Locums Mythbusting Guide: What’s True, What’s Not, and What’s Just Internet Noise

Locums has grown fast, and with that growth comes a lot of mixed information. Some of it’s true, some of it’s outdated, and some of it is just noise from people who have never actually practiced as a locum provider. This guide breaks down the most common myths with real-world clarity.

Myth 1: “Locums providers are second-tier clinicians.”

Reality: Locums attracts highly adaptable and experienced clinicians. Many are former full-time staff who wanted more freedom, less bureaucracy, or a reset from burnout. Some enjoy variety. Some prefer direct patient care over meetings and politics. These clinicians choose locums because it fits their lifestyle, not because they lack skill.

Locums is not a downgrade. For many, it’s an upgrade in autonomy, income, and control.

Myth 2: “Hospitals treat locums poorly.”

Reality: Most hospitals appreciate locums because they fill essential staffing gaps and prevent burnout among the full-time team. Poor experiences usually come from miscommunication, unclear expectations, or a chaotic onboarding process. These are solvable issues, not inherent to locums work.

Every facility has its own culture. Most treat locums with the same respect as permanent staff, because they rely on them.

Myth 3: “Locums get the worst shifts or the leftovers.”

Reality: Some facilities do this, but many do not. Plenty of sites give locums high-value or complex cases because they trust their skill and need efficiency. It depends on communication, expectations set before arrival, and the culture of the department.

A good agency helps filter out assignments that consistently offload undesirable cases onto locums.

Myth 4: “You can’t build real relationships as a locum.”

Reality: Locums providers often become some of the most well-liked people on a team. They are appreciated for being flexible, low-drama, and focused on the work. Relationships form naturally when you show competence, communicate clearly, and respect the existing workflow.

Some locums end up returning to the same hospitals for years because of the relationships they build.

Myth 5: “Locums is unstable. Work could disappear anytime.”

Reality: The locums market is large, stable, and growing. Hospitals will always have staffing gaps from vacations, resignations, census swings, seasonal patterns, and unexpected call-outs. Locums fills a predictable need inside a system that is constantly shifting.

Experienced locums know how to build a pipeline of assignments so they always have options.

Myth 6: “You should only use one agency, or the others will get upset.”

Reality: Locums providers are independent contractors, not employees. Using more than one agency is normal, reasonable, and smart. It stabilizes your income, increases your opportunities, and reduces your dependence on any single recruiter or client.

Ethical agencies respect that providers need options.

Myth 7: “Locums providers only do it for the money.”

Reality: Yes, the income can be strong. But it is not the only reason people choose locums. Many providers value the flexibility, autonomy, ability to travel, exposure to different clinical environments, and the lack of hospital politics. After years of burnout or rigid schedules, locums can feel like a return to practicing medicine on your own terms.

Money matters. Control matters just as much.

Closing Thoughts

Locums comes with a lot of myths because it breaks the traditional model of working in one place for years. But the reality is much simpler. Most providers who try locums find that they are respected, well-compensated, and more in control of their career than they have been in a long time.

The best understanding of locums does not come from rumors or internet threads. It comes from clinicians who have stepped into new environments, adapted quickly, and found that locums offers more freedom and opportunity than they expected.