Locum tenens

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A Locum tenens (Latin: "holding the place", i.e., "Placeholder") is a person who is temporarily fulfilling the duties and responsibilities of a particular office in the absence of a duly elected or appointed holder of that office. Such a person may be acting either as a substitute or as a deputy.

Thus, a physician who must be absent from their duties may have a locum-tenens available to care for their patients.

Therus Kolff established the first physicians locum tenens service in 1979.

Locum tenens is a cognate of the word lieutenant (which came to English through French).

See also Pro tem.

The term also finds use in American religious circles, where it can indicate a member of the clergy assigned to a parish or congregation until a permanent occupant of the position can be found. A diocese whose bishop has retired or died may have a locum tenens until a new bishop can be installed.

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