How Locum Travelers Can Benefit from Using Travel Rewards Credit Cards
For decades, Staff Care has connected doctors and clinicians with premium locum tenens assignments in locations across the country. For healthcare professionals who embrace the travel aspect of locums' work, we offer this exclusive series of locum tenens travel tips.
Traveling and locum tenens work complement one another in a number of ways. It's true that not all locum jobs require travel; for those who prefer to stay close to home, assignments can often be found within commuting distance. But physicians and clinicians who love to travel will discover in locum tenens work truly unique opportunities to see every corner of the United States while also building an impressive career portfolio in a wide variety of facilities and practice settings.
It's no exaggeration, then, to say that locums travel offers a literal world of once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. With locums work, "your schedule is your own, so you can pursue whatever passion you have," says Dr. Geeta Arora, a hospitalist who's long advocated the benefits of locum tenens travel.
"For example, I'm really into surfing and traveling the world as well as global medicine," Dr. Arora adds. "So, I get to decide when I work and where it fits into my lifestyle."
Even beyond providing a work schedule that allows ample freedom to travel, locum tenens work gives physicians and clinicians the opportunity to actually be paid to travel. When you work a locum tenens job in a different part of the country, Staff Care pays for your flights to and from the assignment, as well as the cost of housing while you're on the job.
Feel like spending a few months on the coast of California or Florida? How about an assignment that gives you a taste of an urban hotspot like New York or Chicago, without the obligation or hassle of actually living there? Or maybe you're interested in exploring the outdoor beauty of national parks in states as diverse as Utah, Arkansas, New England, or the Pacific Northwest. In all these places — and in many others — there are locum assignments that need to be filled. And for doctors, dentists, NPs, PAs, CRNAs, psychologists, and psychiatrists who love to travel, these locum jobs represent a unique opportunity to mix work with travel.
How Locum Travelers Can Benefit From Travel Rewards Credit Cards
Another benefit of traveling for locum tenens work is the chance to accumulate a variety of benefits that can be leveraged for both personal and professional travel: Using a travel rewards credit card helps you reap those benefits simply by living and working the locum's lifestyle.
The idea behind travel rewards credit cards is a simple one: Typically, these cards offer you special "points" for each dollar spent. Those points can then be redeemed for travel-oriented rewards.
This system isn't unique to travel cards; most credit cards offer some type of points-to-rewards system. Travel credit cards differ from the others, though, by emphasizing travel (and travel-adjacent) benefits in an effort to appeal to frequent travelers.
For instance, instead of offering a single point for every dollar spent, a travel credit card may offer double or even triple points for travel-oriented purchases (such as airfare, hotel stays, tours, even meals in certain restaurants). Accumulated points can then be transferred to an equivalent cash value, and redeemed for other purchases.
Travel reward credit cards have become so popular that there are now a huge variety of cards emphasizing different aspects of travel. Airfare-focused credit cards, for example, offer extra points when plane tickets are purchased. That means you can accumulate benefits akin to "air miles" without being tied to a specific airline. Other travel credit cards may be oriented around dining, hotel stays, or even theme parks or cruise ships.
How can you find a travel reward credit card that meets your preferences? If you already have an account with a major bank, chances are good that that bank has a travel card you're eligible for — simply contact them and ask what's available to you. Or, if you're starting from scratch, the following articles offer great overviews of what's available:
- NerdWallet's 'Best Travel Credit Cards of 2017' breaks down the best travel rewards cards by type and rate.
- ValuePenguin's 'Best Travel Credit Cards of 2017' offers even more detail on the different types of airline rewards cards, including charts of which airlines participate in which rewards programs.
- WalletHub's 'Best Travel Credit Cards' breaks down what cards have the most lucrative bonuses, and which are best for airline miles versus hotel stays.
Finally, if you do choose to use a travel rewards credit card, we urge you to do so wisely. Paying off your monthly balance in full means you get the full advantage of earning travel rewards without accumulating debt.
At Staff Care, we encourage our professionals to get the most out of their assignments and embrace the adventure of locum tenens travelers. If you have other tips for choosing a travel rewards credit card, we’d love to hear them! Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and join the conversation!
Do you have any questions about traveling on your next locum tenens assignment? As always, a friendly and knowledgeable Staff Care representative is standing by to answer them! You can always contact your recruiter directly, contact us via this form, or call (800) 685-2272.