Does a working retirement sound crazy?

The term 'working retirement' seems outlandish to many people. Why would I want to work AFTER I retire? Isn't not working the whole point of retirement? It seems counterintuitive to some, yet there is an uptick in doctors continuing to work part time after their retirement date. For many, this begs the question: Is a working retirement a bad idea?

As with most things, it really depends on the person. For some people, having endless free time is exactly what they were working towards, for others, the idleness can drive them to become frustrated. It's a give and take, but we've certainly had our fair share of mature doctors knocking on our door to learn more about locum work.

We recently sat down with one of our clients, Dr. Frank McDonnell, a retired General Practitioner doing locum Palliative Care work. He gave us some insight into what he loves about his current situation and through talking with him, we learned a lot more about the value of continuing your career part time.

Why should you consider a working retirement?

As Dr. McDonnell says, there is a lot to be gained from a working retirement – especially for people with a passion for what they do. It provides a transition point between a full-time work schedule and a full-time leisure schedule, it allows you to keep your brain moving while still earning some extra cash and it enables you to do it all only when you decide you want to.

To top it all off, you get to travel Australia while doing what you love. If you're a professional that is interested in any of these outcomes, then a working retirement might just be the perfect option.

How can we help?

When talking to Dr. McDonnell, his major worry before jumping into the locum process was the prep work. Getting the files together, updating your CV, ensuring you are credentialed at each hospital – these little bits and pieces can seem daunting .