Ep. 74: A career shaped by rural medicine, private practice, and over a decade of locum tenens work with Dr. Steven Gordon
About this episode
Dr. Steven Gordon discusses his career in rural medicine and locum tenens work, sharing insights on burnout and the evolving healthcare landscape.
Family medicine physician Dr. Steven Gordon joins us this episode to reflect on a remarkable career spanning private practice, the Indian Health Service, and more than a decade of locum tenens work across rural and remote communities. Known for his long‑running blog Walkabout Doc and his thoughtful writing on Doximity Op‑Med, Dr. Gordon has spent years documenting the realities of modern medicine — from burnout to joy, from system pressures to the deep meaning found in patient care. Dr. Gordon shares how the mounting administrative burdens and 80‑hour workweeks pushed him toward burnout in private practice, and how locum tenens ultimately helped him rediscover his passion for medicine. He describes the freedom of stepping into new environments, the satisfaction of completing each assignment, and the unexpected ways locums improved his well‑being, his marriage, and his relationship with the profession. Dr. Gordon also offers candid insights on credentialing, navigating non‑competes, negotiating with recruiters, and the dramatic shifts he’s witnessed in healthcare over the past decade — from the rise of private equity to the changing expectations of younger physicians. Explore more…
More episodes of The Locumstory Podcast | Locum Tenens Insights from Real-Life Physicians, PAs, and NPs
- Ep. 77: Finding balance between patient care and world travel with PA Robert Vagueiro
- Ep. 76: Dr. Mark Pool’s journey into locum tenens, entrepreneurship, and balancing medicine with family life
- Ep. 75: Balancing a dermatology career, a hair‑transplant fellowship, and locum tenens work with Dr. Leah Cardwell
- Ep. 73: Taxes and financial planning for locum tenens physicians with Ben Nanney, CPA, CFP
- Ep. 72: A career in academia, financial wellness, and physician entrepreneurship with Dr. Brittne Halford
- Ep. 71: A mid-career pivot into locums as a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner with Thomas Cotto
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Locumstory Podcast | Locum Tenens Insights from Real-Life Physicians, PAs, and NPs podcast page.