Explain moonlighting and night float?

[medmom]

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The title says it all. Can someone please explain what these two things are exactly. I am looking around at residencies and I keep seeing nightfloat. What does that mean as far as regular call?
medmom

 

[mj1878]

The title says it all. Can someone please explain what these two things are exactly. I am looking around at residencies and I keep seeing nightfloat. What does that mean as far as regular call?
medmom

Night-float= You work night shifts, predominantly
Moonlighting=Sort of like being a substitute teacher. You don't specialize in the area you're subbing for, but you're qualified to work it anyway(For example a urologist works one night in the ER.

 

[WestcoastMedicine]

I hear about residents moonlighting, but am not sure how this is possible? Yes, technically they are physicians, but what about malpractice issues(does the worksite provide?). Also, there is a lack of board certification and experience. Thanks ahead of time for the explanation.

 

[JonnyG]

moonlighting is just a per diem thing. You carry your own malpractice so it is not a problem and generally you stay in the field your trained in. Have the time it is just watching over a floor at night.

 

[DrMom]

moonlighting is just a per diem thing.

yes

You carry your own malpractice so it is not a problem

sometimes you carry your own, sometimes you can get a place to cover it for you. individual malpractice (covering what you do outside of residency) can be pricey...especially when you go to pay for a tail (the coverage for after you end that particular policy). One recent EM grad told me that her tail alone was $20k.

and generally you stay in the field your trained in.

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. I've seen as many, if not more, people practicing outside of their specialty as in it.

Have the time it is just watching over a floor at night.

You're lucky if you find something like this. Some programs have setups like this, but I doubt that it is the majority of programs. From what I've seen, the vast majority of moonlighting (outside of anything a residency program may have in-house) is doc-in-a-box places, smaller EDs, and some family practice docs that want a little extra help or coverage when they're on vacation.

 

[medmom]

okay, so moonlighting is basically taking call only at night instead of for like a 24 hour period, like residencies w/o nightfloat do?
And moonlighting is working as a regular doctor but just on your own time for extra money?
medmom

 

[EctopicFetus]

okay, so moonlighting is basically taking call only at night instead of for like a 24 hour period, like residencies w/o nightfloat do?
And moonlighting is working as a regular doctor but just on your own time for extra money?
medmom

moonlighting is working outside of your regular job. For example in OB/GYN one of the residents did this and he would sleep in the hospital for a period (defined by you and them when you agree to do it) and his job was to deliver babies when those people didnt want to come in.

In EM, one of the places I rotated at they would go and hang out in a community hospital and all they did was run codes, in another they just pick up shifts like a junior attending working fast track patients.

And moonlighting is working as a regular doctor but just on your own time for extra money?

Exactly!

 

[medmom]

okay, so moonlighting is basically taking call only at night instead of for like a 24 hour period, like residencies w/o nightfloat do?
And moonlighting is working as a regular doctor but just on your own time for extra money?
medmom

The first sentence sould have been nightfloat. 😀 but thanks for the definition of moonlighting.