I recently attended the Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators (RACMA) conference in Perth, my first in over 15 years, having spent much of the intervening time in Europe. It was wonderful to reconnect with DMS clients from the early 2000s. Back then, many were in the meaty part of their careers - ambitious, serious, and often highly stressed. Meeting them again, now in the wind down phase of their professional lives, was both grounding and inspiring.
A surprising number had transitioned into locum roles, traveling the country (and beyond - one lives permanently in the Solomon Islands) as medical directors, interim executives, or senior clinicians parachuting into health services that needed their expertise. They seemed lighter, more relaxed, and generally enjoying themselves.
After Perth, my travels took me to Broome, a beautiful, red-earthed corner of Western Australia, to meet clients and candidates. There I caught up with the medical director who had been placed by Wavelength in the region nearly a decade ago. Originally from New Zealand, she’s now woven into the fabric of the Kimberley health community, her story a testament to the way Australia can turn a short-term adventure into a life’s chapter.
That evening, over dinner, I met another Wavelength alumnus, a locum paediatrician currently on assignment through us in the region. Adele was recruited by Wavelength from rural South Africa to Townsville, QLD, back in 2006. Now, she and her husband are exploring Australia through a series of locum placements, collecting experiences and friendships as they go. Their enthusiasm for the landscapes, the communities, and the sense of professional renewal was infectious.
Cable Beach Sunset
When I first started Wavelength in the 1990s, locum work existed, but it was mostly about the money. Doctors mainly locumed to pay off debts, fund study, or cover a gap between jobs.
Three decades later, motivations have evolved. Doctors are using locum work to reset. To travel, reflect, and rediscover the joy of medicine in new environments.
Medical skills are honed through repetition. The more times you’ve seen something, the faster you can recognise it in the future. It’s excellent for patient outcomes, but not always for the clinician’s soul. Variety, challenge, and movement are vital antidotes to the monotony that can creep into long-term practice. In an era where portfolio careers are increasingly accepted and even encouraged, Australia offers the perfect playground for doctors looking to step off the hamster wheel without stepping away from medicine.
At the RACMA conference, I also met Dr Lamour Hansell, an anaesthetist from Fiji and clinical advisor to the Pacific Community (SPC) — an organisation supporting development across 27 Pacific nations. He wanted to know if Australian doctors might consider volunteering in remote Pacific communities, not for money but for the experience, the exchange, and the goodwill.
My answer was: yes, I believe that many would. The appetite for meaningful adventure seems to be strong. Doctors are increasingly seeking purpose alongside professional engagement. They crave a chance to give back, to connect, and to rediscover the “why” behind their work. Imagine doing that in a Pacific paradise.
Locums were once seen as outsiders - peripheral players in the medical workforce. Today, they’re vital contributors to the stability and resilience of our healthcare system.
For many doctors, locum work provides not just a living, but a life. It’s an opportunity to recharge, rediscover purpose, and bring renewed energy back to clinical practice.
I’ll never forget my own locum stint early in my career, one time working an overnight shift in the emergency department at Taree Hospital in New South Wales. After a grueling shift doing multiple lumbar punctures (... an outbreak of viral meningitis in the local Aboriginal community) instead of going straight to bed, I drove to nearby Freshwater Beach and caught the longest surf wave of my life. It’s a fond memory that reminds me: sometimes, the best medicine for burnout isn’t rest - it’s movement.
At Wavelength, we’ve always believed that great doctors deserve great opportunities, whether that’s in Broome, Brisbane, or the blue waters of the Pacific. If you’re ready to combine meaningful work with a sense of adventure, our team would love to help you find your next chapter.