The US could face a shortfall of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036, according to projections from the Association of American Medical Colleges.
Academic medical centers, which train the next generation of doctors while also delivering patient care, are feeling that pressure from two directions at once.
- Locum tenens academic medicine staffing has become a critical tool for these institutions.
- Unlike community hospitals, academic centers must balance clinical coverage with teaching schedules, research commitments, and resident supervision, which makes staffing gaps even more disruptive.
Why Do Academic Medical Centers Need a Different Locum Strategy?
- Academic centers aren't just hospitals. They're training grounds.
- A missing attending physician doesn't just affect patient coverage. It can also disrupt resident education, delay research timelines, and strain faculty who are already juggling multiple roles.
- HRSA's December 2025 physician workforce projections point to steep shortages through 2037, including vascular surgery, thoracic surgery, and family medicine among the hardest-hit specialties nationwide.
- The workforce pressure is severe across specialties that academic centers depend on most.
What Is Driving Physician Shortages in Teaching Hospitals?
- Limited residency funding is part of the story. Federal funding caps on residency slots have restricted how quickly new physicians can enter the workforce, even as patient demand keeps rising each year.
- Burnout is another major factor, and it hits academic faculty especially hard given their combined clinical and teaching loads.
- Per the 2025 Physician's Foundation Wellbeing Survey, 55% of physicians report debilitating stress, and 54% report burnout, levels that match what was seen at the height of the pandemic.
What Is Driving Academic Medicine Staffing Trends?
- Academic medical centers feel shortages more sharply because one vacancy can affect patient care, resident supervision, and teaching schedules at the same time.
- Coverage needs are also more predictable in academic settings than in many community hospitals, since sabbaticals, parental leave, and research leave can often be planned in advance.
- Workforce pressure remains high in several specialties that academic centers rely on, including vascular surgery, thoracic surgery, and family medicine, among the lowest-adequacy areas in HRSA projections.
- Because of those pressures, locum tenens is increasingly used as a planned staffing tool to protect both clinical coverage and educational responsibilities.
How Are Academic Centers Using Locum Tenens Today?
- Academic centers increasingly use locum tenens for planned needs rather than only emergencies.
- Common uses include covering sabbaticals, research leave, parental leave, and bridging gaps between faculty departures and new hires.
- Locum tenens coverage has shifted from a staffing fallback to a deliberate workforce strategy for internal medicine programs navigating physician shortages, unexpected vacancies, and census volatility, an approach that applies directly to academic settings too.
- Given the wage landscape, this planning matters even more. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a median wage of $236,350 for general internal medicine physicians, with approximately 73,200 positions nationally, a labor market tight enough that even well-funded academic institutions face long search timelines for permanent hires.
What Should Academic Centers Look for in a Locum Partner?
Not every staffing firm understands the unique demands of teaching hospitals.
Academic centers should look for partners experienced in credentialing physicians for both clinical duty and academic appointments, since the process often involves extra steps compared to community hospital placements.
How Can Academic Medicine Plan Locum Strategy Proactively?
- The most effective academic centers classify their coverage needs well in advance.
- Sabbaticals and parental leave are predictable and can be staffed months ahead.
- Sudden departures need a faster response plan already in place, rather than a scramble after the fact.
- Building these categories into an annual staffing calendar reduces the stress of last-minute searches and helps departments negotiate better rates with locum partners.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is locum tenens strategy different for academic medical centers?
Academic centers must balance patient care with teaching and research, so staffing gaps affect more than clinical coverage alone.
Which specialties face the steepest shortages in academic medicine?
HRSA projections point to vascular surgery, thoracic surgery, and family medicine as among the hardest hit through 2037.
How can academic centers use locum tenens proactively?
By classifying coverage needs in advance, such as sabbaticals and parental leave, and building them into an annual staffing calendar rather than reacting to sudden gaps.
What should academic centers look for in a locum staffing partner?
Experience with academic credentialing requirements and a track record of placing physicians in teaching hospital environments.
