It's very important that you plan ahead for your career transition and that you consider your options before you give up your practice. If you wait too long following your actual retirement, you may be required to take a hands-on clinical refresher course or complete a preceptorship. In most specialties, you will have difficulty jumping back into practice if you have been away from clinical work for more than a year. This timeframe is shorter in some specialties. Talk with a VISTA recruiter about using an upcoming vacation to "test drive" locum tenens to see if the option fits your future plans.
You will also need to stay current on your CME so you can renew state licenses and/or qualify for new ones. Requirements vary by specialty and by state. Visit the Federation of State Medical Boards website, select Public Services in the left-hand navigation column, then select Directory of State Medical Boards in the menu. This will take you to links to the websites of every state medical board. Make sure to maintain detailed documentation on all of your CME.
There are a myriad of resources available via the Web, including the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education and MedScape's CME Center, which also offers a CME Tracker, which records any CME you complete with MedScape. Many medical specialty associations (i.e., RSNA.org) offer CME and CME tracking services to active members.
Learn More: Contact VISTA to Learn More about Locum Tenens
