Moonlighting during fellowship

[nope80]

Was wondering how common moonlighting is during fellowship and how frequently people typically moonlight. What are the typical pay rates one should be looking for per hour or per shift?

I imagine it is a great way to supplement income assuming it isn't too rigorous and assuming you don't feel like you are always in the hospital and not getting enough of a break...

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[Instatewaiter]

Common. 100-200/h is the usual. Sometimes it's less if it's through your own hospital.

 

[gutonc]

I agree that it's common but disagree with the rate that Instate quotes. This may be down to the difference between in-house and other moonlighting though.

My institution had numerous in-house moonlighting options depending on your specialty (OB had their own that only OB residents and fellows could do, BMT took anybody with a license and a letter from their PD...much to the detriment of the patient when it was the Rads or Peds Neuro resident who was on) and they paid $70-95/h. Most of the moonlighters were fellows with some IM and FM R3s and the random surgery resident on a research rotation.

Outside moonlighting paid better and I knew one gig that paid $100/h including malpractice and another outside one that paid $140 but you had to carry your own malpractice.

 

[jdh71]

I think it's fairly common at most programs that first year moonlighting is very restricted or not allowed as most programs front load all the call and busy service obligations to first year and since moonlighting counts towards hours (in house or not) programs are not interested in messing with duty hours. Just and FYI. Lots of fellows moonlight, however. It helps if you have your boards passed too.

As far as the specifics this seems to be very market dependent and it usually also helps if there is a VA. I am lucky enough to moonlight in a market with a lot of competition for moonlighters and I'm credentialed in a few spots so the pay is nice. At one place I only hold a code pager and respond to RRT or codes and get $90/hour for it. Other places pay around 150-170/hour to cross-cover and $100 per admit at night. The ED (at a VA) pays the best at $200/hour. My malpractice (with tail) is covered by my employment at these places as they all use "employed" moonlighters (and the VA doesn't require malpractice). This is also nice because they take out federal withholding this way. I don't think I'd work 1099 jobs as a fellow that required me to come up with my own malpractice.

 

[nope80]

I think it's fairly common at most programs that first year moonlighting is very restricted or not allowed as most programs front load all the call and busy service obligations to first year and since moonlighting counts towards hours (in house or not) programs are not interested in messing with duty hours. Just and FYI. Lots of fellows moonlight, however. It helps if you have your boards passed too.

As far as the specifics this seems to be very market dependent and it usually also helps if there is a VA. I am lucky enough to moonlight in a market with a lot of competition for moonlighters and I'm credentialed in a few spots so the pay is nice. At one place I only hold a code pager and respond to RRT or codes and get $90/hour for it. Other places pay around 150-170/hour to cross-cover and $100 per admit at night. The ED (at a VA) pays the best at $200/hour. My malpractice (with tail) is covered by my employment at these places as they all use "employed" moonlighters (and the VA doesn't require malpractice). This is also nice because they take out federal withholding this way. I don't think I'd work 1099 jobs as a fellow that required me to come up with my own malpractice.

That's a pretty sweet hourly rate. I can imagine that people supplement their incomes nicely with this.

 

[jdh71]

That's a pretty sweet hourly rate. I can imagine that people supplement their incomes nicely with this.

I was "ok" with it.

 

[DrVanNostran]

How do you find moonlighting opportunities outside your institution? Is it advertised or more word of mouth?

 

[gutonc]

How do you find moonlighting opportunities outside your institution? Is it advertised or more word of mouth?

Word of mouth.

 

[olivarynucleus]

Are physicians in fellowship paid the same hourly rate for hospitalist work as those not in fellowship? I really don't get why fellows have to follow the 80 hr work week, they are board certified physicians, fellows honestly should be paid a lot more than they are and seems like programs try to squeeze every nickel and dime out of you they can.

 

[gutonc]

Are physicians in fellowship paid the same hourly rate for hospitalist work as those not in fellowship? I really don't get why fellows have to follow the 80 hr work week, they are board certified physicians, fellows honestly should be paid a lot more than they are and seems like programs try to squeeze every nickel and dime out of you they can.

In general, the pay rate is the same for all moonlighters in a particular gig. There are some places that will pay more for BC vs BE but in general, it's the same.

 

[NontradICUdoc]

Urgent Cares tend to pay 100/hour. depending where you are it is either good money or not enough. Near me, there is an urgent care that sees 40 patients in a 12 hour day and another than will see 10. The pay is the same at both.

 

[Nivakia]

urgent care for IM people? Do you have to see kids?

 

[gutonc]

urgent care for IM people? Do you have to see kids?

If they walk in the door and you're the only one there? Yes.