Physicians Aren’t Leaving Medicine – They Are Redefining How They Practice

New data shows growing confidence in locum tenens as a flexible, sustainable career option across all stages of practice

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Physicians across the U.S. are increasingly rethinking how they practice medicine as career pressures mount at every stage, according to the 2026 Locum Tenens Physicians Report released this week by Weatherby Healthcare. The report finds that interest in locum tenens work has reached its highest level in more than a decade, signaling a shift in how clinicians view flexibility, longevity, and professional fulfillment.

A decade ago, just 5% of physicians worked locum tenens. Today, that figure has nearly tripled to 14%, reflecting the growing normalization of locums as a career option. Drawing on insights from nearly 1,000 physicians surveyed over the past year, the report shows that locum tenens is no longer perceived as a temporary or fringe choice. Instead, physicians across specialties and geographies increasingly view locums as a deliberate, sustainable way to adapt their careers while continuing to deliver patient care.

“Physicians aren’t leaving medicine — they’re looking for ways to practice that are more sustainable,” said Dr. Kenneth Song, an anesthesiologist and locums practitioner. “Locum tenens meets physicians where they are, whether that’s early in their careers, at a point of peak strain, or later on when they want to keep practicing without the demands of a full‑time role.”

The report found that 26% of physicians are interested in pursuing locum tenens work in the future, up seven percentage points year over year and the highest level recorded in the past 10 years. The surge reflects a profession-wide tipping point. Physicians are 82% more likely to burn out than workers in other occupations, and for many years, traditional practice models offered few alternatives.

Physicians are also learning about locum tenens differently than in the past. While staffing agency outreach once drove awareness, peer influence now plays a far greater role, with more than half of physicians reporting they were introduced to locums by working alongside locum physicians (56%) or hearing about the experience from colleagues or friends (55%).

“What this report confirms is something we've observed for years: locums doesn't compete with a physician's career — it extends it,” said Mike DePaolis, President of Weatherby Healthcare. “The value isn't that locums is right for every physician, it's that it's there when they need it — whether that's managing debt early on, reclaiming balance mid-career, or staying engaged past retirement."

Download the full report here.

About Weatherby Healthcare:

Since 1995, Weatherby Healthcare has established itself as an expert in locum tenens staffing for physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners. The company employs nearly 600 employees committed to filling locum tenens assignments in large-scale healthcare networks, hospitals, and clinics nationwide. Learn more at weatherbyhealthcare.com.