“EVERY DAY IS ABOUT FIRST IMPRESSIONS”

Sheffield-based optometrist, Usman Farooq, explains how locuming has allowed for flexibility when visiting his home city of Edinburgh

Before I started locuming... I was in Edinburgh, working in the practice where I had completed my pre-reg placement. I had a long history with them. It was a good relationship for both parties. Eventually, my family and I decided to come to Sheffield. From there, I linked up with a friend from university and started working as a resident optometrist in a local practice. I did that for a year, and then we both decided to leave and dip our toes into the world of locuming.

He became a locum before I did. Having somebody who had proven that it could be done and hadn’t gone back was a big factor.

I made the decision to become a locum because... Of the flexibility in where I’d be able to work. I’m from Edinburgh, and it became a situation where all my annual leave was taken up going home to visit family.

Locuming allows me to pick up shifts in Edinburgh, so I can go there and continue working, and the days I want to take off I can do something else. The ability to not be locked down in a singular location was the main factor.

When I started as a locum, I wish I had known… That I could give it time, and to be patient, because the right practices and opportunities would appear.

In the beginning, when you look at your diary and you see that it’s empty, that can be stressful. You’ve lost that regular nine-to-five, and the regularity that on the 27th your pay cheque comes in and you don’t have to worry about it. That made me a bit nervous.

I’ve got friends who are locums, and everybody was saying it was going to be fine, but I didn’t believe them. I just had to go through it and learn for myself that things were going to be okay.

On my first day of locuming... I felt very excited. It was a bit daunting going into a new practice, and I didn’t want to inconvenience anybody. It was a big place, and very busy. Everybody had something to do, so I didn’t want to be asking,

‘What do I do? How do log in? What are the referral guidelines?’ But those questions do have to be asked every time. Over time, you understand that.

My biggest locum challenge is… The days I’m not working, even if it’s a holiday or a sick day. I didn’t take any sick days until I became a locum. Luckily, I just didn’t get ill. Understanding that one of the cons of being a locum is that these are issues that you will have to face is something I’m still getting to grips with. Being okay taking an extra day off here and there without pay, and knowing that if you need to take a sick day, that is what you need to do – that’s still a challenge I’m navigating.

NAME: Usman Farooq

LOCUM FOR:

One year LOCATION: Sheffield

Practices can make life easier for locums by… Prioritising communication. I understand that that can be hard when there’s a lot going on and you have your practice to run. The last thing you want to be doing is worrying about the locum. But communication is key, especially if changes happen in the diary, or you’re swapping over a clinic. Surprises aren’t nice. If practices could minimise them, that would be better.

As a locum, I’ve adapted my days by… Knowing that every day is about first impressions. As a resident, you might be more relaxed, because you’ve built those relationships with people.

I don’t need to adapt much of my testing routine. It’s more about going in with a big smile, because this is probably the first time a lot of the staff are seeing me, even if I know the director or another optometrist there already. I’ve worked in quite a few places, and it is always a case of good first impressions.

My advice for new locums is...

Take it easy. It’s a long road. Not locuming itself, but the career path. Don’t be in a rush to do everything. Locuming is not for everybody. I have plenty of friends who are still resident optometrists, and they like residency, and that’s absolutely fine. Don’t feel like you have to do this. But if you do, don’t panic. Take your time. It’s not a war zone. You will