Medieval Times

Locum Tenens: From Medieval Times to Modern Physician Staffing

The term Locum Tenens has a large history, a somewhat obvious statement considering locum tenens is an expression from Latin, a dead language that’s thousands of years old. Locum tenens translates from Latin to mean “to hold the place of,” but today it usually means physician staffing or physician recruiting, as locum tenens physicians substitute or hold interim positions at short-staffed medical facilities until a permanent physician is hired. Locum tenens physicians thus fill an important role in today’s world of physician staffing.

The term locum tenens dates back to medieval times, when the Catholic Church provided clergy to parishes in areas where there were no priests available. These traveling clergy were called locum tenens, placeholders for the churches they served, and gradually this term applied to doctors as well, who filled in temporarily at a given community in need.

In the 1970s, the term locum tenens began to be commonly used for physician staffing or physician recruiting in medical facilities that experienced shortages. Originally these staffing shortages were seen largely in sparsely populated areas, as high-income positions in large cities drew doctors away from rural communities.

However, currently there is a need for locum tenens physicians in nearly all locations, ranging from New York City to Nevada, as physician staffing shortages have become more widespread. While positions for locum tenens physicians are temporary, the qualifications they must meet are still stringent, similar to ones required of permanent, practicing physicians.

With the healthcare industry expanding rapidly in America, locum tenens physicians are playing a larger role in the industry. Yet the term most likely remains unfamiliar to the majority of Americans who are not involved in institutions that use Latin regularly (like medical or religious institutions). The term is even less likely to gain common currency as its phonetics are difficult (loh-kuhm tee-nenz) compared to other synonyms for the term (like substitute or temporary worker).

Yet the term will definitely not go away as the industry of locum tenens physicians is a multi-billion-dollar one that continues to grow as physician staffing shortages rise. This growth in temporary physician staffing is projected to increase as the healthcare industry continues to expand from its current position of 17 percent of the U.S. economy. With large populations in the developing world needing and demanding increasing medical care, look for locum tenens physicians to continue to expand to other areas of the world too, even if most people have difficulty pronouncing the term locum tenens or understanding its history

About the Author

Howard Applegate writes on topics including physician recruiting, medical staffing, and healthcare jobs, among others.

Medieval Times Knights Battle (Part 1)

Valle Pewter Cloak/Cape Clasp – 2.5 Long x 1.1 Tall $4.75 TP70 Valle Pewter Cloak Clasp. Sizes: 2.5″ x 1.1″. Solid hand cast jeweler’s quality pewter imported from Norway. Suitable for medium to medium-heavy cloaks. Great for Medieval, Renaissance, Gothic, Victorian, Edwardian, Colonial, Civil War or almost any period. Hand cast in Norway by the artist; this solid pewter jewelry is of the highest quality of level of detail. This is the quality of jewelry…

Chariot Clasp, Antique Silver Finish $3.74 Chariot Clasp Sizes: 3.5″ X 1.25″ Italian made, antique silver-tone clasp suitable for decorating a jacket or holding a light to medium cloak or cape…

Lise Pewter Cloak/Cape Clasp – 1.75 Long x .75 Tall $3.50 TP30 – Lise Clasp Size: 1.75″ x .75″ Solid Pewter. This clasp excellent for light cloaks/capes and jackets. Great for Medieval, Renaissance, Gothic, Victorian, Edwardian, Colonial, Civil War or almost any period….

Secret Voyage $7.98 Secret Voyage is another kaleidoscopic musical journey through time and space, incorporating and rearranging traditional melodies from all over Europe, blending the “old” and contemporary. The brilliant guitar stylings of Ritchie Blackmore, the enchanting vocals and lyrics of singer/songwriter Candice Night and the saturation of authentic Renaissance instruments woven throughout the melodies, crea…

Songs and Dances of Medieval and Renaissance Times $1.58 …

Music of the Crusades $5.05 No Description Available.Genre: Classical MusicMedia Format: Compact DiskRating: Release Date: 9-APR-1991…

Life in the Middle Ages: Social Structure in the Middle Ages (Vol Feudal relationships during the Middle Ages established a hierarchy that deeply affected the social landscape of the periods. In “Social Structure in the Middle Ages”, students will explore the complex relationships between a lord, his vassals and their serfs, and intertwining of the wealthy and poor that resulted in everyone in medieval society depending upon each other. Discover the importance o…

Renaissance Pleasure Faire, Part 2: The Autumn and the Harvest Join an American family of four as they “Play Faire” in an exciting day’s journey from jousting knights on battlefields through the mystical old oak woods to a 16th-century marketplace in the Golden Age of Queen Elizabeth I. TOAST HARVEST HOME IN MERRY OLD ENGLAND. If you are a “Faire Fan” you’ll see many a familiar face and sight! If this is your first introduction to America’s favorite outdoor L…

Foot Soldier: Medieval Soldier [VHS] $24.95 They lived by the code of chivalry and woke to the sounds of trumpets. They owed their position and power to the lords whose desperate striving for glory and land rocked Europe for centuries. FOOT SOLDIER: THE MEDIEVAL SOLDIER is a unique look at the lives of the common soldier in the countless and continual wars of the Middle Ages. Drawing on ancient accounts of battles, rare artworks, the …

3 Antique Style Padlock – Iron Jailer Lock with Keys $5.93 This new antique style lock is crafted from heavy iron and comes with 2 jail keys. You can imagine padlocks such as this one confining the Man in the Iron Mask for decades, or being used to protect buried treasure. It is an attractive piece that is fully functional with an old style locking system.The lock measures approximately 3″ tall….