Moonlighting during Ophtho Residency

[eyelander]

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First off, good luck to all the applicants this year. I remember this time last year, just waiting and hoping for Match Day to get here. The torture will be over soon...

I am halfway through my internship and much discussion has come up between my co-interns (I am in a transitional program) about moonlighting during our categorical residencies.

My questions are:

Is moonlighting is an available option during ophtho residency?

Do ophtho programs allow you to do so, and if so when (6 months or 1 year into the program)?

Is moonlighting beneficial (obviously for monetary reasons) for ophtho residents from a training standpoint?

Thanks everyone.

 

[orbitsurgMD]

First off, good luck to all the applicants this year. I remember this time last year, just waiting and hoping for Match Day to get here. The torture will be over soon...

I am halfway through my internship and much discussion has come up between my co-interns (I am in a transitional program) about moonlighting during our categorical residencies.

My questions are:

Is moonlighting is an available option during ophtho residency?

Do ophtho programs allow you to do so, and if so when (6 months or 1 year into the program)?

Is moonlighting beneficial (obviously for monetary reasons) for ophtho residents from a training standpoint?

Thanks everyone.

It depends on your state. Most jobs require a local license; some states require more than one year of post-graduate training for a license.

It depends on your program. Some prohibit moonlighting, some simply would rather not know, unless it interferes with your residency responsibilities.

 

[StrongBad415]

At the University of South Carolina, you're allowed to moonlight at the VA doing C+P eye exams on veterans. You're only allowed to do this during your 3rd year and only when you're not on a VA rotation. That means it's available for 8 of the 12 months.

 

[MR1]

Agree with above, I think most programs allow moonlighting but the opportunities are few. As far as when you can, it depends on your state, so require just one PGY to get a license, others more. Often you have to find your own gigs or previous residents can steer you in the right direction. You get plenty of training during residency, if you do ophtho moonlighting I don't think it adds to your education.

The main opportunities I have heard off are moonlighting in ER's or urgent care, the pay is good to great (one mth resident pay for a weekend of work), but the risk can be high esp if working in an ER.

 

[jefguth]

At the University of South Carolina, you're allowed to moonlight at the VA doing C+P eye exams on veterans. You're only allowed to do this during your 3rd year and only when you're not on a VA rotation. That means it's available for 8 of the 12 months.

Those are the worst!

 

[cme2c]

Those are the worst!

Not if you're getting paid well. Those things helped me stay solvent my chief year. I have heard that in some places residents are getting over $150/exam for them now.


Our program let us do the C and P exams, which were great. Every so often a resident would arrange with a Walmart or other chain to work some evenings or weekends doing routine exams, contact lens fittings, etc. If it was slow, they used it as study time. Our university actually provided malpractice coverage if the moonlighting was "approved in advance". We had an unofficial policy that if you didn't do well on OKAPs you might not get approved to moonlight, which was reasonable IMO.