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  • Packing Light and Tight for Locum Travel

    June 16th, 2011

    Whether you’re getting ready to go on a locum assignment or gathering the family for a vacation, packing for the trip is a necessary evil.

    For many, packing light can be a challenge. Deciding on the essentials can become an arduous task and can leave you with a headache and a heavy suitcase. In this situation, preparation is your best defense against poorly packed luggage.

    When you’re deciding what to put in your bag, think about essentials. Clothing in neutral colors can easily be jazzed up with easy-to-pack accessories. Rolling clothing is also a tried and true method for space-saving and wrinkle reducing.  Check on the weather before you arrive to know what wardrobe you’ll need. Websites like the Weather Channel and AccuWeather will give you current temperatures, plus the average for the time period.

    Beware of bulky items, such as shoes. These take up a lot of space and can be reduced to the essentials. A pair of dress shoes, sneakers and a casual pair, which can be worn to the airport or along your travels. If you’re an avid reader, eliminate heavy book packing with an eReader, such as the Kindle or the Nook.  Better still, a Kindle or iBook app on your iPad or smart phone can eliminate the eReader.

    There are, of course, no shortages for online tools and applications that help you create the ultimate packing lists. Some of the most popular are:

    Universal Packing List Creator: This handy web tool allows you to input details like the duration of your trip, temperatures, transportation and accommodations, and will spit out a list of pre-trip tasks and suitcase essentials.

    Don’t Forget Your Toothbrush: This site requires free account registration, but is fully customizable. It allows you to input your destination, transportation and travel dates. It then provides you with average temperatures, travel advisories, a currency converter and several checklists.

    The iPhone and iPad have certainly cornered the market on useful travel applications. Some of the best reviewed are:

    Packing +To Do ($.99 for iPhone): This app helps you create a packing list of your own, or start with one of their sample lists. It also gives you a list of predeparture to-do’s and allows you to share it all on Facebook and Twitter.

    Pack & Go ($.99 for iPhone): This app allows you to create and edit lists, email them to family and friends and set alerts and reminders on your phone.

    Packing Pro ($2.99 for iPad): This has been described as a “personal assistant for packing.” You’re in control with this app that lets you customize fonts, color and layout. You can create custom lists and to-do’s or use their templates. It’s the ultimate packing tool.

    Remember, preparation is key to packing light and tight. If you have a well thought-out list, you’ll be sure to pack just what you need and not forget the essentials. Safe travels!

    Follow Locum Leaders on Facebook and Twitter (@Locumleaders.)

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  • Best Airlines for Frequent Flying Locums

    June 9th, 2011

    A new survey, reported on in the Wall Street Journal, shows which airlines make it easiest to redeem your frequent flier miles.

    Best among U.S. carriers:  Southwest Airlines Co., which had award seats available for 99.3% of the queries made, and jetBlue Airways, which offered seats 79.3% of the time. Southwest and jetBlue both use points instead of miles, and IdeaWorks Co., the consulting firm that conducted the study, searched for award seats available at 25,000 points, the equivalent to standard awards at other airlines.

    Worst among U.S. carriers: US Airways Group Inc. and Delta Air Lines Inc., which didn’t have seats available in about three out of every four requests. Still, both carriers showed large improvement over the past year, more than doubling their availability rates.

    The IdeaWorks survey also pointed to the toughest city to get into and out of using frequent-flier miles: San Francisco. The city is a popular vacation spot year-round, so demand remains high.

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  • Travel Light to Save on Bag Fees

    July 27th, 2009

    Like death and taxes, it seems the checked bag fee is fast becoming one of life’s unavoidable realities. Major airlines increased their bag fees again this month and industry analysts say there is no end in sight for these types of charges, which are used to offset declining ticket revenues.

    If you fly to your locum tenens assignments, you obviously have to take luggage with you, but you don’t have to check it!  A single, tightly-packed bag that fits into the overhead compartment is all you need to avoid unnecessary fees. 

    To help you pack smart and travel light, we turned to the web and found helpful advice from a couple of personal packing gurus, Doug Dymant and Susan Foster.  Among their tips:

    Start with a personal packing list.  A packing list serves a couple of purposes, says Dymant, who writes at www.onebag.com. First, it helps you remember what to bring.  More importantly though, he says, the list acts as “a sort of contract you make with yourself, an agreement that if it’s not on your list, it shouldn’t be in your bag.”

    Try bundle wrapping your clothes. This unusual packing technique is best explained in greater depth by Dymant on his website.  It purports to have a couple of benefits.  First, he says, it reduces wrinkling.  Bundling also takes up less space in your bag as compared to traditional folding and stacking of individual garments. 

    Plan your wardrobe.  Let go of the idea of wearing a different outfit each day, writes Foster on her website, SmartPacking.com. Instead, she says, pack interchangeable pieces based on one basic color and plan to wear each piece more than once.  Two pairs of dark slacks plus one jacket plus four shirts/blouses should get you through a week on the road.

    Choose thin items over thick. A turtleneck plus a cardigan sweater is warmer, more versatile, and packs smaller than a sweatshirt or bulky sweater, writes Foster.

    Both authors also stress that you check ahead of time to ensure that you know your airline’s requirements for checked and carry-on luggage sizes and weights.

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  • Cloudy Outlook for Airport Security Fast Lane

    June 25th, 2009

    The Clear card is no longer honored at US airports

    The Clear card is no longer honored at US airports

    Just hold up your Clear card (purchased for an annual subscription fee of about $200) and bypass the long lines at airport security.  That was the promise of the largest so-called ‘registered traveler’ program in the U.S. operated by a company called Verified Identity Pass.

    Until this week.

    The company abruptly shut down on June 22, closing down Clear lanes at 18 airports and leaving confused and angry subscribers in its wake.

    The 250 thousand travelers who had bought Clear cards are out of luck on a couple of fronts.  First, the company says that no refunds will be offered.  

    Additionally, some travelers have raised concerns about the security of their personal data, which they shared as a requirement of applying for the card.  In a brief statement on its website, the company posted its privacy policy and gave an assurance to former customers that their data were secure.

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  • Locum Tip: Take Better Travel Photos

    June 19th, 2009

    If you’re like many traveling locum tenens, you’re just as likely to pack a digital camera in your bag this summer as you are a stethoscope. 

    In search of some quick pointers to help you shoot better travel photos, we came across sound advice from the Brave New Traveler website.  Among their tips:

    Use your flash outside. Using flash outdoors brings a new dimension to your photos and can help eliminate harsh shadows created by high, strong sunlight.

    Move in close. When photographing a person or something roughly the same size as a person, take a step or two closer before taking the picture and zoom in on your subject. Your goal is to fill the picture area with the subject you are photographing. Don’t get too close, however, or your pictures will be blurry.

    The rule of thirds. Bring some added dimension to your photo by simply moving your subject away from the middle of your picture. Imagine a three by three grid in your viewfinder and position your subject within one of the intersections of these lines.

    Go vertical. If you have never turned your camera sideways to take a picture, you’re missing out! All sorts of things look better in vertical. From a lighthouse on the edge of a cliff to the Eiffel Tower blazing with lights to your dog splashing around in a puddle.

    Need more inspiration?  Check out the website of Naomi Liu, the photographer who authored these tips, as well as the beautiful travel photography of physician Bill Yeaton, a longtime locum tenens physician.

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  • Locum Tenens Summer in North Carolina

    May 10th, 2009

    The natural beauty of North Carolina always reminds me, oddly, of a good laugh.  That’s because my favorite companion for a trip to the region is the witty travelogue, A Walk in the Woods, by Bill Bryson, documenting his misadventures as an inept hiker on a journey of rediscovery along the Appalachian Trail.

    Bluets and other wildflowers dot the Appalachian Trail

    Bluets dot the Appalachian Trail in NC

    Bryson’s sojourn through NC found him waiting out a snowstorm in a rural hotel to great comic effect.  Snow shouldn’t be a concern, though, if a summer locum assignment brings you near the 300+ miles of Appalachian Trail that hug the state’s western border.  Colorful wildflowers will be in view and hiking highlights include the 5,300 ft. Wayah Bald in the Nantahala National Forest, which offers a panoramic view of  Georgia peaks and the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee.

    Beaches Await
    On the opposite end of the state lie the sandy islands of the famed Outer Banks.  Atlantic beaches beckon you to sunbathe, swim, and explore charming villages like Swansboro, on the Crystal Coast. Beautiful waterfront views are complemented by a quaint downtown filled with boutiques and wonderful seafood and barbecue restaurants.

    There’s more to explore as a locum tenens in North Carolina, including the historical mystery and recreational activities of Roanoke Island. Some 400 colonists disappeared from this 16th century English settlement, and archaeologists, historians, and scientists have not yet solved the puzzle, staged as “The Lost Colony,” the longest-running outdoor theater production in America.

    Classic Golf Courses
    If golf is your game, North Carolina offers luxe resorts as well as surprisingly affordable public courses.  Golf Magazine’s list of the “100 Top Courses you can Play” includes four courses from the TarHeel state topped by the challenging Pinehurst (Number Two).  GolfLink.com is another helpful guide to top NC courses.

    Whether you prefer to walk 18 holes or hike the Applachian trail, do take Bryson’s classic along with you.  A Walk in the Woods is quite simply the most hilarious book I’ve ever read.

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  • Traveling to New Mexico

    April 16th, 2009

    Looking for cultural and scenic variety in your next locum tenens assignment?  Consider the Land of Enchantment. The stunning beauty of New Mexico offers incredible hiking through rose-colored deserts, lush forests, and snow-capped peaks … along with the fascinating contradiction of sparse population but a wealth of art and cultural communities.

    Santa Fe
    The charming state capital of Santa Fe shows off its historic architecture and welcomes visitors with a hospitable town plaza and extraordinary concentration of arts, music, and fine dining.

    Founded in 1607, Santa Fe is the oldest and highest capital in the United States. The elevation of 7000 feet can be a serious challenge to the lungs of visitors, particularly those coming from sea level. Acclimatize yourself by taking it easy the first few days and enjoy Santa Fe’s remarkable museums.

    Albuquerque
    A lively and sprawling metropolis of 900,000 in the center of the state is New Mexico’s largest city. Albuquerque is home to the region’s only major airport, plus the University of New Mexico and the state’s largest businesses. It hosts the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, the largest ballooning event and one of the most photographed festivals in the world (www.balloonfiesta.com/).

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