Introducing our new Physician Ambassador, Dr. Naomi Lawrence-Reid

We're proud to welcome Dr. Naomi Lawrence-Reid as Era Locums' newest Physician Ambassador — a brilliant physician founder who is shaking up the game in locum tenens, creator of Doctoring Differently, and a leading expert in this space.

As Era Locums’ Physician Ambassador, Dr. Lawrence-Reid is the kind of physician entrepreneur who identifies a gap in professional knowledge and clinical practice, and establishes the necessary frameworks for medical professionals to thrive. Her primary objective? To offer specialized guidance and clinical expertise to doctors as they cultivate their independent career paths.

We never miss an opportunity to learn from the best. So, we sat down with her to talk about locums, her career, and Doctoring Differently in 2026.

Meet Our New Physician Ambassador, Dr. Naomi Lawrence-Reid

She built the blueprint. 

In founding Doctoring Differently Academy, she created a vital hub for physicians seeking reliable information as they transition into roles as physician entrepreneurs and design their ideal professional lives. The Academy’s suite of resources includes the Doctoring Differently Podcast, where leading medical professionals share expertise on a wide array of topics, from navigating recruiter relationships to closing the gender pay gap. Also, the platform provides accessible entry points for those beginning their exploration with free resources, alongside specialized paid coursework designed for clinicians who want a more comprehensive roadmap for moving into locum tenens work. 

Thanks so much for sitting down with us, Dr. Lawrence-Reid. What does 'Doctoring Differently' mean and what are the top 3 things you wish people knew about it?" 

Doctoring Differently teaches physicians how to leverage their degrees and their education to create careers that they want to have. I wish doctors knew that the time, the freedom, the autonomy that they desire as a physician in any specialty is possible. The second thing I wish doctors knew is that we don't necessarily need the additional fellowships and degrees that we think we do in order to have quality careers and quality lives. 

The third thing I want doctors to know is that there are no rules to this career. 

In our minds, sometimes not even tangibly, it's been strongly implied that there is a strict playbook about how all of our careers should go: generally involving a full time clinical job for most of our careers. And that is not true. No physician has to follow any preordained rulebook. 

We are all different. We are not a monolith and we can choose different types of careers for different phases of our lives as it suits us. 

We really love how you’re shining a humanizing light on physicians working in non-traditional roles. What inspired you to want to do more than just be a physician entrepreneur yourself, and instead to support others on their own alternative career paths?

Speaking personally, it was not my plan to be a physician entrepreneur. I thought I was going to be a full time, fully employed pediatrician for the entirety of my career, but three years in, I was deeply unhappy. And I knew I wanted to find an alternative and I imagined one must be possible without getting another degree, without getting another fellowship. I was flexible and I saw a need and my own, and I based Doctoring Differently on my own career journey. 

I want doctors to know that these alternative careers are possible at any stage.  

I began my own personal journey with Doctoring Differently in 2017. I did not have a rule book or any mentors. I figured it out on my own. And so by 2020, I was working very happily, working less than I used to, earning more than I used to. And I was watching my friends and colleagues drown during the pandemic. And I was calling my classmates and friends and colleagues and just saying, “hey, do you know there are other things we can do?” (And you know, I'm ranting on voicemails.) 

Eventually I realized this was not an effective way to disseminate this information. And that was where the idea for Doctoring Differently began. I wanted to create the playbook, the blueprint that I wished I had, just to be that source of information from the lived experience of someone who had made an alternate career path. I wanted to create that so that other doctors have that source of information and knowledge to be able to create the careers that they want as well. 

How are physicians taking ownership of the business side of locums work in 2026?

Physicians are not scared to do something new. And even if they are scared, they're doing it anyway because they know they can. So you can be scared, but you can do it scared. Many physicians are fortunately recognizing the fear that holds them back. The fear generally is around ignorance: the “no one ever taught me.” I was never taught or told how to do something new or how to manage my own finances or think about taxes as an independent contractor. And a lot of that fear keeps us back and keeps us in jobs that we don't like, jobs that are bad to us, jobs where we can't serve our patients effectively.  

Doctors who are doing these new things know that they actually have all of the intelligence to be able to manage their own finances, they are recognizing their fear, and they're doing it anyway. They're getting effectively educated, they're getting good counsel, whether it's from an accountant or CPA, they're listening to trusted sources like Doctoring Differently and other key voices. There's so much education now, podcasts for physicians around finance. 

But in addition, there are some excellent organizations that are teaching doctors about these ways to work. I often have to remind doctors that most business owners in this country have high school diplomas. Many did not finish an undergraduate degree. And guess what? With all of the education and knowledge we have, unfortunately, sometimes that can be a double edged sword because we just are so deep into this educational, academic mindset and we believe it.

So it’s the physicians that actually recognize and remember that they are brilliant people, that this is information that every American can access, and who move very intentionally who are succeeding in locums. They’re intentional about seeking out, seeking guidance and knowledge. I think those doctors are the most successful in this 1099 independent contractor world. 

From your experience and expertise, what’s needed to empower physicians entering their founder era?

Doing it. Doing it. 

Listen, analysis paralysis is probably one of the biggest factors that holds doctors back. We are in our heads. We want “every i dotted, every t crossed,” and every duck in a row. 

We want it all to be perfect. We want to see the 5, 10, 20 year plan, and we want the guarantee that it will work out perfectly. And I believe it will for any doctor, failure is just not an option for us. We have so many options and possibilities for our careers and lives.  

It's doctors who are willing to understand… I don't even like to use the word risk. I hate it because residents always say that to me. The risk. It's so risky. I would say it's a lowercase “r.” 

It's not taking a leap. It's like, it's like taking a step from the curb to the street. In our minds because we were taught one way. Like the concept of getting off of the superhighway of a W2 or an academic full time job it feels so risky. It feels so different. 

Especially if you don't know anyone else who's done it or if we think we need tens of thousands saved to be able to make a transition. That's not true.Doctors can be immediately profitable as they are transitioning out of a full time clinical job. So we always put these blocks in our minds that say oh, I need thousands in the bank to be able to make a change because I need to actually have that security or whatever case it doesn't work.  We want everything to align perfectly to be able to make these career changes. 

So, to any doctor reading, know that you do not need that. When I made my career change, I had almost $200,000 in educational debt. My starting salary was $125,000. I did not have a whole lot of disposable income at all. But I knew I couldn't stay where I was. And I never once made less than I made in my full time clinical job. From there it only went up. 

So I think doctors who are seeking the education and the information, but also believing deeply in themselves and that they deserve to create the careers and the pathways that they want to have, are the successful doctors in this space. 

Ready to enter your founder era? 

Every physician deserves to say “I own my career and I get to choose where it goes next.” As our Physician Ambassador Dr. Lawrence-Reid embodies, we partner with physician founders like you who are building sustainable, profitable careers beyond the boundaries of traditional career paths. And you are the center of everything we do– including negotiating for pay that matches your expertise.

Whether you’re just starting or thinking about making some changes to your current locums side gig, our team has your back. Come see about us. Step into your locums founder era.