Elizabeth Tieman, MD
Board Certified Radiologist
Combining a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile marathon into one competition, Ironman triathlons are designed to significantly test the stamina of top-notch athletes. However, these endurance events pale in comparison to the challenge that Elizabeth "Betsy" Tieman, M.D., faced in the seventh year of her medical career. It was 2004, and her typical workweek as a radiologist in a private practice group was 70 hours long. On call every third weekend, she grabbed a few hours of shuteye between reading 35 cases a night. Dr. Tieman was exhausted, burnt-out and wondering if she even wanted to be a doctor anymore.
Her decision to leave private practice and become a locum tenens physician has culminated in what she describes as a near-perfect work/life balance. Today, a well-rested and happy Dr. Tieman practices almost exclusively through VISTA Staffing Solutions while regularly competing in triathlons. In fact, she was one of the first athletes to qualify for the inaugural Ford Ironman World Championship 70.3. In November 2006, she raced with more than 1,800 athletes in Florida. She reports that she "put together a solid race" and was able to cover the 70.3 miles 12 minutes faster than her previous best.
"Working as a locum tenens not only provides the time I need to train and compete in races, it also lets me play more, travel to new places, and most especially, get enough sleep!" She adds, "I feel like a new person."
Dr. Tieman began her medical career when she graduated from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio in 1992 and completed a four-year residency at the Tulane University Medical Center in New Orleans. Back home in Texas, Dr. Tieman spent the next two years practicing as a general radiologist at a regional hospital in Hillsboro. When she became a physician partner in 1999 with a private practice group in Austin, Dr. Tieman began reading cases from four hospitals and multiple outpatient imaging centers.
Four years after joining the private practice group, she found that the hectic pace of her practice was negatively affecting her personal and professional life. "I was burned out to the extreme," she recalls. "I was tired and wondering if the years I had put into medical school and residency were just a waste of time." A discouraged Dr. Tieman decided to take a year-long sabbatical in the spring of 2004.
Dr. Tieman began to explore her alternatives. Working permanently on a part-time basis was not an option that her group could offer. Dr. Tieman decided to give locum tenens a try and researched a couple of temporary physician staffing firms. Dr. Tieman selected VISTA Staffing Solutions and accepted her first assignment in April 2005.
Besides an occasional stint she sets up herself, Dr. Tieman practices exclusively through VISTA. From a practical perspective, she believes that it makes more sense to work with one firm because it eliminates some of the paperwork associated with obtaining medical licenses and having her credentials verified by different hospitals, clinics and private practice groups.
From a more personal viewpoint, Dr. Tieman says that the credit for her ongoing loyalty should go to Sean, her scheduler. "We have a great working relationship," she explains. "He understands my training and competition schedules — and makes sure to take care of everything. Sean is very good at achieving a balance between my needs and the client's.
"I enjoy going to cool places and meeting great people," says Dr. Tieman. One of the first things she does when she arrives in a new city is ask the locals where they like to eat; Italian food is her favorite. Dr. Tieman has made good friends in multiple cities where she has accepted assignments. Thanks to the hospitality of a co-worker, and now a new friend, she watched Lance Armstrong compete in his last Tour de France on a cable station that she was unable to get in her hotel room.
"I am happier now and love my work again," she reports. Dr. Tieman believes that she is a better doctor because she is no longer burned out and is able to give her best all of the time. "I am an incredibly fortunate person who has had the luxury of making my job fit my lifestyle."
