have turned to locum tenens (Latin for placeholder), temporary assignments, and independent contract work to protect themselves from burnout.
Since switching to independent contract work (“gig work”), I enjoy greater flexibility, independence, and autonomy at work, better control over my schedule, personal goals, and overall health. I will describe why gig work for physicians can lead to higher compensation, improved work-life balance, enhanced autonomy, independence, and happiness.
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