So, you’ve completed Foundation Year 2 (FY2), but now what? First, congratulations on reaching this landmark moment in your medical career!
You’ve spent years in education, taken more exams than you would care to remember, worked painfully long hours, and finally completed your rigorous Foundation Years training.
Completing FY2 marks the end of two years of on the job training for doctors in the UK. It’s a significant milestone and presents a crossroads for those still undecided about their next career more.
After years of hard work, many newly qualified doctors face a dilemma. Do you take some time off, or start to pursue your chosen career path right away?
It’s can be a complex decision to make, but there is a way of having the best of both worlds. If you're unsure about your career path, read on to learn about locum work and its advantages for you.
What does locum work involve?
As a healthcare worker or medical practitioner, you’re likely to be familiar with the term locum work. In fact, you’ve probably worked shifts with people who are covering as a locum! The term locum, or to give its full name, locum tenens, translates from Latin as, place holder. It’s a term largely associated with the medical and healthcare profession.
It involves working a shift to cover the duties of a regular employee. If you work in healthcare, you can fill in for others who are sick, on vacation, or on maternity leave. This applies to doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals.
Locum work is usually on a short-term basis, ranging anywhere from one shift to several months, covering a particular role. As a locum, you could work in a private practice, specialist clinics, hospitals or even healthcare agencies.