Locum Tenens, Travel, and Entrepreneurship: Insights with Dr. Genevieve Jacobs

Is locum tenens just a gap year option, or could it be the foundation for long-term financial freedom and lifestyle design?

Dr. Anna Chacon welcomes Dr. Genevieve Jacobs, a board-certified physician who launched her locum tenens career immediately after residency in 2020. Why did Dr. Jacobs choose temporary assignments over traditional employment? She shares how this path allowed her to work across the United States and internationally while maintaining complete autonomy over her schedule. Beyond clinical work, Dr. Jacobs has built a thriving consulting business, presenting to prestigious residency programs including Johns Hopkins, Yale, and Cleveland Clinic while creating digital courses filmed across five countries.

The conversation explores the financial realities of locum work, from negotiating competitive rates to maximizing tax advantages through LLC structures. Dr. Jacobs reveals her strategies for avoiding red flags in assignments, streamlining the credentialing process, and maintaining secure document management systems. They discuss international opportunities, the challenges of licensing in different provinces and countries, and how locum tenens can serve as both a lifestyle choice and a legitimate small business model for physicians seeking flexibility without sacrificing income.

Dr. Genevieve Jacobs is a board-certified physician who began her locum tenens career directly after residency in 2020. Passionate about travel and flexibility, she has worked in diverse U.S. locations including Alaska, Montana, and California, as well as pursuing international assignments. Dr. Jacobs has built a consulting business to guide physicians into locum tenens, offering digital resources, courses filmed across five countries, and presentations to residency programs at Johns Hopkins, Yale, and Cleveland Clinic. She shares expertise on workplace insights, licensing, credentialing, compensation negotiation, and the business side of locum tenens, empowering physicians to balance professional growth with personal fulfillment while maintaining financial independence.

In This Episode:

• (00:00) Dr. Jacobs explains how she discovered locum tenens and why she chose this path immediately after residency
• (03:46) Building a consulting business and creating digital courses for physicians across multiple countries
• (07:03) Understanding locum agencies, finding reliable recruiters, and identifying red flags in assignments
• (15:50) Navigating licensing, credentialing, and the IMLC process for multi-state practice
• (21:16) Negotiating competitive rates and the financial realities of locum tenens compensation
• (26:04) Leveraging locum work as a small business with LLC benefits and tax advantages
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About the show: Welcome to Skin Deep, a podcast designed for dermatology professionals. Host Dr. Anna Chacon, a distinguished dermatologist and author, shares her unique experiences and offers valuable insights on the future of dermatology, including telemedicine and teledermatology in reaching underserved communities. Dr. Chacon provides actionable recommendations for dermatology practices, emphasizing compassion, patient education, and staying current with advancements in the field.

About the host: Dr. Anna Chacon, board-certified dermatologist and founder of Indigenous Dermatology, specializes in treating patients in remote and rural communities. As the first dermatologist serving Alaska's Bush region, she travels by bush plane to reach isolated communities. Dr. Chacon holds medical licenses in all 50 states, DC, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, pr...

Chapters

• (00:00:00) - Skin Deep
• (00:00:35) - How to start a locum tenens work in your residency
• (00:06:16) - Reveal: The Search for a Physician
• (00:08:36) - The challenges of traveling on a solo mission
• (00:12:22) - Comp Health and the Locummart monopoly
• (00:13:42) - What Happens to the VMS?
• (00:18:06) - Canada vs International Jobs
• (00:25:31) - Do locum doctors need to start a business?