Locum Tenens or permanent: which fits the gap you have?
Coverage and hiring solve different problems. A plain comparison of cost, speed, commitment, and when running both at once is the right call.
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What a physician CV needs before a recruiter calls
A physician CV has a different job from a resume. It has to survive credentialing, so it needs a complete chronology with no unexplained gaps, licenses and certifications with expiry dates, and training detail in full. Length is not the problem. Missing dates are.
What has to be on it?
- Full chronology, month and year. Every position since medical school. Years alone are not enough for credentialing.
- Education and training in full. Medical school, internship, residency, fellowship, with institutions and dates.
- Licenses. Every state, with number and expiry. Say which are active and which are lapsed.
- Board certification. Board, certification date, recertification status.
- DEA registration and certifications. ACLS, PALS, BLS as applicable, with expiry.
- Clinical detail that is actually useful. Procedures, case volume, EMR, call structure, supervision of advanced practice clinicians.
- Gaps, explained in one line. Parental leave, research, military service, caring for a relative. An explained gap is nothing. An unexplained gap is a query that costs a week.
What should come off?
Objective statements, soft skill lists, a photograph, and personal details like marital status or date of birth. None of them help, and some of them create problems for the employer reading the file.
The five fixes that make the most difference
- Add months to every date.
- Put licenses and certifications in one block with expiry dates.
- Explain every gap in one line, where the gap is.
- Add volume and procedure detail for the last two roles.
- List references with live phone and email, and tell them they are listed.
Does the CV decide anything?
Not the outcome, no. It decides speed. A complete CV means your credentialing file opens cleanly, references are reached on the first attempt, and the conversation with the facility is about the role rather than about missing dates. The content of the first call comes from you, not from the document.
What happens when you send it to us?
It goes to the team that covers your specialty, not to a queue. If what you want is not posted, that is normal, and some of what we place never reaches a job board. Send your CV or look at what is open first.
How long should a physician CV be?
As long as the chronology requires. Physician CVs routinely run three to ten pages and length is not held against you. Missing dates and unexplained gaps are.
Should a physician CV include a photo?
No. Leave off photographs, date of birth, marital status, and similar personal details. They do not help and can create problems for the employer reviewing the file.
How do I explain a gap in my work history?
In one line, where the gap appears, with the dates and the reason. Parental leave, research, military service, or family care are all ordinary. An unexplained gap triggers a credentialing query and costs time.
Do I need a different CV for Locum and permanent roles?
No. One complete, current CV covers both. Say what you are looking for in the message rather than rewriting the document.
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