General Surgery Locum Jobs

Surgery locums are contracted job openings for licensed surgeons. Locum tenens positions are temporary and designed to provide support to the permanent staff. “Locum tenens” is Latin for “to hold the place of.” 

General surgery locum tenens positions are created out of necessity and because they are not permanent, they tend to pay more. This is a popular option for surgeons who want to make a little more money while also enjoying the flexibility of short-term job commitments.

General surgery locums are used to support staff anywhere that surgeries are performed, such as:

• Hospitals 
• Trauma centers
• Surgical facilities 
• Etc.

As with all locum tenens positions, the first step is to become established in your medical career. For surgical tenens positions, this means becoming a licensed general surgeon and practicing in a staff position to learn best practices. 

Here is a brief outline of what it takes to become a licensed general surgeon in the USA: 

• Earn a bachelor’s degree in a pre-med specialty. 
  • A bachelor’s degree from an accredited university is the first step for anyone who wants a career in medicine. It is important to major in a pre-med specialty, such as:
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Microbiology
• Pass the MCAT
  • The MCAT is the Medical College Admission Test. Many medical undergraduate programs begin preparing for this test during junior year. 
• Earn a Degree from a Medical School
  • After you have passed the MCAT, you can begin the admissions process to medical school. 
  • Medical school takes 4+ years to complete. Generally, the first two of those years are classwork, and the second two are clinical rotations in a medical setting. 
  • During the rotations portion, students can decide their specialty, such as surgery. 
• Surgical Residency and Licensing 
  • Medical school is not the end of your education to become a surgeon — it is just the beginning. After graduating from medical school students strive to get accepted into residencies (on-the-job training supervised by established surgeons). 
  • Surgical residencies take 5 years to complete. Some specialties, such as neurosurgery, can take 7-8 years to complete. 
• Completing licensing
  • The United States Medical Licensing Examination is done in three parts — the first two are completed during medical school, and the final is done after surgical residency. Passing this exam means you are now licensed to act as a surgeon. 
• Surgical Fellowships
  • Fellowships are added training designed to hone surgical specialties and learn from practitioners.
  • Fellowships are not required to practice. However, most medical facilities require a fellowship when they hire a surgeon. 

This list doesn’t include the certification process for certain surgery specialties, such as hand surgery, oncology surgery, or pediatric surgery. To learn more about becoming a surgeon, you can check out these surgeon professional organizations: 

• American College of Surgeons (ACS)
• American Surgical Association (ASA)

In general, locum tenens jobs are in high demand. The prohibitive cost of medical school, along with other factors, has caused a shortage of medical professionals country-wide. 

As for general surgeon demand, the American College of Surgeons predicts that the US public will need approximately 160,000 surgeons in 2024, a nearly 5% increase from 2019. 

Locum tenens general surgery positions are a great choice for licensed surgeons who want to make more money. According to ZipRecruiter, in 2024 a locum tenens surgeon makes an average of  $119 hourly. 

Some locations pay more than others, and one of the many appeals of locum tenens positions is that you can travel to different areas for higher compensation.

General surgery locum positions are temporary. The pay is higher, but a locum tenens position does not come with the same benefits as a staff position. So, why choose a general surgery locum tenens position? Here are just a few reasons:

• Better Pay: General surgery locum tenens positions are created out of necessity, and therefore tend to have better pay. They are temporary positions, but sometimes a locum tenens can become permanent. 
• Job Flexibility: Having to work the same long hours day in and day out wears down a person, especially a surgeon who deals with life and death daily. With a general surgery locum tenens position, you get to choose how long you work and where. This control over hours allows surgeons to achieve a better work-life balance. 
• Less Burnout: Burnout is a big problem in the medical community, especially with surgeons. Long hours, grueling work, and seeing so much pain and suffering can take a toll on mental health and well-being. A locum tenens position can help combat burnout by giving the surgeon more control over their schedule. 
• Travel Opportunities: Want to make more money while exploring the country? A good locum tenens organization, such as Trusted Locum Staffing, can get you locum tenens jobs anywhere you want to go! Whether you want to stay in your hometown or travel for work, Trusted Locum Staffing can help! 
• Networking and Career Advancement:  Locum tenens general surgeon positions allow surgeons to explore other medical centers to learn new technologies and practices. This can be great for networking opportunities as well as career advancement. 

Working locum positions has its drawbacks, such as making sure you are accredited in the state you work, or finding health benefits. However, with Trusted Locum Staffing you get all of the benefits of a locum general surgery position without any of the drawbacks. Trusted Locum Staffing offers:

• Streamlined Accrediting: Getting accredited in multiple states is one of the biggest challenges that general surgery locum tenens face. Trusted Locum Staffing not only helps streamline the accreditation process, but also covers all the associated fees. 
• Generous Health and Mental Benefits Package: Taking locum tenens positions used to mean losing your benefits, but not with Trusted Locum Staffing! We offer a comprehensive health, mental health, and dental plan that is better than most staff positions. 
• Malpractice Coverage: Worried about losing your malpractice coverage in a locum tenens position? Don’t be — Trusted Locum Staffing has you covered with comprehensive malpractice insurance. 
• Concierge Moving and Housing Services: Trusted Locum Staffing will not only help locate the perfect general surgery locum position, but they will also help you move and find housing! Our white-glove concierge service can get you everything you need, allowing you to focus on your work. 
• Recruiter Services and Personalized Placement Options: At Trusted Locum Staffing, your recruiter is your advocate. Not only can they help you find new positions, but they can also act as a representative and advocate for your needs. 

General surgery locum tenens are more in demand than ever, but not every locum tenens job is created the same. With Trusted Locum Staffing, all the hard work is already done for you, allowing you to focus on your medical career. Check out our website to be matched with a recruiter today!