Alain Raymond, a highly regarded physician assistant based in San Diego, has been awarded the title of “2025 Locum Tenens Provider of the Year” by Locumpedia, a global platform connecting healthcare professionals and facilities. The recognition highlights Raymond’s exemplary work in the field of cardiothoracic surgery and his significant contributions to both military and civilian healthcare.
Raymond, originally from Haiti, moved to Montreal, Canada, as a child. He grew up bilingual, eventually pursuing a career in the entertainment industry in Florida and Los Angeles. However, the events of September 11, 2001, profoundly impacted his life, prompting him to enlist in the U.S. Navy. This decision led to two combat tours in Fallujah, Iraq, where he served as a Navy corpsman with the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion.
In Iraq, Raymond performed medical operations alongside trauma surgical teams and trained over 1,000 Marines in emergency response. He described the dual responsibility of a combat medic as both giving and taking life, experiences that would later shape his career in medicine. “I absolutely would not be here without my military background,” he stated, reflecting on the origins of the physician assistant profession, which was established from military medicine in the 1970s.
After completing his military service, Raymond faced a pivotal choice: return to Los Angeles to revive his entertainment career or pursue a medical path. Prioritizing his family, he chose medicine, graduating from the highly competitive Stanford School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program. He subsequently specialized in cardiothoracic surgery, working with major institutions in San Diego, including Sharp and Scripps, before taking on locum tenens roles through Aya Healthcare.
Currently on his third locum assignment in Orange County, Raymond appreciates the variety and challenges that come with the locum model. “Every day is different,” he explains. “It’s a different person, a different procedure.” His time at Cedars-Sinai, where he held a human heart for the first time, remains a poignant memory. “It was just the most amazing feeling,” he remarked, emphasizing the heart’s resilience and complexity.
The role of physician assistants is expanding rapidly, with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting a 20% increase in PA employment by 2034. Beyond his clinical duties, Raymond is also the founder of the Global MAP Foundation, a nonprofit based in San Diego that offers hands-on career exploration for students at no cost.
The foundation has conducted two successful workshops, including a cardiac surgery immersion day featuring pig heart dissections, and an introduction to visual arts at a downtown gallery. Future workshops will explore filmmaking and music, guided by Raymond’s vision of a free private school that ensures access while maintaining curriculum control.
Raymond’s commitment to education stems from his desire to inspire his children and others. He is also developing a podcast titled “PA’s Voice,” aiming to humanize healthcare by sharing stories from various staff members within the medical field. “There are so many experts breaking down science and innovations, but nobody’s talking about the staff,” he noted.
For Raymond, every role he takes on serves a mission: to identify problems, implement solutions, and move on. He views accolades as secondary to the satisfaction of accomplishing his objectives. “When I accomplish the task, I just feel on top of the world,” he said. Recognition, while appreciated, is simply “the cherry on top.”
To learn more about the Global MAP Foundation, visit www.globalmapfoundation.org.
