December, 2007 Archive

Permanent, temporary, locum tenens licenses explained

landerson — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 12:28:01 -0700

Permanent License: This license is usually good for one to two years. It allows you to work in the state at any hospital or facility. Depending on the state, permanent licenses take between two months to over a year to obtain.

Temporary License: Not all states have temporary licenses. A temporary license is usually issued once a permanent application has been submitted and something, for example the FCVS, has not been received by the Board. As long as there is no derogatory information to be reviewed, the board will issue a temporary license allowing you to start working sooner. Temporary licenses are usually only good for a short time or until the permanent license is issued.

Locum Tenens: Like the temporary license, not all states issue a locum tenens license. A locum tenens license is usually issued to a doctor who will only be doing locum tenens assignments and does not live in the state where the license is issued. Most locum tenens , licenses are only good for a few days a year. Generally, once you have received a locum tenens license in a state, you will have to obtain a permanent license to work in that state again. The state of Oregon is the only state with an exception to this rule. They issue permanent licenses only to doctors who live in the state. If a doctor works in Oregon, but lives in another state, the only type of license they can obtain is a locum tenens license.

Here are a few additional state-specific quirks:

In the state of Maine you can obtain an emergency license within a couple of days in the case of a true emergency. However, there are stipulations and the client will need to provide a letter of need. This emergency license is effective for last-minute coverage due to an illness or emergency leave and remains in effect for 90 days. This could be expensive in the long run if you do not go back to Maine to work because in order to obtain the emergency license you have to get a permanent license. There is also a temporary license in Maine that takes 4-6 weeks to obtain. The temporary license is good for six months and can be extended one time only for an additional six months. A permanent license is not required when obtaining a temporary license.

Wyoming will issue a temporary license once all documents are verified. However, each and every doctor HAS to appear at their quarterly board meeting.

New Hampshire has a locum tenens license that you can obtain in about a month. This license is only good for 100 consecutive days in any 12-month period. You won’t be eligible for another locum tenens until one year from the date the last license became effective. A permanent license is available, but it takes over a year to get and the board requires the FCVS, which is very time consuming.

Arizona has a locum tenens license. It is valid for only 180 days within the six-month issue period and the license is site-specific. Only ONE permit is allowed in any three-year period.

One more note: Many state licensing boards are now requiring an FBI background check. Physicians have to go to a local police department to be fingerprinted. The board then sends the prints to the FBI for a background check.

Can I take my knitting needles on my locum tenens flight?

rgomez — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0700

No, this is NOT the strangest carry-on question I’ve received, but in thinking about physicians traveling to locum tenens assignments and actually having a little free time to pursue other interests, it seemed like a good answer to share.

The good news is, knitting needles are permitted in your carry-on baggage or checked baggage.

The not-as-definitive news is that TSA Security Officers have the authority to determine right there on the spot if an item could be used as a weapon. Therefore they may not allow your knitting needles to pass through security. So, if you do decide to carry on that scarf you are knitting for Aunt Sophie, TSA recommends the following:

Circular knitting needles should be less than 31 inches in total length
Bamboo or plastic (not metal) needles are preferred
Scissors must have blunt points
Carry a self addressed envelope so that you can mail your knitting back to yourself if a Security Officer does not allow your knitting tools through security. Otherwise you will have to surrender them at the security check point
Always carry a crochet hook with yarn in your knitting bag to save the work you have already done in case your knitting tools are surrendered at the checkpoint

Ok, but what about needlepoint? TSA says that most needlepoint project tools are permitted in your carry-on baggage or checked baggage except circular thread cutters or any cutter with a blade contained inside. These items cannot be taken through a security checkpoint. They must go in your checked baggage.

Change, opportunity, and the chance to pursue our passions (locum tenens, education, activism, and photography)

psilverstein — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0700

I remind myself frequently that change is good. This year the community hospital at which I practiced emergency medicine for more than a decade relocated. Patient volumes dropped dramatically. Ironically, in this world of physician shortages and long emergency department waits, I found myself working fewer shifts than I wanted.

But here’s the part where change is good. My wife and I started thinking about options. We thought about going to interesting locations where she could pursue her passions—she’s an activist and a photographer –while I practiced medicine and developed my other passion—science education. Locum tenens offered us the chance to at least try to have it all.

I’m now working emergency medicine assignments with VISTA and finding more time to present and refine the first module of an educational program I developed that is called Inner World Discovery (IWD).

IWD Part 1- The Immune System /HIV is a multimedia presentation that begins with professionally-created animation on CD-ROM that deconstructs complex human biology through the use of metaphor, which makes learning both engaging and accessible to a variety of audiences. I included dozens of unique graphics, illustrations, and cases from the emergency room. (Find out more at www.innerworlddiscovery.com.)

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For the past three years, I’ve been presenting the program to high school students nationwide through a powerful internet architecture known as the MAGPI network, a division of the University of Pennsylvania. And now I am able to present it to nurses, lab personnel, medical students, residents, and others at the hospitals I work in through VISTA. The first hospital applied for and received CME for the nursing staff. A bonus!

I am excited about the future of IWD and our new locum tenens lifestyle. I recently partnered with Penn State University on a grant submission to develop four more programs over the next five years.

IVUmed Traveling Resident Scholar—apply now for 2008

kabby — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0700

IVUmed, formerly International Volunteers in Urology, is a wonderful organization I am honored to support and serve and a member of the board. IVUmed sends medical teams around the world to teach local providers and provide care to patients with a variety of urological problems, including vesico vaginal fistula, hypospadias, and lymphatic filariasis. Our credo is, “Teach One, Reach Many.”

The IVUmed Traveling Resident Scholar Program gives residents the opportunity to experience urology in a developing world setting. American residents travel with board-certified urologists to partner hospitals abroad to exchange ideas with their hosts and perform procedures such as open stone surgery, benign prostate surgery, hypospadias repair and incontinence procedures.

Residents PGY-3 and above are eligible for the program. If you are interested, please submit the necessary application materials to the IVUmed Program Manager. The application deadline for travel between July 2008 and June 2009 is February 1, 2008. You can find the application and more details at www.IVUmed.com.
2007-2008 Resident Scholar Sites include Mongolia, Egypt, Bangladesh, India, Vietnam, Haiti, Nigeria, and Kenya.

Continuing Medical Education for Licensure

lstephenson — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Did you know that in 2008, 61 state licensing boards will require continuing medical education (CME) for licensure or licensure renewal? Some states also require specific courses such as HIV/AIDS, risk management, or preparedness for terrorism and mass casualty events.

The most common method for physicians to report that they have met their CME requirements to licensing boards is through the license application or renewal application. Generally you are not required to submit documentation; most licensing boards perform a random audit at which time you must supply proof of CME courses.

CME requirements vary from state to state and year to year; we recommend that you check with each state in which you are or plan to be licensed. The AMA maintains a comprehensive list of state requirements. Check it out as you make your licensing plans:
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama1/pub/upload/mm/40/table16-2008.pdf