How much experience do I need?
How much experience should you have before working in the UK as a locum? Well I have employed a number of locums over a twenty five year period so I guess I can answer this. While it depends to some extent on the individual I would have said you need a minimum of two years experience before you should contemplate this type of employment.
As a locum you will generally be paid more than an assistant with the same amount of experience but you will be presenting yourself as someone who can work with a minimum amount of supervision. It is not realistic to expect to be paid a top salary and then get a large amount of on job training as well. If you are receiving support and training to carry out basic procedures then clearly this could affect your self employed status.
So how does this two years experience work out in terms of ability? No one expects you to be able to carry out complex orthopaedic operations on your own but you should be relaxed and confident with all elective procedures such as bitch spays and you must be capable with consultations. The best advice I can give you is always honestly discuss your abilities with your prospective employer before taking the job, could save a lot of friction between both parties.
Sometimes in the UK such as during the last foot and mouth outbreak it is was very difficult to find vets including locums and in these times you find that anyone with right qualifications will easily find a job. During the last foot and mouth outbreak I did in fact employ a new graduate locum from South Africa as well as a couple from New Zealand who had very little experience, actually it worked out not too badly as I recall but I had to spend a lot of time supporting all three of them. You can see that there is a supply and demand factor at work in locum employment as well as experience.
Tip: Always make your employer aware of your level of experience before taking a locum position
admin @ May 25, 2008