CA license, but no board cert. How to get life back on track with a baby?

[tofoo]

Pertinent info: Graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill back in 2009 with decent USMLE scores (230-240s). Matched into gen surg residency but suffered a spine fracture during PGY2. Have California MD license since 2011. Been living in S. Korea from 2012 til now. With wonderful spouse and a beautiful 2 month old baby.

The picture is from April 2011. I was in a Gen Surg residency back then, on an off-call saturday, out on a hike in Point Reyes National Park. (People from the program will know who I am because of this picture) Long story short, I fell from one of the ledges near the cliff, had spinal fracture (stable), and was stranded by myself for 20 hours. The picture was taken while I was being rescued the next day; a small plane happened to be flying by and took the picture of the helicopter on the ground and submitted the photo to a local newspaper.

That 20 hour by myself was re-defined the core of who I was, and every decision I have made since the experience has been to remember and not forget the lessons I have learned during that time. How precious life really is. What a blessing it is to be able to just walk without pain. And really how to best live life. One of the decisions I made at the time was not to return to residency or a hospital but to vagabond and do all of the things I've wanted to do. That was 6 years ago, and I have done all the things I've wanted to do - including finding the love of my life with whom I now have a newborn son.

With the baby, I decided it's time to go back to the states and start anew. Since my license is active in California, I am planning to moonlight and save up some money to apply for residency in the next cycle. Those of you in CA, how hard/dangerous is it to get moonlighting work lined up? Can you share some experiences?

Thank you so much for any and all comment you could spare. Have a nice one.

-A

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[anonperson]

So 5 years out from completing 1.5 years of a general surgery residency? Have you done anything clinical in this time?

What could you even cover in a moonlighting situation? I don't mean to be harsh but that is a long time to be out.

Have you contacted your old residency program? If you left on good terms, that would be a decent place to start

 

[tofoo]

So 5 years out from completing 1.5 years of a general surgery residency? Have you done anything clinical in this time?

What could you even cover in a moonlighting situation? I don't mean to be harsh but that is a long time to be out.

Have you contacted your old residency program? If you left on good terms, that would be a decent place to start

Yeah, more than 5 years out now. No clinical stuff.

I dunno what is available for someone like me. I should try to get in touch with locum tenens agent.

The old program did not want me to come back after the injury, so I doubt they would want to help out now.

 

[VA Hopeful Dr]

I'm not sure any residency would want you with 5 years of not doing any doctoring.

I think you're on the right track of trying to get some work for the next 9 months and then applying for residency. You'll still be limited, but less so I think.

 

[Raryn]

I'm surprised you even still have an active license after not practicing for 5 years.

You might be able to find an urgent care to credential you, but even that would be tough. I don't know if I'd trust myself in a clinical setting like that after 1.5 years of surgical training and then 5 years of no medical experience.

 

[gutonc]

Yeah, more than 5 years out now. No clinical stuff.

I dunno what is available for someone like me. I should try to get in touch with locum tenens agent.

The old program did not want me to come back after the injury, so I doubt they would want to help out now.

Unsurprising from a likely highly competitive Gen Surg program (likely full of a******es) but you'll never know unless you ask.

You should also be in touch with your med school and a faculty mentor (assuming you had one) to see if they can help you out in any way.

I would say that your chances of getting back into medicine will be largely dependent on how flexible you are willing to be with regards to specialty, location and "program tier". If you're looking at academic Gen Surg programs in CA only, it's not happening for you, and you should consider a non-clinical career. If you're willing to do a variety of different specialties (FM, IM, Psych, Path, etc) and you're open to more or less any location or program tier, you have a chance, especially with a potentially interesting backstory.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Agreed. I think your chances at GS are zero with a 5 year break. If the same people are in charge at your prior program and didn't want you then, they probably won't want you now. If new people are in charge, they probably don't know you. But, no harm in asking (assuming you still want GS, which based on some of your other posts, you might not).

Touching base with your medical school is a great idea. What you want is 3 months of clinical work with them. With a good enough story, perhaps they will let you do that.

Otherwise, moonlighting is going to be tough. What are you safe to actually do unsupervised? Not much, IMHO.

Path programs might be willing to consider you, since clinical skills are not needed. PM&R also a possibility, esp given your story. And your GS PGY-1 should count, so you could start as a PGY-2.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Oh, yea, and one more thing:

No more cliffs.

 

[tofoo]

I'm not sure any residency would want you with 5 years of not doing any doctoring.

I think you're on the right track of trying to get some work for the next 9 months and then applying for residency. You'll still be limited, but less so I think.

Yeah, I don't even know what new drugs have come out since then. For now, I'd just be happy to be able to find a stable locum job. Don't care about location, either. Countryside would not be bad for now, while the baby is little.

 

[tofoo]

I'm surprised you even still have an active license after not practicing for 5 years.

You might be able to find an urgent care to credential you, but even that would be tough. I don't know if I'd trust myself in a clinical setting like that after 1.5 years of surgical training and then 5 years of no medical experience.

I kept doing the CME and renewed license, on the insistence of my MD friends. Regarding urgent care, I can deal with minor cuts and whatnot, but I don't know about dealing with a patient with serious chest pain besides oxygen morphine cxr ekg aspirin pulse ox and transfer?

 

[tofoo]

Unsurprising from a likely highly competitive Gen Surg program (likely full of a******es) but you'll never know unless you ask.

You should also be in touch with your med school and a faculty mentor (assuming you had one) to see if they can help you out in any way.

I would say that your chances of getting back into medicine will be largely dependent on how flexible you are willing to be with regards to specialty, location and "program tier". If you're looking at academic Gen Surg programs in CA only, it's not happening for you, and you should consider a non-clinical career. If you're willing to do a variety of different specialties (FM, IM, Psych, Path, etc) and you're open to more or less any location or program tier, you have a chance, especially with a potentially interesting backstory.

I actually do not want to go back to gen surg. I will most likely want to go into something a little less competitive and a bit more family friendly. I'm not set on California, but that's where my license is current active. My wife and fam would be willing to move anywhere for the residency, really.

 

[tofoo]

Touching base with your medical school is a great idea. What you want is 3 months of clinical work with them. With a good enough story, perhaps they will let you do that.

Otherwise, moonlighting is going to be tough. What are you safe to actually do unsupervised? Not much, IMHO.

Path programs might be willing to consider you, since clinical skills are not needed. PM&R also a possibility, esp given your story. And your GS PGY-1 should count, so you could start as a PGY-2.

What do you mean by 3 months of clinical work with medical school? My med school is in North Carolina, where I don't have a license. Do you mean like rotations along with medical students?

Moonlighting, I am asking some old buddies from residency for locums contact. I was thinking either H&P or woundcare? I do not want to end up in a shady situation way over my head.

Path and PM&R, got it. Will look into these fields.

 

[tofoo]

Oh, yea, and one more thing:

No more cliffs.

ROLF. Never.

 

[Raryn]

I kept doing the CME and renewed license, on the insistence of my MD friends. Regarding urgent care, I can deal with minor cuts and whatnot, but I don't know about dealing with a patient with serious chest pain besides oxygen morphine cxr ekg aspirin pulse ox and transfer?

Severe chest pain at any urgent care is easy.

You call an ambulance and send them to the ER.

The problem is when they have moderate chest pain. When it could be GERD. But you're not sure. Then what do you do? Well, you can still send them to the ER. Fine.

But you have to draw the line somewhere. They pulled a muscle while weightlifting and it hurts on the left side of their chest? Probably not send them to the ER.

But there's so much stuff in between... And you don't have the training to decide what goes where.

 

[tofoo]

Severe chest pain at any urgent care is easy.

You call an ambulance and send them to the ER.

The problem is when they have moderate chest pain. When it could be GERD. But you're not sure. Then what do you do? Well, you can still send them to the ER. Fine.

But you have to draw the line somewhere. They pulled a muscle while weightlifting and it hurts on the left side of their chest? Probably not send them to the ER.

But there's so much stuff in between... And you don't have the training to decide what goes where.

Yeah, that's not the situation I want to find myself in.

 

[rokshana]

Yeah, I don't even know what new drugs have come out since then. For now, I'd just be happy to be able to find a stable locum job. Don't care about location, either. Countryside would not be bad for now, while the baby is little.

Can you clarify what you think you would be doing for a locums job?
For a Hospitalist job, you would have to handle a lot and having only surgical training that was 5 years ago to boot, I don't see how you could handle that...
Maybe you could look at doing insurance or disability physicals...

But talking to your med school to see if you can do rotations with the med students to get some more recent experience would make sense.

 

[BoardingDoc]

I don't know about dealing with a patient with serious chest pain besides oxygen morphine cxr ekg aspirin pulse ox and transfer?

O2 only if they're hypoxic. This has been a hot button topic for a while and all the recent studies seem to confirm that supplemental o2 on a non-hypoxic MI patient is neutral at best, and harmful at worst. The first thing I do with nearly every patient who rolls into the ED with a NC that was put on by EMS is to take it off. This is assuming they're not in obvious respiratory distress/hypoxic of course.

A quick search found this study: MMS: Error

 

[Gastrapathy]

Talk to a locums company about C&P exams

 

[NotAProgDirector]

What do you mean by 3 months of clinical work with medical school? My med school is in North Carolina, where I don't have a license. Do you mean like rotations along with medical students?

Moonlighting, I am asking some old buddies from residency for locums contact. I was thinking either H&P or woundcare? I do not want to end up in a shady situation way over my head.

Path and PM&R, got it. Will look into these fields.

Yes. It would be very atypical (to allow you to do rotations like a medical student) but your story is atypical. They will probably say no, but it's worth asking.

You certainly could do medicare or disability physicals. I expect that much of that work is / will be farmed out to midlevels in the future. So it's not likely to be a long term plan.

I'd focus on trying to get some path or PM&R experience, with your CA license. Then, you'd have a chance in the match.

 

[DarknightX]

Urgent care in California. I know a place in orange county that might be looking. Private message me.

 

[ThoracicGuy]

Urgent care in California. I know a place in orange county that might be looking. Private message me.

That would not be a particularly smart move for the OP.

 

[DarknightX]

That would not be a particularly smart move for the OP.

If she wants to make some money to apply, I don't see why it isn't.

Any dummy can do urgent care. It doesn't take a rocket scientist. I know plenty of places that hire PA's and NP's. You can make at least $70 bucks an hour seeing UTI's and bored housewives who need there Xanax refilled. Anything semi serious - send to the ED.

OP, I'd apply encourage you to apply residency. Sure it's been a long time, but I bet some general surgery program would take a chance on you. Like I said private message me. I also know some PD's who would consider your application if your story is true.

 

[DarknightX]

Severe chest pain at any urgent care is easy.

You call an ambulance and send them to the ER.

The problem is when they have moderate chest pain. When it could be GERD. But you're not sure. Then what do you do? Well, you can still send them to the ER. Fine.

But you have to draw the line somewhere. They pulled a muscle while weightlifting and it hurts on the left side of their chest? Probably not send them to the ER.

But there's so much stuff in between... And you don't have the training to decide what goes where.

Disagree. Have any of you guys ever actually worked at an urgent care?

I have. It's a joke. The fact that they hire brand new PA's and NP's with minimal experience should tell you everything you need to know.

I guarantee you OP's experience of 1.5 years of general surgery is superior to some PA or NP fresh out of school.

 

[ThoracicGuy]

If she wants to make some money to apply, I don't see why it isn't.

Any dummy can do urgent care. It doesn't take a rocket scientist. I know plenty of places that hire PA's and NP's. You can make at least $70 bucks an hour seeing UTI's and bored housewives who need there Xanax refilled. Anything semi serious - send to the ED.

OP, I'd apply encourage you to apply residency. Sure it's been a long time, but I bet some general surgery program would take a chance on you. Like I said private message me. I also know some PD's who would consider your application if your story is true.

And it's his license if he screws up in a field he isn't really trained for especially being out of medicine for five years. It's high risk. Could it work? Sure. I worry he'd be in over his head.

I agree he needs to get back in residency, though I have doubts of getting another surgery spot. It would depend on what his prior PD had to say.

 

[tofoo]

O2 only if they're hypoxic. This has been a hot button topic for a while and all the recent studies seem to confirm that supplemental o2 on a non-hypoxic MI patient is neutral at best, and harmful at worst. The first thing I do with nearly every patient who rolls into the ED with a NC that was put on by EMS is to take it off. This is assuming they're not in obvious respiratory distress/hypoxic of course.

Oh, good to know. Will remember this.

 

[tofoo]

Talk to a locums company about C&P exams

Will do.

 

[tofoo]

I'd focus on trying to get some path or PM&R experience, with your CA license. Then, you'd have a chance in the match.

That's a good idea. I should really call some folks up. Maybe I can offer to write up manuscripts for backed up research at an academic institution to get on a PD's good graces.

 

[tofoo]

Thank you, everyone for all the honest feedback, comments, advice, and encouragement. I just remembered that I used to be able to triage multiple GSW victims during call nights. I think.. with some handholding for a few nights, I could probably manage an urgent care.

I hear you guys loud and clear: I should really try to land myself in a residency of some kind.

At this point in my life, I have maybe ten publications under my name (lots of papers over the past few years; translated a plastic surg book into English). Now, I am thinking maybe.. just maybe.. I can offer to crank out publications for a non-competitive residency at an academic institution.

 

[Doctor Christmas]

So 5 years out from completing 1.5 years of a general surgery residency? Have you done anything clinical in this time?

What could you even cover in a moonlighting situation? I don't mean to be harsh but that is a long time to be out.

Have you contacted your old residency program? If you left on good terms, that would be a decent place to start

I think this poster’s story is powerful and amazing. It seems kind of harsh to suggest that she could not do anything in medicine.

 

[michaelrack]

I think this poster’s story is powerful and amazing. It seems kind of harsh to suggest that she could not do anything in medicine.

what is so amazing?? If she was out of medicine for 6 years due to severe injuries and now wanted to come back, that would be amazing. But the OP decided " not to return to residency or a hospital but to vagabond and do all of the things I've wanted to do. That was 6 years ago, and I have done all the things I've wanted to do - including finding the love of my life with whom I now have a newborn son."

It's great that she found the love of her life, and I have nothing against the OP, but I don't find her story powerful or amazing. Sounds like she made a reasonable decision for herself.

 

[captaincrunch]

It's not totally relevant, but I'm not 100% sure the OP is a woman as some have suggested.

 

[anonperson]

I think this poster’s story is powerful and amazing. It seems kind of harsh to suggest that she could not do anything in medicine.

It's a nice story and I'm glad the OP found personal happiness.

Problem is getting back into medicine as a trainee. A fair number of programs will not take them because they are so far out of medical school. A lot of programs have a 3-5 years cutoff. Getting back into general surgery (community or academic) will be difficult if not impossible. Couple that with her home program probably not being supportive and probably some turnover in faculty so there aren't people who know them. Then this would have them go back to medical school faculty which is even tougher.

Mainly this was my response to the OP wondering about moonlighting opportunities. To do 1.5years of a general surgery residency and then be 5 years non clinical would make it challenging to be clinical in a meaningful and competent way, especially with their license/malpractice on the line.

I wish them the best of luck but being realistic about goals so they can make a smart plan is what will help them.

 

[Perrotfish]

Thank you, everyone for all the honest feedback, comments, advice, and encouragement. I just remembered that I used to be able to triage multiple GSW victims during call nights. I think.. with some handholding for a few nights, I could probably manage an urgent care
.

FWIW I did 8 months of Pediatric and Neonatal ICU in residency and spent plenty of time managing critically ill children. I now do mostly routine outpatient clinic. The critically ill and routine clinic are completely different skillsets, and I have found clinic to be stomach churningly stressful even compared to ICU, and that's after a full residency with a heavy emphasis on clinic. I'm only now beginning to feel comfortable 2 full years out of training

The problem with clinic is knowing that in your haystack of 100 patients each week, there is likely to be only one or two 'needles' who have some unkown pathology that you need to detect. They usually look very much like that other 98 patients at the time of presentation, other than some subtle clue on physical exam or in the history. If one of them slips through they have a horrible outcome and you get to live with the shame and guilt of that for the rest of your life.

If you are going to do clinic for a career, do a family medicine residency. Don't shortchange yourself, or your patients.

 

[tofoo]

It's not totally relevant, but I'm not 100% sure the OP is a woman as some have suggested.

I am a dude.

 

[brocephalic]

OP, if you're willing to move anywhere for any spot, I'm pretty sure you can find an IM or FM spot somewhere. There are plenty of old IMGs who still end up with spots, I'm sure with your story and your credentials, you can likely find one too.

If I were you, I'd actively look for open spots outside the match, and at the same time, get ready to apply for the match next year. You'd never know until you apply. That's the route I would take if I were you.

 

[tofoo]

If you are going to do clinic for a career, do a family medicine residency. Don't shortchange yourself, or your patients.

Any moonlighting work that I would do would be to support my wife and baby until I find a residency spot.

OP, if you're willing to move anywhere for any spot, I'm pretty sure you can find an IM or FM spot somewhere. There are plenty of old IMGs who still end up with spots, I'm sure with your story and your credentials, you can likely find one too. If I were you, I'd actively look for open spots outside the match, and at the same time, get ready to apply for the match next year. You'd never know until you apply. That's the route I would take if I were you.

brocephalic,

1. Be willing to move anywhere into a less competitive specialty. - This one is easy. I am going to do whatever it takes to get into a residency program.

2. Look for spots outside of match. - So far I have learned that residencies outside of the match are preventative and occupational medicine (P&OM) and nuclear medicine. But are you referring to vacant spots that open up in other specialties? I don't know anything on how to go about finding those and how to line myself up for such opportunities. Could you point me in the right direction?

3. Get ready to apply for the match next year. - I do intend to work on this, starting with obtaining good, strong LOR from people who have known me over the years.

Thank you, everyone!

 

[Raryn]

Any moonlighting work that I would do would be to support my wife and baby until I find a residency spot.



brocephalic,

1. Be willing to move anywhere into a less competitive specialty. - This one is easy. I am going to do whatever it takes to get into a residency program.

2. Look for spots outside of match. - So far I have learned that residencies outside of the match are preventative and occupational medicine (P&OM) and nuclear medicine. But are you referring to vacant spots that open up in other specialties? I don't know anything on how to go about finding those and how to line myself up for such opportunities. Could you point me in the right direction?

3. Get ready to apply for the match next year. - I do intend to work on this, starting with obtaining good, strong LOR from people who have known me over the years.

Thank you, everyone!

The only other spots outside the match these days are spots that open mid-year/mid-program (due to someone quitting/etc) and a small handful of (semi-)malignant more or less IMG-only programs primarily clustered in NYC. For the former, there's some listservs or specialty for the various specialties where programs put up their open spots but a lot of it ends up being word of mouth. It depends on the field. For the latter (though less than ideal), you can search FREIDA for programs in a given specialty not participating in the match. It will come up with a list of those programs (and some military ones just because of what boxes were checked, but you can ignore the military programs).

 

[d2305]

I always cringed when someone came into my acute care clinic with chest pain. Even young Pts can have PEs and arrhythmias.

 

[brocephalic]

Any moonlighting work that I would do would be to support my wife and baby until I find a residency spot.



brocephalic,

1. Be willing to move anywhere into a less competitive specialty. - This one is easy. I am going to do whatever it takes to get into a residency program.

2. Look for spots outside of match. - So far I have learned that residencies outside of the match are preventative and occupational medicine (P&OM) and nuclear medicine. But are you referring to vacant spots that open up in other specialties? I don't know anything on how to go about finding those and how to line myself up for such opportunities. Could you point me in the right direction?

3. Get ready to apply for the match next year. - I do intend to work on this, starting with obtaining good, strong LOR from people who have known me over the years.

Thank you, everyone!

You should start calling programs and see if anyone has any open spots. I'd also look into contacting PDs and sending them your CV. I'd focus on programs that are not competitive.

 

[tofoo]

The only other spots outside the match these days are spots that open mid-year/mid-program (due to someone quitting/etc) and a small handful of (semi-)malignant more or less IMG-only programs primarily clustered in NYC. For the former, there's some listservs or specialty for the various specialties where programs put up their open spots but a lot of it ends up being word of mouth. It depends on the field. For the latter (though less than ideal), you can search FREIDA for programs in a given specialty not participating in the match. It will come up with a list of those programs (and some military ones just because of what boxes were checked, but you can ignore the military programs).

Thank you so much for the thorough answer. I will have to check out all options. Again, thanks!

 

[tofoo]

You should start calling programs and see if anyone has any open spots. I'd also look into contacting PDs and sending them your CV. I'd focus on programs that are not competitive.

Got it. Will have to update my CV and start the cold-calls and emails.

 

[rbnsafsadgf]

Have you thought about psych?

You seem to be nice and thoughtful. Five years out I think would matter less.

 

[tofoo]

Have you thought about psych?

You seem to be nice and thoughtful. Five years out I think would matter less.

I have thought about psych as well. Do you have any advices on the field? I should really look into shadowing some psychiatrists.

 

[Doctor Christmas]

What about occupational/preventive medicine? Those residencies are typically not super competitive, and many are off cycle and some have January positions available. You have done a year of gen surg, which I think would qualify for the PGY-1 that is needed for those residencies. I think you have a compelling and profound story and I would imagine that you could write a great personal statement. If you were interested and you are not location specific, I think Cook county had some positions as of some months ago (don't know now but worth a shot), and U of I has January positions typically. The match for these residencies are in mid December I believe, but again some are off cycle and some are outside the match, etc. If you are interested I think that might be a good route. Just a thought!

 

[tofoo]

What about occupational/preventive medicine? Those residencies are typically not super competitive, and many are off cycle and some have January positions available. You have done a year of gen surg, which I think would qualify for the PGY-1 that is needed for those residencies. I think you have a compelling and profound story and I would imagine that you could write a great personal statement. If you were interested and you are not location specific, I think Cook county had some positions as of some months ago (don't know now but worth a shot), and U of I has January positions typically. The match for these residencies are in mid December I believe, but again some are off cycle and some are outside the match, etc. If you are interested I think that might be a good route. Just a thought!

Dr. Xmas,

Thank you for letting me know about those open positions! Unfortunately, I am currently in Seoul, South Korea and won't be able to make it stateside until sometime in the spring 2018, so I won't be able to start until the next cycle. Definitely planning to look up the programs. I was reading about a OPM program in Florida that has a rotation at NASA, which.. obviously is super cool.

-A

 

[betamale]

Pertinent info: Graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill back in 2009 with decent USMLE scores (230-240s). Matched into gen surg residency but suffered a spine fracture during PGY2. ...
Thank you so much for any and all comment you could spare. Have a nice one.

-A

Hey man, sorry that happened to you but I'm glad you're wanting to come back to medicine.

I highly recommend that you join a physician re-entry program. Links are below. They are present in many states. My medical school also offers them with clinical rotations/mini-residency and USMLE-like exams (SPEX/PLAS) that are state-sponsored to assess for readiness.

Since you have a Cali license, UCSD maybe easiest for you, however, google search for the programs with built in clinical preceptorship that can help you get back into the routine of interviewing, performing physical exam... Although it sounds easy, I needed some reorienting when I switched from a non-clinical specialty to family medicine even though I had one year of IM training prior.

The shortest residency you can do and become boarded and prepared for urgent care would be Occupational and Preventive medicine which is 2 years. Great job satisfaction from people I know who have done it.

Best luck to you. I do love Point Reyes, especially that beautiful lake, but I go with other people

Physician Refresher/Re-entry Program - College of Medicine

https://prrprogram.com

Resources for Physicians Returning to Clinical Practice | AMA

Physician Reentry - Physician Reentry into the Workforce Project

 

[LookForZebras]

I second considering occupational or preventive medicine, as mentioned by petegriffin! Preventive medicine is a broad specialty, so it's easy to find a specific area within it that aligns with your interests. And it's not very competitive. I feel that the career opportunities in prev med also also for more schedule flexibility that many other specialties, so you can prioritize spending time with your family.

Also, if your accident left you passionate about any topics in medicine or public health such as healthcare delivery, injury prevention, access to care, etc, preventive medicine would be great.

 

[IM2GI]

IMO you are currently a danger to yourself and any potential patients who may come into contact with you. You probably know just enough to get yourself into some serious trouble if the wrong thing shows up for you to take care of. I don't think you are qualified to be seeing patients, and could have serious issues if a malpractice claim came your way. I also don't think any reputable credentialing body is going to credential you. Who are you going to get to write you references?

Do not put yourself or your family in this situation by trying to do clinical work with your minimal training and huge gap.

I think you need to start over in a new field as suggested. PMR might be a great fit.

Best of luck.

 

[betamale]

IMO you are currently a danger to yourself and any potential patients who may come into contact with you. You probably know just enough to get yourself into some serious trouble if the wrong thing shows up for you to take care of. I don't think you are qualified to be seeing patients, and could have serious issues if a malpractice claim came your way. I also don't think any reputable credentialing body is going to credential you. Who are you going to get to write you references?

Do not put yourself or your family in this situation by trying to do clinical work with your minimal training and huge gap.

I think you need to start over in a new field as suggested. PMR might be a great fit.

Best of luck.

Ouch, I don't usually say things too bluntly and harshly, although everybody here raises a good point which is jumping straight into practice independently on your own is just too big of a liability for such as small gain in the short term.

If you really need to make some cash, there are some Medicare Advantage insurance companies that hire docs to do house visits to review patient charts but the physician do not diagnose or treat. I got in touch which a company called "Censeo" to do that but I just didn't have enough time during residency to do it. Health Assessments, Anywhere | CenseoHealth

Another option is volunteering as a physician at an FQHC, charity clinic which is usually staffed by another senior physician who you can consult for management if you are not comfortable with your own plan. I currently volunteer at one in my city and I work with dentists, orthos, OBGYN, ID, surgery attendings/residents/PAs/NPs who volunteer their time to see patients. The best thing about it is that you can consult them for free. The malpractice insurance is usually covered by the clinic, however, my state provides volunteer physicians a malpractice insurance in addition to Good Samaritan laws. You are usually never left alone in these types of clinic so it's a lot less pressure. Downside is that it's volunteering, Upside is that you practice medicine with limited liability and you help people.

But in all seriousness, please enroll in a physician re-entry program prior to signing on as an independent practicing physician since you are jeopardizing your license. Here is another really good program: KSTAR/UTMB Health Mini-Residency Program

 

[tofoo]

Wow, thank you so much for the continued input!

I second considering occupational or preventive medicine, as mentioned by petegriffin! Preventive medicine is a broad specialty, so it's easy to find a specific area within it that aligns with your interests. And it's not very competitive. I feel that the career opportunities in prev med also also for more schedule flexibility that many other specialties, so you can prioritize spending time with your family.

Also, if your accident left you passionate about any topics in medicine or public health such as healthcare delivery, injury prevention, access to care, etc, preventive medicine would be great.

So far the residencies I'm considering are PM&R, psychiatry, and P&OM. Among these, P&OM has been the predominantly recommended option. I like the risk management as a topic, though I'd have to explore more to see what that is like in terms of someone who works as a prev med physician in the field. Thank you!

IMO you are currently a danger to yourself and any potential patients who may come into contact with you. You probably know just enough to get yourself into some serious trouble if the wrong thing shows up for you to take care of. I don't think you are qualified to be seeing patients, and could have serious issues if a malpractice claim came your way. I also don't think any reputable credentialing body is going to credential you. Who are you going to get to write you references?

Do not put yourself or your family in this situation by trying to do clinical work with your minimal training and huge gap.

I think you need to start over in a new field as suggested. PMR might be a great fit.

Best of luck.

Thanks for the criticism. I probably needed that to balance out the enthusiasm.