Dr Tasveer: "locuming has enriched my lifestyle"

In the ever-evolving landscape of healthcare, locuming presents itself as an attractive alternative to traditional, full-time positions for doctors. Beyond the flexibility and variety it offers, locuming is increasingly recognised for how it can enrich a doctor’s lifestyle, both professionally and personally.

We caught up with Dr Tasveer Singh to have a chat about his time locuming with Medrecruit, and the ways in which it has enriched his lifestyle.

Can you tell me a bit about you and why you became a doctor?

I always had an interest in medicine, in fact, I did not have a plan B when I finished high school! I grew up in Fiji and was fortunate to train as a doctor there; I had a very enriching hands-on basic training and a solid foundation on which to build specialty training.

What was your motivator for locuming?

I found myself facing a 6-month stint of night shifts that were week on/ week off. I had all this free time but more importantly, was facing a reduction in my pay (I was working only 40 hours a fortnight, so no overtime pay). I started locum work to subsidise my income at that stage and have not looked back. I now locum to do exactly this: subsidise my full-time income, pay off that pesky credit card, plan a nice holiday or save up for a house.

How has locuming enriched your lifestyle in any way?

Locuming has allowed me to travel quite a bit, see a lot of Regional Australia and meet people from places I would not ordinarily have thought to visit. It has given me the realisation that even in Australia, healthcare is not equal and very dependent on where you live; people are limited by location and the availability of services and specialists, and I find it very rewarding to be able to provide a much needed service to make my patients journey that little bit easier!

Has locuming helped you achieve any financial goals?

Over the last eight years of doing locum work, I have ticked off a few financial goals- saved up for a house deposit, cleared off some accrued debt, and took some amazing family holidays overseas.

Would you have any advice for other doctors who are thinking about locuming?

I say: “Do It! I highly recommend it!”

“And do it with Medrecruit! I have referred a few colleagues now, and they have all found the team amazing.” Locum work provides different points of view of the work we sometimes take for granted in big city hospitals. Especially for training registrars, its important to see how other places work, their limitations, and build a network with other locums or trainees.