Family medicine locum tenens jobs that fit your life
Jump to
Domestic vs. international family medicine locums jobs
U.S. family medicine locums jobs
Family medicine locums in Alaska
International family medicine locum tenens jobs
Family medicine locums in New Zealand
Find a family medicine locums schedule that fits you
New ways to practice family medicine through locums
What to expect when you work with Global Medical Staffing
Family medicine is built around connection. You care for patients across generations, manage a wide range of conditions, and often become the person families turn to first when something is wrong.
That work can be deeply meaningful, but it can also be exhausting.
Full schedules, larger patient loads, administrative demands, after-hours documentation, call responsibilities, and limited access to specialists can leave little room to recover. For some physicians, the problem isn’t family medicine itself. It’s the way their current job requires them to practice it.
Locum tenens gives you another way to practice medicine.
Why family medicine physicians choose locums
Locums can help you step away from some of the responsibilities that make traditional practice difficult to sustain. Depending on the assignment, you may be able to choose when and where you work, take meaningful time off between contracts, or practice without managing the business and administrative demands of owning a clinic.
Dr. Elizabeth Dayton transitioned to locum tenens work after 20 years in private practice.
“It’s been so good for me,” she says. “I'm enjoying my life a lot more. I have a lot more balance, a lot more time for family, and I've been able to travel and see the world.”
Locum tenens offers:
Greater control over your schedule
Time off between assignments
Relief from long-term administrative responsibilities
Exposure to different clinical settings and communities
A way to continue practicing without committing to your next permanent role
Domestic and international family medicine jobs
At Global Medical Staffing, we place family medicine physicians in locum tenens assignments across the United States and in select international locations. Choosing between a domestic or international assignment often comes down to your timeline, goals, and the type of experience you want.
Domestic locums assignments
Locum tenens assignments in the U.S. allow you to stay within the U.S. healthcare system while gaining flexibility in where and how you practice. You’ll work with familiar documentation systems, prescribing practices, and referral networks, which can make onboarding faster and transitions smoother.
Assignments are available in all 50 states, including Alaska and Hawaii, and may include community clinics, urgent care centers, hospitals, rural facilities, and telehealth roles. Schedules can range from short-term coverage to longer full-time placements.
A domestic assignment may be the right fit when you want to:
Start working quickly with minimal licensing barriers
Stay closer to home
Earn income between permanent roles
Explore different practice settings without leaving the U.S.
Add flexibility to your schedule without a major lifestyle change
Dr. Alison Liewen, locums in Alaska
Working locum tenens in remote Alaska gave family physician Dr. Liewen the opportunity to care for underserved communities where healthcare is often difficult to access. Hear what she learned from the experience and how Global Medical Staffing was there to support her from start to finish.
International locum tenens assignments
International locums assignments immerse you in a different healthcare system and way of life. You’ll practice in diverse clinical settings, adapt to new workflows and resources, and take on a broader scope of care. These opportunities often require more planning and longer commitments but can offer meaningful professional and personal growth.
“What’s great about this kind of extended time is you get to know the people from another culture,” says Dr. Phyllis Dunckel. “You get to know what their lives are like and what their values are like. That’s what made it different from just being a tourist in a country.”
Global Medical Staffing places physicians in several international locations, each offering a distinct practice setting:
An international assignment may be the right fit when you want to:
Experience a different healthcare system and approach to care
Take on a broader clinical role
Live and work in a new country or culture
Combine professional growth with travel and personal exploration
Dr. Jason Heine, locums in New Zealand
As Dr. Heine and his wife explored a locum tenens opportunity in New Zealand in late 2019, they couldn't have predicted what would happen next. When COVID-19 disrupted life around the globe, Global Medical Staffing helped their family make the move, allowing them and their two young daughters to spend a year in one of the world's safest regions. Hear their story.
Find a schedule that gives you room to reset
Locums can give you more control over when you work and when you take time off. Depending on the assignment, you may be able to create more space for family, travel, or simply time away from medicine.
Dr. Samantha Conroy sees flexibility as one way physicians can protect themselves from burnout.
“I think a lot of doctors get burned out really fast and really early because they’re just doing the grind 24/7 for years and years,” she says. “I’ve seen a lot more of my friends recently out of residency going the locums route to prevent burnout and be able to have a little bit more of a normal life.”
There isn’t one standard locums schedule. Assignment needs vary, and flexibility is still required, but you can decide which opportunities are worth considering rather than being locked into the same calendar year after year.
Practice family medicine in new ways
Changing practice settings can help you grow without leaving the specialty you know.
You might care for rural patients with limited access to specialists, work with Indigenous communities, encounter diverse approaches to preventive care, or learn to make clinical decisions with fewer diagnostic resources. You’ll also see how other organizations manage workflows, patient access, and continuity of care.
“I prefer to work in small towns and more isolated areas,” says Dr. Alison Liewen. “You have a lot more variety in what you see, and that’s really what my main focus is—being able to try to tackle whatever walks through the door, which keeps it fun too.”
Working in different clinical environments can also expose you to new approaches to patient care.
“I think it makes you a better doctor, just learning how things present in different ways and how people treat things differently,” says Dr. Conroy. “It just gives you this broader range of experience that you might not get if you stick in the same place the whole time.”
Those experiences can strengthen your clinical judgment, expand your understanding of healthcare delivery, and help you reconnect with the parts of family medicine you enjoy most.
Why work with Global Medical Staffing?
International locums involves more than finding an open position. Licensing, credentialing, immigration requirements, travel, housing, and family logistics can make the process feel overwhelming.
We’ve been placing physicians internationally since the early 1990s and were one of the first agencies to specialize in international locum tenens. We combine that global experience with the resources of CHG Healthcare while providing you with personalized support.
Depending on the location and assignment, our team can assist with:
Licensing and credentialing
Visas and international paperwork
Travel arrangements
Housing
Onboarding and assignment preparation
Support before, during, and after your assignment
“Global Medical Staffing was super helpful,” says Dr. Jason Heine. “We often said that it would have probably seemed impossible to accomplish on our own.”
What to expect when you work with Global Medical Staffing
1. Connect with a recruiter
You’ll discuss your clinical background, schedule, preferred locations, family considerations, and what you want from the experience.
2. Review family medicine opportunities
Your recruiter will share assignments that align with your interests. You decide which opportunities you want to pursue.
3. Complete licensing and credentialing
We help organize the paperwork and guide you through the requirements for your destination.
4. Prepare for the assignment
Our team coordinates applicable travel, housing, and onboarding details so you know what to expect before you arrive.
5. Receive ongoing support
You’ll have a dedicated team and access to 24/7 support throughout your assignment.
Family medicine locums FAQ
Flexibility varies by facility. Some domestic assignments may involve occasional coverage or part-time hours, while others require a full-time schedule. International assignments are often longer because of licensing, travel, and onboarding requirements.
Patient volume depends on the facility, location, and community. Make sure to ask about expected daily visits, appointment length, call, documentation, procedures, and administrative responsibilities before accepting an assignment.
Domestic assignments require a license in the state where you’ll practice. International opportunities may require local registration, credentialing, a visa, or additional documentation. Our team helps guide you through each step of the process.
Assignments can range from short-term domestic coverage to international placements lasting several months or longer. Your recruiter can help you focus on opportunities that work with your availability.
In many cases, yes. We can help you find housing that fits your family’s needs, although coverage of family travel expenses varies. International assignments may also require visas or other documentation for accompanying family members.
Ready to see what’s next for you?
Whether you want a better schedule, a new clinical environment, an international experience, or time to consider your next permanent role, family medicine locums can give you more choices about what comes next.
Explore open locum tenens family medicine jobs with Global Medical Staffing.
Create your MyGlobal account, your basecamp for getting started with Global Medical Staffing
Manage your family medicine application, documents, and streamline credentialing, all in one place.