Your profession is in motion. From evolving care team structures to shifting pay models and changing career expectations, physicians in 2025 are navigating a landscape that demands adaptability—not just to keep pace, but to protect both career satisfaction and work-life balance.

Here are four key trends shaping the physician workforce today—and how practicing locums can give you the control to navigate them on your terms.

1. Rural Practice Decline Meets a Retirement Wave

What’s happening:
The number of independent physicians in rural areas has dropped 43% since 2019, alongside an 11% decrease in rural practices. Meanwhile, more than a third of active physicians are expected to reach retirement age within the next decade. At the same time, policy changes—like noncompete bans in six states—and an increase in licensed foreign-trained physicians are altering where and how physicians can work. (Becker’s Hospital Review, April 9, 2025)

Why it matters to you:
Coverage gaps are growing, especially in underserved regions. Fewer available colleagues often means heavier call schedules, more patient load, and less flexibility. As older physicians retire, remaining physicians are asked to shoulder more responsibilities—sometimes at the expense of personal time and career control.

How practicing locums relieves the pressure:
Locums lets you decide when and where you step in to fill high-need roles, whether that’s in a rural community short on specialists or an urban clinic needing short-term coverage. You can support access to care while avoiding the long-term overcommitment that often follows permanent roles in high-vacancy areas.

2. APP Growth is Reshaping Care Delivery

What’s happening:
Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) now make up 41% of provider roles, entering the workforce at much faster rates than physicians. When deployed well, APPs allow physicians to focus on diagnosis and complex care while maintaining productivity. But flat margins and rising subsidies mean many practices are still refining team structures to balance efficiency, quality, and cost. (Becker’s Hospital Review, May 8, 2025)

Why it matters to you:
Physician roles are shifting toward higher-acuity cases and leadership over mixed teams. While this can reduce repetitive tasks, it also requires adapting to new workflows, supervision responsibilities, and in some cases, increased accountability for outcomes you don’t fully control.

How practicing locums relieves the pressure:
Locum roles let you try different care team models without committing to one for the long haul. Whether it’s an APP-heavy primary care clinic or a physician-led surgical service, you can choose the environments that fit your skills, practice style, and comfort level with team dynamics.

3. Compensation is Rising—But So Are Expectations

What’s happening:
Physicians saw a 4.9% average pay increase in the past year, with primary care up 5.7% and specialties like anesthesia, radiology, and pathology seeing roughly 5.1% gains. Work RVUs also ticked up, alongside a higher compensation-per-wRVU ratio. The message from many employers is clear: productivity and performance expectations are climbing alongside pay. (Becker’s Hospital Review, July 1, 2025)

Why it matters to you:
While better compensation is welcome, it often comes with higher volume expectations, tighter schedules, and less control over how your time is allocated. Without flexibility, rising demands can erode the very satisfaction those pay increases are meant to improve.

How practicing locums relieves the pressure:
With locums, you set the terms. You can choose assignments based on case mix, patient volume, and scheduling preferences—earning competitive rates without being locked into productivity targets that don’t align with your goals or capacity.  

4. Burnout is Down—But Still a Career Threat

What’s happening:
Burnout rates have fallen from pandemic highs, with 45.2% of physicians reporting at least one symptom in 2023 (down from over 60% in 2021). But physicians are still 83% more likely to experience burnout than workers in other professions. Health systems are experimenting with AI documentation, flexible scheduling, and mentorship programs to address the problem, but adoption is uneven. (Becker’s Hospital Review, May 12, 2025)

Why it matters to you:
Even with incremental improvements, burnout remains one of the most significant threats to physician career longevity. It affects patient care quality, personal well-being, and the ability to remain in the profession long term.

How practicing locums relieves the pressure:
Locum tenens work allows you to reclaim control over your schedule, select environments that match your energy and interests, and avoid the chronic overload that fuels burnout. You can focus on patient care while sidestepping many of the administrative burdens that often come with permanent roles.

Turning Change into Opportunity

The physician workforce is evolving quickly, and so are the pressures that come with it. Practicing locums puts you in the driver’s seat, giving you the flexibility to navigate these shifts while keeping your career sustainable, your skills sharp, and your personal priorities intact.

Contact us to see how locum opportunities can fit your career. Or explore current locum jobs and start mapping your next move today.

‍