The speech-language pathology clinical fellowship year (CFY) is a 36-week experience where you transition from being a student to being an independent provider of speech-language pathology (SLP) clinical services. The fellowship is required as part of the American Speech and Hearing Association’s (ASHA’s) Certificate of Clinical Competence for Speech-Language Pathologists (CCC-SLP).
Goals of the CFY
Over the course of your fellowship year, you will receive mentoring from a practitioner who has already achieved the CCC-SLP in order to:
CFY Requirements
Requirements for the CCC-SLP include:
Areas of assessment include:
By Pat F. Bass III, M.D., M.S., M.P.H.
Pat Bass
Pat is a board certified General Internist and Pediatrician He has served as a reviewer for leading national publications including Pediatrics, the Journal of General Internal Medicine and the Annals of Internal Medicine. Pat is also the asthma guide to About.com, a New York Times Company. Learn more about Pat on Google+
Professional certification is a milestone in any professional’s career. The American Speech and Hearing Association’s (ASHA’s) Certificate of Clinical Competence for Speech-Language Pathologists (CCC-SLP) demonstrates that you have completed a rigorous training program that includes:
The certification is designed to ensure that recipients can independently practice and provide high-quality clinical services to patients. The CCC-SLP demonstrates to patients, employers, and organizations that you are committed beyond the basic requirements for state licensure in the field of SLP.
The first step in obtaining your CCC-SLP is to complete the necessary course work. In most states, this means obtaining a master’s degree from a program that is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of ASHA. Course work and practicum experiences are generally completed over a two-year period.
You are eligible to take the exam after completion of academic course work and a clinical practicum and when your program has designated that you have the professional knowledge and skills necessary to enter clinical practice. The exam is comprehensive and requires you to synthesize information encompassing all your course work and practice. The exam covers:
The clinical fellowship is a transition period that occurs after the completion of your degree but before you are ready for independent practice. It is basically one year (36 weeks full time) of supervised practice under a mentor who has achieved his or her CCC-SLP. The fellowship is designed to integrate knowledge and skills from your academic program into a practice environment. You will further identify your strengths and weaknesses as an SLP. Additionally, you will improve your patient care and clinical skills. The goal is for you to be an independent SLP practitioner at the conclusion of the fellowship. Your mentor will complete rating forms that indicate your competence.
Increasingly, employers and school districts are offering salary bonuses or supplements for obtaining your CCC-SLP. Because many employers offer reimbursement based on standards of clinical practice outlined by the ASHA, your employer will be assured that the service you provide will be reimbursed. Additionally, the CCC-SLP allows you to supervise and mentor other SLPs who are working toward certification. Also, if you are planning on moving, licensure in other states may be easier. States often use ASHA Standards for Clinical Competence as their requirements for licensure. Your state licensing agency will also be able to use the ASHA’s online verification system so you will not have to provide copies of your Praxis test scores, degree, or supervised clinical experiences.
Advanced certifications are also available to demonstrate advanced knowledge, skills, and experience. These certificates are optional and not required for practice in the field, but they formally demonstrate your advanced knowledge and skills. The areas for advanced certification include:
By Pat F. Bass III, M.D., M.S., M.P.H.
Pat Bass
Pat is a board certified General Internist and Pediatrician He has served as a reviewer for leading national publications including Pediatrics, the Journal of General Internal Medicine and the Annals of Internal Medicine. Pat is also the asthma guide to About.com, a New York Times Company. Learn more about Pat on Google+
Continuing education — or CE — is an important part of your ongoing professional development as a speech-language pathologist (SLP). States require that professionals earn CE credits — or CEs — in order to ensure a professional workforce that remains up to date on current knowledge and practices. Requirements as to the frequency and amount of CE vary from state to state.
Rules surrounding the amount and types of CE are generally regulated by some sort of state board — most likely whichever organization you send your license renewal fee to. Check your board’s website to see what types of CE are acceptable and how many credits you will need. Many states accept courses from:
If you hold a license in both audiology and SLP, your board will likely require you to earn CEs in both areas.
Licensing boards often allow you to develop your skills in both “professional” and “related” areas. Professional areas can be thought of as what you do clinically every day, such as:
Related subject areas may refer to things such as:
We all learn differently. Some of us like to read, while others are more auditory learners. CEs can often be obtained in many different ways, including:
CE is going to be part of your professional practice throughout your career and offers you the chance to further your knowledge and skills after your formal degree training.
By Pat F. Bass III, M.D., M.S., M.P.H.
Pat Bass
Pat is a board certified General Internist and Pediatrician He has served as a reviewer for leading national publications including Pediatrics, the Journal of General Internal Medicine and the Annals of Internal Medicine. Pat is also the asthma guide to About.com, a New York Times Company. Learn more about Pat on Google+
Traveling to fill a job is a component of locums work that attracts or deters providers when in reality, you may not have to go very far at all. Statistics report that 38% of surveyed providers said they chose locums work for the travel opportunities and there are plenty of them in just about any direction. But not everyone wants to go far from home and you may be able to find locums work within driving distance. This will really depend on where you live to begin with. If your town has more cows than people, there’s a good chance you will have to go further to find work and that may mean staying away from home longer. But if you are closer to a city or town with a few hospitals or private practices, there’s a good chance you can find work that will still let you go home to your own bed or family at the end of a shift.
For providers who decide to travel, most locums agencies only cover the basics: housing and maybe a rental car. They may or may not pay for a flight if the location is far away and there’s no coverage for food or other living expenses while you are away. A lot of physicians who picture locums work imagine hiking mountainside trails or lounging by the beach on their days off from work. You know—enjoying the good life. And while it may be that way for some, it’s not typical. Work hours tend to be long, and the demands of an unfamiliar environment mentally draining. You can’t wait to get off work and relax in your own apartment. Sorry. Not likely either. Chances are accommodations will be similar to an Extended Stay vs a cozy house rental. While housing may not be like home, the upside is if you hit a snag in the middle of your travels, you do have the benefit of calling your agency for help. Most companies have a department specially dedicated to handling travel details and they can help rearrange some problems.
There are many pros to taking a travel locum tenens assignment; to name a few:
Even if all of your costs are not covered, remember that you are operating as an independent contractor and some of your expenses may be tax deductible. Talk to a tax professional to know what receipts to hang on to for Uncle Sam.
If a provider takes a local job that’s within driving distance, the agency may cover the cost of gas or reimburse mileage, but that will have to be negotiated up front. Make sure to ask and always get it in writing before accepting any locums work.
There are not usually any significant incentives for locums travel. It’s sort of an assumed part of the job. Keep in mind though, that high-demand jobs that need to be filled immediately may give you more negotiating leverage. If a hospital is desperate for a provider, they may agree to pay you more to come on a moment’s notice and meet more of your requests.
Never assume that you will receive premium housing or travel benefits when you are negotiating a contract. It is the provider’s responsibility to clarify the locum agency’s role in travel assistance and to get any changes to the travel terms in writing.
By Rachel Ballard RNC, BSN
Rachel Ballard
Rachel Ballard is a certified registered nurse and owner of the medical writing company iHealth Communications. iHealth teams with healthcare leaders to create written content that boosts revenue and builds relationships. Learn more about Rachel on Google+
As a placeholder or temporary physician, locums doctors gain one significant benefit over their full-time colleagues: flexibility. Physicians who choose to work as a locum tenens provider are able to see new places and meet new people with each assignment. Traveling across state lines or to the other side of the country is common as providers care for patients in large and small facilities of many types. The details of the job will vary widely depending on the doctor’s specialty and practice setting and can range from large urban hospital to small rural clinics with only one doctor for miles. There are often plenty of surprises for physicians who try locums work—less -than-satisfactory housing conditions, unfamiliar documentation and billing systems, and new faces that can’t be trusted yet. But at least the length of the job won’t be a mystery. Duration of locum tenens jobs range from very short assignments that are only a few shifts to long commitments requiring a year or more in one place.
The duration of a job will depend entirely upon why the doctor is needed. If a provider is filling in for a physician off for maternity or health leave, he or she may fill in for 12 weeks or so and will leave when the regular provider is ready to return. In other cases, a locums provider may cover a sudden hole until the hospital can find a permanent replacement for them. Other needs include vacation coverage, or extra staff for a hospital or bed expansion. Varying contract lengths make it easy to try locums work and then choose longer contracts if the physician wants to. Shorter contracts may be better for providers with a busy personal life and longer ones may fit those who enjoy immersing themselves in their work with little to tie them down elsewhere. But whatever is chosen, make sure it is done wisely—it’s difficult if not impossible to back out of a job once it’s started.
Most locums agencies who connect providers with healthcare facilities do not offer permanent placement jobs. There may be a case where the provider enjoys a location and assignment and if he or she does a good job, may be offered a full time position by the facility. This is okay as long as the provider finishes his assignment with the locums agency first. Extensions on an assignment are also possible. Terms should be negotiated just as they would be for a new contract, making sure the new timeframe meets the providers wishes. If the facility is asking the provider for more time than he or she wants to commit to, there may be an option to contract for a portion of the extension.
Providers looking for locums work are not usually limited to working with just one locums agency. Getting locum tenens is a first-come, first-served field and jobs are offered to whoever answers the call first. Providers interested in the most job choices can usually register with multiple agencies, but this can vary depending on the company. Make sure to ask.
By Rachel Ballard RNC, BSN
Rachel Ballard
Rachel Ballard is a certified registered nurse and owner of the medical writing company iHealth Communications. iHealth teams with healthcare leaders to create written content that boosts revenue and builds relationships. Learn more about Rachel on Google+
Being your own boss, managing less paperwork and traveling to new places are all benefits of being a locum tenens physician. It is a lifestyle that appeals to just the right type of provider—it isn’t for everyone—but for those who enjoy it, locums work brings a fresh approach to practicing medicine. Becoming a locums provider isn’t difficult, but you should be prepared to show lots of documentation related to your education, certifications, and qualifications before you take an assignment. Chances are you will be working with a locums recruiting agency and they will know exactly what paperwork is needed for what assignment, and what foundation you will need in order to practice safely and effectively.
Some people call the credentialing and licensing phase of the process painful. Thankfully, if you work with an agency, they will have staff to help you gather and complete the necessary paperwork—and there is a lot of it. If you are considering a job in another state, you’ll need a license to practice in that state. That means meeting all of their qualifications for licensure, showing proof of current continuing education and documentation of a successful education. There’s sure to be a fee for licensure, so ask your agency who will take care of that charge. Hopefully it isn’t you.
Next, you will have to be cleared by the hospital’s credentialing committee (if you will be working in a hospital) and scrutiny here may vary. Some facilities may ask for the basics of your background and pass you through. Others may want your mother’s blood type and a DNA sample first. I’m kidding—but they can delve deeply into your educational background, ask for original copies of transcripts from places you haven’t been to in decades, and require a long list of references.
Keep in mind that if you plan to travel regularly or take lots of short jobs, the paperwork process will be repeated over and over with each new location and your friends or colleagues you have listed as a reference could be nagged beyond measure. References are checked by the locums agency, the hospital who is considering hiring, the hospital committee and the state licensure board and every reference must be written or faxed. That’s a total of four responses for each of your references for every job you consider taking.
You may already know that locums jobs don’t offer any benefits or retirement and that you are responsible for withholding your own taxes. But most locums agencies do offer a few benefits including malpractice and liability insurance, but this can be limited. Some providers say that the amount and type of coverage offered by locums agencies is often insufficient and that you may need to purchase an additional tail policy. It isn’t a requirement, but it’s never a good idea to need it and then discover you’ve been under-insured. Make sure to negotiate these details (including who will be paying for the coverage) before taking an assignment.
By Rachel Ballard RNC, BSN
Rachel Ballard
Rachel Ballard is a certified registered nurse and owner of the medical writing company iHealth Communications. iHealth teams with healthcare leaders to create written content that boosts revenue and builds relationships. Learn more about Rachel on Google+
Even health care professionals need friends. And followers. That’s probably why you signed up for one of the many available social networks out there.
Even if it’s not, that’s why we did! And we’d love it if you followed us.
We’ll tweet industry updates, fun facts, and useful articles. Follow us on Twitter.
Nobody would “like” us if we weren’t on the king of networks, Facebook. We’ll keep you up to date with all the latest health industry news. Like us on Facebook.
If you really like to get down to business, follow our LinkedIn profile. We’ll post the latest job openings and let you know when special opportunities become available.
One of the newer social networks is Google+. It’s all about adding other members into your circles. You can add us to any circle, we don’t mind!
Follow our boards and repin like crazy, because we’ll add great infographics, inspiration, and advice for today’s medical professional.
By the way, we’d love to follow you too. Let us know who you are and we’ll like, follow, repin, and circle you! After all, that’s what being social is all about.
Locum tenens is a Latin term meaning “place holder”. While most of us are familiar with traveling nurses, fewer may understand the role of the traveling (or temporary) physician. Locum tenens physicians work in hospitals, clinics, and private practices when regular full-time staff is unavailable (such as for illness), on sabbatical, or more hands are needed to get the job done. Some providers enjoy the challenges and rewards that come with traveling to new places – meeting new people, trying out a new city, or testing the waters in a different work environment before accepting full-time employment. How much you make on an assignment will vary depending on the type of degree or specialty you have, the work setting, and what percentage is being taken by your middleman, or locum tenens agency.
Locum tenens physicians tend to make slightly less than full-time employees do unless they are willing to work overtime – in which case the earning potential is much higher. If you choose to work with a locum tenens agency, pay for a specific job is negotiated between the facility looking for a provider and the locums agency. The agency charges the facility a set fee and takes a cut. Some agencies will list pay ranges by specialty on their websites. Examples for an 8-hour shift included $600-$800 for OB/GYN services, $1,300-$1,400 for neurosurgeons, and $720-$880 for family practice. Most agencies pay rates that are comparable to one another so it does little good to shop between them.
Because most agencies pay providers as PRN (as needed) contractors, no taxes are taken from your paycheck and you may need to set aside a significant chunk of your money to pay Uncle Sam at the end of the year. There is no 401(k) matching as compared to full-time employment and no health or retirement benefits. However, some locum tenens agencies do pay malpractice insurance, travel and housing expenses but make sure to ask. Some experts warn that malpractice insurance may be inadequate and additional tail policies may need to be purchased. According to an article published in the American College of Physicians, “30% of locum tenens practices provided only basic claims-made malpractice insurance without tail coverage. Of course, this would be totally inadequate for a situation that is, by definition, temporary. A malpractice tail must either be negotiated as part of the locum tenens agreement or purchased separately.”
Even with these downfalls, some providers consider locums work positive because there are very little or no administrative duties, no haggling with insurance companies, and no chasing patients for payment. You gather your paycheck at the end of your two weeks and either continue your assignment or move on to the next.
You do have some wiggle room to negotiate pay for a locums contract. Because rates are based on supply and demand, pay rates may go up and down depending on how many physicians there are to fill positions, or if a job has been particularly hard to fill. If you are willing to work longer hours or stay in a location for an extended period, you may be able to negotiate a higher pay rate. Keep in mind that as the physician you have the final say in what job you take.
Very few providers find benefit in finding their own locums work outside of an agency, and it boils down to convenience. Agencies handle the negotiations, locate housing (often on short notice) and handle insurance and licensure logistics –factors that can be time consuming and frustrating for busy physicians. Most providers also lack enough network connections to find steady work outside of an agency and find this route most beneficial and the least stressful.
Locums work can be a great alternative to full-time employment and can help providers build skills while deciding when and where they will put down roots. There are plenty of benefits and plenty of drawbacks to the field and each will have to be considered before tackling a locums assignment.
By Rachel Ballard RNC, BSN
Rachel Ballard
Rachel Ballard is a certified registered nurse and owner of the medical writing company iHealth Communications. iHealth teams with healthcare leaders to create written content that boosts revenue and builds relationships. Learn more about Rachel on Google+
Providers choose locum work over permanent positions for many reasons, and they are as varied as the jobs themselves. Locum work isn’t for the faint of heart—there are plenty of challenges navigating new charting systems, getting to know unfamiliar medical staff, and proving yourself as a worthy and respected member of the medical community, but take heart—traveling has plenty of strong points. Here are a few of the key reasons providers choose locum work over permanent positions:
Less administrative tasks: As a locum provider, you won’t be able to get away from paperwork or charting completely, but you will face less than if you were operating your own practice. Gone are some of the days of haggling with insurance companies, tracking down patients for payment and handling many of the new administrative hoops that have come about recently—like Meaningful Use compliance or Affordable Care Act changes.
Schedule flexibility: For providers interested in working fewer days (like those entering retirement) or setting a schedule that meets personal needs, locums work may remove the 9-5 and offer a variety of shifts not available in a permanent position. Maybe you only want to work a weekend a month, avoid call time, or see patients a day or two a month. Because work is available everywhere from large hospitals to small community clinics, it’s easy to find a spot that’s right for you and your professional goals.
Extra income: There’s no guarantee that working as a locum provider will make you any wealthier than holding a permanent job. It really depends on how badly the hiring company needs to fill the spot and how much they are willing to pay. If there is a chance to work extra shifts or extend a contract the provider might make more than permanent, but most doctors are surprised to find out that locums pay doesn’t differ all that much.
Travel and testing the waters: Most doctors say they choose locum work for the chance to see new places and meet new people. Traveling offers opportunities to work in some of the best medical centers in the country and build relationships with colleagues from many different specialties—a benefit that can last years after a travel assignment is over. Some providers enjoy testing the waters in a hospital or clinic before accepting a full time position. Traveling can be a good way to evaluate a community and its resources before making a permanent move.
Bridging new career paths: Choosing locum work can serve as a mid-career bridge for providers as they reexamine their long-term goals. They can continue to care for patients, gain clinical experience, and make money while they try out different areas and consider what’s next in their medical career.
By Rachel Ballard RNC, BSN
Rachel Ballard
Rachel Ballard is a certified registered nurse and owner of the medical writing company iHealth Communications. iHealth teams with healthcare leaders to create written content that boosts revenue and builds relationships. Learn more about Rachel on Google+
You’re a successful medical professional in a great facility. You like the people you work with and have high satisfaction with your job, but sometimes you think about expanding your experience. Or maybe you’re tired of the paperwork, politics, or regimented schedule of your current position. You could be a great candidate for a locum tenens – often referred to as locumtenens – position.
As a locum tenens physician, you choose how much you want to work, where, and when. It provides a freedom not often found within permanent medical positions. If you don’t want to work in a certain facility, you don’t have to. If you want to plan a vacation, simply schedule it after your current contract is up. No hoping your requested time off is approved.
If you like to travel, a locum tenens position can take you all over the country. You can work in just about any U.S. city. You can finally explore the places you’ve been meaning to go but have never had the chance due to your highly demanding position.
Often, compensation for these positions is higher, since facilities are desperate to fill staffing shortages during vacations, peak seasons, and physician illness.
As a locum tenens provider, you are flexible, able to adapt to various situations, and succeed in many environments. If you like regimented work in the same facility seeing the same patients regularly, locum work may not be for you.
Locum physicians should enjoy travel and exploring new places. Your opportunities will be greater if you are willing to temporarily relocate to places outside your home city or state.
Most of all you have to enjoy working with and helping patients. As a locum provider, you’re there to reduce workloads for existing physicians, and that could mean seeing many patients. At the same time, your paperwork responsibilities could drop. So you might end up doing more of what you like, and less of what you don’t.
First, talk to colleagues who have experience in locum work. See if they liked it, and why (or why not). Word-of-mouth advice is always the best kind.
Then, read more about locum work on our locum tenens page.
If you think you’d be a great locum physician, the rest is easy. Simply complete a one-minute form here and make sure to opt in for our allied health news and opportunities newsletter. We’ll keep you updated when new locum tenens positions are available. Soon you’ll be on your way to the flexibility and adventure that locum tenens positions offer.
