Read time: 4 minutes
I have worked as a telemarketer cold-calling people for 0% interest credit card promotions back in college.
It was rough work, but not as bad as you might think.
I don’t know what it’s like to reach out to healthcare professionals and try to fill locum contract positions, but I’m sure it can’t be too rough.
I imagine that similar to telemarketing, it involves a lot of dead-ends and automatic no’s.
But, just like cold-calling 0% interest credit card offers with no annual fee, both jobs must be similar in that a certain percentage of people actually want the offer and can’t wait to hear it when you reach them!
Doctors like me…and my friends, who are always looking for the right fit, in the right location, with the right compensation and schedule.
What most bad locum recruiters get wrong
I’ve never had a pushy or annoying or “sales-y” back-and-forth with a female recruiter.
I don’t know what it is, but there’s a pretty high probability that if the person reaching out is male, then I’m in for some combination of:
- not having my questions answered
- withholding pertinent job details, like pay or location
- pushing to get my phone number
- pushing to get my CV
- pushing to get my dates of availability before I’ve heard the details of the job
In my article The Unwritten Rules of Locum Tenens, I’ve addressed a few of these, like never disseminating your CV until you are ready to formally apply (“be presented”).
Example of an exchange that leaves something to be desired
Hi Dr. Vullo, A colleague of yours referred my [sic] your way. Might you be able to help out a few shifts a month starting in January? Ithica [sic], NY … Pays well… Gen surg, OBGYN: labor & delivery. Best regards
Me: I’d be looking for well over $400 an hour because of the location. How’s the range for that position?
$400 an hour is the maximum the client can pay for General… If you are TEE certified, might be able to get $440… Does this work for you?… We can do $450 in general for callback rates, $500 for TEE callback.
Me: So the position is doing general anesthesia cases, Cardiac cases with TEE, and L&D?
Cases: Gen surg, OBGYN: labor & delivery [copied and pasted from original email]… What’s the best number to reach you at? Let’s hop on a call today.
(…I don’t reply)
8 days later: I think we can do $415 in Buffalo, NY if you can spare dates in December… Is there a chance here?
Me: Not at this time. But maybe 2024 mid year things will change.
Thanks anyways… What’s the best number to reach you next year?
So let’s breakdown what’s going on here and dissect this “bad” example because you will get even worse on a consistent basis.
Hi Dr. Vullo, A colleague of yours referred my [sic] your way. Might you be able to help out a few shifts a month starting in January? Ithica [sic], NY … Pays well… Gen surg, OBGYN: labor & delivery. Best regards
We have 2 typos in the first 25 words, and neither is the slip-of-the-finger variety. Not a great first impression.
There is no pay rate, just “pays well” and no mention of any schedule expectations.
So naturally I reply with a clear pay range request to make sure this interaction is even worth my time.
$400 an hour is the maximum the client can pay for General… If you are TEE certified, might be able to get $440… Does this work for you?… We can do $450 in general for callback rates, $500 for TEE callback.
TEE stands for TransEsophageal Echocardiography. It consists of performing heart ultrasounds via a probe inserted into someones esophagus and stomach in order to diagnose heart problems and/or guide open heart surgeries and other procedures. TEE certified means having completed a cardiac anesthesia fellowship and passing your Advanced Perioperative TEE Board Certification.
Why would this job need or want TEE certification such that they would pay extra for it?
Is there a cardiac surgery program or are there extremely sick patients that need such management expertise?
Also, he mentions “callback” which entails that I will take call from “home” aka the hotel since I don’t live near Ithaca, NY. So what are the hours/shifts/call wants/needs?
I should have also asked about this, but I digress… Instead I asked:
Me: So the position is doing general anesthesia cases, Cardiac cases with TEE, and L&D?
Cases: Gen surg, OBGYN: labor & delivery [copied and pasted from original email]… What’s the best number to reach you at? Let’s hop on a call today.
So he copies and pastes that the job is general anesthesia cases (not subspecialty care like: pediatrics, neuro, cardiac) and Labor and Delivery… but the hospital would pay more for TEE certification which will be useful in General and/or L&D a handful of times per year??
Annnnd straight to the phone number request and the “let’s hop on a call today” line.
I’m trying to screen if getting to a phone call is even worth my time by trying to make sense of the (limited) info that this recruiter has given me.
I didn’t reply because I didn’t like the inconsistencies in the story so far without getting to any specifics of the job besides a pay range.
So he followed up with:
8 days later ~November 10th: I think we can do $415 in Buffalo, NY if you can spare dates in December… Is there a chance here?
Now he introduces a new job, hours from the first, in a totally separate region of the state, and is looking for me to start in a month…”IS THERE A CHANCE HERE?”
No.
There is no chance here.
I need questions answered about the first position. I need to hear responses that make it seem like you know anything about anesthesiology specifically.
I need to trust you as my intermediary for a relationship with a hospital.
My email and phone number all over the internet, the last thing I need is someone who isn’t fully dialed-in having even more access to me.
Example of a professional exchange with a real person
I received a “digest” style email with multiple openings with some limited info from a well-known locum tenens staffing company.
One position catches my eye that requires an experienced cardiac anesthesiologist, so I reply:
Me: I’d love to hear more information about the X position. Like what the case volume is, expected hours, EMR (electronic med record), TEE machine hardware/software, pay rate, etc.
Good Morning, I hope you had a wonderful weekend! Full details: XXX pay rate and overtime payrate YYY… dates…expected hours 8hrs x 5 days…1-2 weeks each month…prefer 1 weekend of call each month minimum… you will be on cardiac call each night you work, but the volume is very low and call backs are extremely rare…types of cases performed when not doing cardiac cases a,b,c,d,e… requires proficiency with TEE… EMR is ZZZZ…credentialing in 2 weeks
Me: Can we set up a time to discuss the position more over the phone tomorrow?
…we work out a time to talk in advance…
5 days after we chat on the phone: We just heard back from our contact there and unfortunately they no longer have a need to fill. I will keep you updated with other positions in the area.
No fluff – No hiding information.
No pushing for a phone call.
Just honest answers to honest questions.
She was so forthright that I arranged the phone call!
Summary
Not every locum tenens staffing/recruiting agency is a quality one.
Not every locum tenens recruiter/ account executive/ agent knows what they are doing.
Some think they have to give you the hard sell or obscure the truth.
Some are more reminiscent of car dealership sales-tactics.
The good ones do their job as facilitators, and earn their fraction of the hospital contract.
- Don’t waste time with the game-players.
- Get the information you need to make an informed decision.
- Protect yourself.
Whenever you’re ready, here are 2 ways I can help:
1) Let’s talk through what choosing your own path through medicine looks like. Over the phone, confidential, free:
https://calendly.com/tonyvullo/20min
2) Free Guides and Resources to Help You Reclaim Your Time and Autonomy:
