Case Study: Urologist with Noncompete Agreement

‍Case Study: How Urologists Can Use Locums to Survive Leaving a Job with a Restrictive Covenant

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Background:

Dr. John Doe is a urologist who recently left his job at XYZ Health System. He signed an 18- month noncompete agreement that prohibits him from working for a competitor within a 100 mile radius for a period of 18 months. Dr. Doe did not want to move to another city, and he also did not want to be out of work for a year. He decided to explore other options and discovered locum tenens work.

Solution:

Dr. Smith found an agency (UrologyLocums.com) that specializes in locum tenens work for urologists and began to work two weeks per month for a year. Dr. Doe decides to take advantage of the time he has to explore the world and also continue to work as a locums urologist. He can work as an independent contractor for hospitals that do not geographically compete with XYZ Health System.

Benefits:

Dr. Doe is able to continue working and earning an income while he is waiting for his noncompete agreement to expire. He also is able to continue seeing patients and doing surgeries, which keeps his surgical case logs current and Dr. Doe eligible for privileges at new healthcare facilities.

These two benefits combine to form a third benefit: with a steady income and robust case logs, Dr. Doe can now negotiate his next permanent contract from a position of strength.

Challenges:

Dr. Doe will have to spend a great deal of time away from home. He may also face challenges in balancing work and travel, as he will not be available for projects and meetings while he is doing locums work.

Outcome:

Dr. Doe is able to successfully navigate the 18-month noncompete agreement period and continue working as a contractor while also traveling. He is able to return to full-time employment with a competitor of XYZ Health System after the noncompete agreement expires. The experience of traveling and working as a locum urologist also gave him a valuable set of skills and experience that made him more attractive to potential employers.

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