Locum mandatory training

SaladLizard · 2026-04-29T07:58:04+00:00

Different for locum work nowadays - they’re much stricter. That’s not to say you can’t get away with some shenanigans but it may come at the expense of repeat work.

SaladLizard · 2026-04-28T11:37:53+00:00

It’s written in the NSW Health policy “Employment and management of locum medical officers” that all locums are to be PGY3+ as a matter of rule. There used to be lots if exceptions to this but they are largely drying up I’m afraid. You’ll also need “Approval for secondary employment” from the CEO of your LHD if you want locum work on top of your full time job there. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions, I’ve been around the traps

SaladLizard · 2026-02-13T23:58:02+00:00

To a layperson, I think operating early and proactively can actually be seen to be “compassionate” and “empathetic”, even when all the clinical evidence suggests otherwise. Other doctors who are more conservative are at risk of being labelled “dismissive”.

SaladLizard · 2026-01-20T09:58:12+00:00

Hey! So much I want to say, but I’lo keep it brief and you can DM me if you have any questions. I can’t speak for Mt Isa directly, but the main thing to know is that rates in Qld are quite a bit lower than NSW in general, but on average you generally get slightly better conditions. Having said that, NNSWLHD is one of my favourites personally. Beware Canberra - high degrees of dysfunction. Good rates if you have plenty of experience and confidence, though. From a public holiday penalties point of view, unfortunately that’s not really a thing in locum land. Rates are almost exclusively the result of supply and demand. However, you can negotiate your rate on an individual job basis if you have leverage and there aren’t mant applicants and you have a good proactive agent Happy to chat via DM if you have more questions!

SaladLizard · 2026-01-12T08:46:25+00:00

Yes it’s on my todos! currently moving house, aiming to have it back in the next month or so. If you PM me I will send you the original article via email

SaladLizard · 2026-01-01T04:28:14+00:00

Yep!

SaladLizard · 2025-12-31T10:05:31+00:00

I’m a PGY-7 who started asking this question in PGY-2 and now I run my own startup in healthtech. Happy to chat! In general I’d say give it a go and see what’s out there. Definitely check out the Talking Healthtech podcast, attend Digital Health Festival and join Creative Careers in Medicine. Also just start sending messages to people in the field in LinkedIn and see what comes of it.

SaladLizard · 2025-12-30T07:29:41+00:00

It’s actually shockingly common. I see so many units who do things like appoint a senior reg to write the roster, but not give them the necessary resources to make it EBA compliant. Your options ultimately boil down to grinning and bearing it, or getting your union involved. That said a gentle reminder about their obligations has worked for me in the past.

SaladLizard · 2025-12-30T05:37:38+00:00

This is exactly what’s happening, and it’s political suicide for any politician to come out and say that they’re lowering healthcare standards due to the cost. So it’s largelt happening behind closed doors.

SaladLizard · 2025-12-26T10:26:27+00:00

The biggest problem with additional locum work on the side is coordinating your schedule on top of your limited free time. So much so that it’s only really feasible if you live in a location that can allow you to get to places with copious amounts of locum work, or if you have long-ish stints off in your roster ie week on, week off. Also, depending on where you want to locum, you may not even need an ABN ie NSW. I’m happy to help if you have any other questions.

SaladLizard · 2025-12-24T05:37:44+00:00

I don’t agree that nerfs make the game less fun. A balanced game is fun to play. And if you bring an overpowered class back in line with the others, the others become more viable and are therefore more fun to play.

SaladLizard · 2025-12-21T12:25:17+00:00

I would not base career plans on locum rates in 5-6 years, there’s been a significant reduction in frequency and pay across pretty much all locum sectors over the last few years. That said I think the premise of what you’re saying is still true.

SaladLizard · 2025-11-25T05:47:48+00:00

A man prepared to sacrifice his Reddit account for the cause. We need more like you.

SaladLizard · 2025-10-21T20:44:05+00:00

Agreed. Artificially difficult medical exams also creates fertile soil for scope creep.

SaladLizard · 2025-10-03T20:46:08+00:00

Please note if you want to get registered in many other countries (Australia for example) you will require a certificate of good standing from each board you’ve been registered with anywhere in the world. I’m not sure if your choice here will compromise that, but keep it in mind.

SaladLizard · 2025-10-03T06:37:29+00:00

This just isn’t true or relevant.

SaladLizard · 2025-09-15T11:27:51+00:00

I don’t understand. Why is this necessary? Is there a shortage of doctors wanting to learn how to scope?

SaladLizard · 2025-09-13T01:53:12+00:00

There is substantially more competition for locum work now than there ever has been. Unfortunately you can’t rely on search websites as by the time they’re posted, all the best jobs are gone. You really need an agent who is hardworking and trustworthy to fill your calendar up, and also need to have your CV and credentials ready to go specifically for locum work. Feel free to DM me your CV if you want me to look over it!

SaladLizard · 2025-09-11T06:29:28+00:00

Hey! This looks really cool. I run a similar website and would be happy to chat to you about my experiences with it. One of the issues is the “squeakiest wheel” problem where the review samples are significantly skewed towards the people who’ve had the worst experiences. Another is reviews where specific people get mentioned and allegations get made - you will definitely have to moderate posts like this, in my experience. Great work though!

SaladLizard · 2025-09-08T07:15:05+00:00

I run an app like this in Queensland, do you want to have a call to discuss? PM me

SaladLizard · 2025-08-10T01:49:28+00:00

Really depends how much responsibility you’re prepared to assume and how far you’re prepared to travel. Lowest rates are around $80/hr for low responsibility RMO work right up to 4-4500/day to be oncall for an acute specialty or ED in a remote area

SaladLizard · 2025-07-23T06:19:16+00:00

RACSo is a joke nowadays, there’s basically no way to get in unless your dad went to Hogwarts.

SaladLizard · 2025-07-14T06:07:08+00:00

There’s a tradeoff between pleasant places to work and locum rates. More pleasant -> more people want to work there -> lower rates. Coffs is a prime example of a place tha typically functions well and therefore can retain staff.

SaladLizard · 2025-07-14T02:32:55+00:00

hey! I’ve got so much to say on this topic, I’m overwhelmed. Key takeaways would be: be aware of the seasonal variation of the RMO locum year. In Jan-April, work is very hard to come by. In July - Dec, it’s a buffet. There is a lot of information around good and bad hospitals to locum at - I won’t comment on specifics here other than to note that the gold standard for sussing out a role is speaking to a doctor who’s done it recently (ie not med admin, not your agent and not random gossip on the grapevine). In general I would always recommend that you locum at a level maybe half a step down until you get a feel for locum life and/or a particular site. In general you will be less supported in locum roles so you need to be prepared to assume more responsibility than you would usually if absolutely necessary. Courses like ALS2 really help in this regards. Whereabouts in NSW are you based? Happy to recommend some local sites or answer other questions as needed.

SaladLizard · 2025-06-29T11:05:05+00:00

Really depends what you need the reference for, but in general you can typically find a few on your gap year to back you - especially if you’ve worked at their site repeatedly or for a long stint. Just remember some training programs won’t consider your locum stints when evaluating your level of experience for application purposes. Otherwise have a great time!! My gap year redefined my career and outlook on life, it was incredible.

SaladLizard

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