Orthopaedic Surgeon Locum – Advice, tips and insights

The demand for Orthopaedic Locum Doctors from Registrar > Consultant level in 2025 was huge!! We are expecting the need in 2026 to be equally high – Its  a great time to locum if you have ever considered it!

We were lucky enough to have a chat with a newly qualified Orthopaedic Surgeon, Sarah, where she shares how she found completing Orthopaedic Surgeon Locum work in Australia with Atmos Medical.

What have you enjoyed about working as an Orthopaedic Surgeon locum doctor across Australia?

Working as a locum gives you exposure to different areas of Australia and gives you a good variety of cases. Not having grown up in Australia, it has been a good opportunity to explore areas I otherwise probably wouldn’t see. Doing trauma on call gives you a wide variety of cases including pediatrics and hands which you may not get as much experience with in larger metropolitan centres.

Where have been your favourite locations to work and why? Did you get to enjoy any activities outside of work?

I have done locums across many areas of NSW and South Australia. Everywhere I have worked has been welcoming, with friendly staff and helpful registrars. My preferred locations are Coffs Harbour and Albury. Both of these places are fairly busy and have dedicated trauma lists, so you aren’t competing with other specialties to get your work done and not sitting around waiting for your turn. But not so busy that you can’t still get to the gym most days!  Bega, has also been a nice place to work. It is a beautiful location. The hospital often puts you up at the beach and there are some great walks and cafes in the area.

Did you feel you gained new knowledge and insights from working in various hospitals with different surgeons?

Working in regional areas, you may not have access to the type of implants or prosthesis that you typically use and you often don’t get rep coverage. This can be challenging and forces you to be adaptable and creative.

3km walk around Dumaresq Dam in Armidale

Being a new Orthopaedic Surgeon – what advice would you give to other Orthopaedic trainee doctors thinking to try locum work also?

As a new consultant, don’t feel pressured to take on cases you aren’t comfortable doing. If you feel that it is beyond your current capabilities you can always send the patient to a larger centre.

Anything you wish you knew before starting?

It can be intimidating coming into a new hospital, meeting new staff and fitting in with the expectations of the department. Trust your training and your skills. The staff are used to having new surgeons come in all the time and are very helpful to get you settled in.

Did you find that the hospitals were clear on their expectations, case mix, and on-call requirements?

Yes, the expectations have been clear. I have only been doing trauma on call. You can discuss with Atmos and the hospital prior what service the hospital needs you to do and what you are comfortable taking on. For examples if they need someone to do elective lists which are pre-booked or just the on-call trauma. I made the decision to not take on any elective cases at this stage.