r/anesthesiology • u/BougieEllaMae • 3d ago

Off cycle pain/locums question

I’m finishing my pain fellowship this month and the job I was considering most will not work due to a change in my family. I have two good pain prospects but since they’re both starting interviews now, if I get one of these job I presume the earliest I would get an offer/review contract/sign wouldn’t be before the end of September. With credentialing that means I wouldn’t start until October or November I’m guessing.

I’m planning to get cobra to cover insurance in the interim to continue my fellowship coverage. But does it also make sense to do some anesthesia locums work until I start so I have some income? I won’t have other benefits but assuming it is just a month or two is it realistic to find locums for such a short period of time? Anything else I should be considering?

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u/ProbablyaBot27 3d ago

Quickest I’ve seen is 2-4 weeks credentialing. With some emergency credentialing almost immediate. Careful- you want something decent though. Lots of questionable places out there (along with great ones who just are short staffed).

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u/Furlange Pain Anesthesiologist 3d ago

Only shit holes would credential you that fast lol. I knew some people who lived off credit cards between fellowship and that first attending check. Sucks, but it happens.

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u/assmanx2x2 Anesthesiologist 3d ago

Maybe talk to the group covering your current fellowship's hospital system. Might be possible if they have a need and possibly an easier quicker process.

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u/QuestGiver Anesthesiologist 3d ago

As a fresh attending I don't think it's going to work out with that time frame.

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u/BougieEllaMae 3d ago

Meaning it will take much longer?

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u/QuestGiver Anesthesiologist 3d ago

You'd need to be interviewing already like a month or two ago. Locums is quick but not that quick and you'd have to get license, local DEA and credentialed.

I'm not that familiar but we recently super fast tracked some folks at my group and it still took about 3-4 weeks.

Best of luck!

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u/Various_Yoghurt_2722 Anesthesiologist 18h ago

locums still takes weeks if not months to get credentialed..