6 Tips For Starting Out As A Locum

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Ever Thought Of Locum Work?

Prescript is perfectly placed to help you find the best jobs available across Australia. Here are a few handy hints to help you get your ideal locum position as quickly as possible:

1. Update Your CV

Make sure you send us an up to date copy of your CV including details of your most recent place of work and any relevant experience to the type of locum work that you are looking for.

Don’t have time or don’t know where to start? Prescript are experts at creating professional and relevant CVs and would be happy to help you with this.

2. Prime Your Referees

Before we can put you forward for a locum position, we will need to obtain at least two, preferably three, references from consultants that you’ve worked with over the past year. If you’ve worked in more than one speciality over the past year, your most recent supervisor and/or supervisors from the speciality that you want to work as a locum in will be the best to use. Please don’t forget to let your referees know that they’ll be contacted by us for references. In our experience, the best references always come from people who knew that they were going to be used as a referee and knew that we were going to call!

3. Organising Your Paperwork

Paperwork and credentialing requirements vary from hospital to hospital (even within the same health district), and generally, you will have to re-submit paperwork to each new hospital that you work at as a locum (yes, even within the same health district!). Some of this paperwork will need to be tackled on a case by case basis but to make your life easier, get hold of the following now as a minimum:

✔️ Qualifications - Primary Degree and Fellowship

✔️ Copy of driving licence and passport

✔️ AHPRA registration

✔️ Evidence of vaccination against; HIV; Hepatitis B; Hepatitis C; Measles, Mumps & Rubella; Varicella; dTpa; as well as evidence of any TB screening, if applicable *

✔️ Your indemnity insurance certificate *

✔️ A national police check dated within the past three years *

✔️ Any Working With Children Checks (WWCC) that you currently hold (additional checks may be required if you take up a locum assignment in a new state/territory) *

*These are dependent on where you work - talk to Prescript for more information.

Prescript has its own quality standards, called PQS - find out more here.

4. Be Ready For More Paperwork Coming Your Way

With every new locum placement, comes a new credentialing requirement. Having access to a printer and scanner is invaluable. Prescript is also a big fan of electronic signatures and using your mobile phone as a scanner, and we will gladly share our tips and tricks with you to make life easier.

5. Get An Australian Business Number (ABN) 

Depending on the hospital that you work at as a locum, you may have the option to invoice as a contractor rather than be paid via the hospital payroll. To do this, you will need your own ABN, which is free of charge and can be done online via the Australian Business Register.

6. Check Your Diary

Look at your schedule and decide when you are going to be available for locum work, taking into account adequate rest days between shifts as well as travel time to/from your locum assignment if it’s interstate. Like the sound of a particular job but not sure of the logistics of how to get there? Prescript can talk you through the best itineraries (as well as suggest things to see and do when you’re not at work!)


About James Hill

James Hill is the Founder of Prescript Recruitment and recruits for locum and permanent positions across regional Australia.

James is the author of the soon to be published book 'Full Roster - The Essential 7 Step Guide To Recruiting Doctors In Regional Australia'. He is also a writer of blogs for LinkedIn and the Prescript Recruitment website where he draws on his experience to share opinions on current health staffing issues.

There are three ways to contact James:

  1. Call James on 0410 792 310

  2. Email james@prescript.com.au 

  3. Click 'Connect With Prescript'

I believe for you to partner with the right agency, that reflects your wishes and lifestyle choices, is so important. Prescript’s focus is on what matters most to you, whatever stage of your career, your location or your future plans.
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Meet the Prescript Recruitment Team

We work with doctors for locum, ongoing and fixed-term positions across regional Australia. Connect with Prescript here ⬇️  

◼️RECRUITMENT 

James Hill, Nicola Speer, Rebecca Doyle, Marcia Beere and Nadine Onto. Dedicated recruitment partners focused on helping doctors throughout the recruitment process.

◼️MARKETING & VACANCIES

Grace Clueit. Rapid promotion of locum, ongoing and fixed-term vacancies - helping doctors discover jobs with ease.

◼️CREDENTIALING & LOGISTICS

Stef McLaughlin and Lee Kabigting. Adhere to the highest JAS-ANZ-accredited standards of quality and credentialingManagement of paperwork and travel logistics so that doctors start on time.

◼️FINANCE & PAYMENTS

Hugo Scales. Prescript's Finance & Payments Manager ensures doctors get paid promptly and smoothly.

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Prescript are medical recruitment specialists.

At Prescript we’re known for helping solve the regional doctor shortage in Australia.

Every day we’re focused on two clear outcomes - Helping hospitals find doctors that create departments and clinics that run better, have more capacity and less stress. And placing Doctors in jobs that leave them feeling highly valued, rewarded and, most importantly, enjoying what they do.

We believe that when we get these two crucial things right, it has a huge impact on the regional doctor shortage and the healthcare of communities across Australia.

There are three ways to contact us:

  1. Call 1300 755 498

  2. Email contact@prescript.com.au

  3. Click 'Connect with Prescript'

We’d love to hear from you!

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We’re known for helping solve the regional doctor shortage, leaving doctors loving what they do and regional communities feeling like they have the best doctors in town.