You might call it the Goldilocks job: not too much, or too little, but just right.

Of course, it depends on where you are in your career. But for some, becoming a travel physician in emergency medicine or hospital medicine might just be the exact right move at the exact right time in their life.

Core Director of Recruiting Kevin Yerovsek said there are 5 main groups of physicians for whom joining the Core Travel Team might be the right call:

1. New graduates who are unsure where they want to go. If you’ve just finished residency, or are unhappy in your first job (more than half of physicians leave their first job out of residency within five years), becoming a travel physician allows you to try out different practice environments in different parts of the country. Core gives travel physicians the opportunity to practice anywhere from community hospital sites in rural, small-town America to busy health systems in suburban areas outside major cities.
2. Physicians about to do a fellowship. A travel role can be a great solution for physicians coming out of residency who know they want to do a fellowship but also need to start working. Rather than take a job somewhere else that may expect a 2-3 year commitment, a travel physician can continue living where they want and avoid the hassle of moving until relocating for the fellowship.
3. Physicians who want to take a step back. It could be because you’ve started a family and want to be home with kids more often. It could be that you are starting another company and want to transition to something more part-time while you work on growing your other business. Or, you could be at a stage in your career where you just want to work less, but still have the security of medium- to long-term contracts. Whatever the reason, those wanting to dial back the number of shifts they work each month may want to consider being a travel physician.
4. Physicians whose partner or spouse needs to move. Sometimes your partner or spouse gets their dream job in another city, an opportunity they can’t refuse. You could try to find another role in the new location—or, you could join a travel team.
5. Those who value location independence. Finally, there is the traditional, most obvious benefit of being a travel physician: getting to live wherever you want. Maybe you want to live next to that surf beach you’ve always dreamed about, or the ski valley that really gets your blood rushing. There are even those we’ve talked to who live internationally—yes, it’s possible! One doc we know lives in Isreal but frequently travels to the U.S. to take advantage of higher pay.

If any of these apply to you, feel free to reach out directly through our Careers page!

Other benefits oF travel physician Jobs

Kevin said one of the first questions he gets about being a travel physician is the pay. “These are not roles for someone just interested in going to the highest bidder,” he says. Even so, hourly rates are higher than those at full-time roles—ultimately, the pay is near what a locums agency might offer.

Except, with Core, you get the added structure, consistency, and protection of working at sites where we have long-term contracts. This is the goldilocks approach: higher pay and more flexibility, but with the security of a growing, high-quality physicians group.

“When hospitals have an acute need, they’ll do anything to get a doctor in there,” Kevin says. “But they’re also doing everything they can to get you out and get a more permanent solution.”

With the Core travel team, however, physicians can take advantage of all the benefits of more control over their level of commitment, combined with being able to plan on stable work long into the future. “Even six months out, we’re going to be talking with you about what needs are coming down the pipeline,” Kevin said. Plus, there is the opportunity to go full-time at one of the sites, or another one in the future.

If you think becoming a travel physician might be a good fit, feel free to reach out to our recruiting team and discuss opportunities.