Moonlighting

[thesauce]

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Assuming you took Step 3 and became a licensed physician, do you have to get your own program's appoval to moonlight outside of your insitution (I assume you have to get their permission to moonlight within your institution)? For example, can your residency program bar you from moonlighting at the hospital across town?

If the answer to the latter question is yes, should this be a consideration when I'm looking at residency programs (currently a 4th year)? I'd appreciate your opinions. Thanks.

 

[colbgw02]

They can bar you and many of them do. If it's in your residency contract, then you're hosed. If it's an institutional policy, then there is some question as to the legality of this, I believe. Practically speaking if they don't want you to moonlight, then they can make it very difficult for you to do so.

 

[Vince]

There are ways to moonlight without your program director knowing. Many program directors probably don't care as long as it doesn't effect your residency duty hours and performance. I am a radiology resident and there are plenty of moonlighting opportunities out there and of the ones that I participate(d) in, my program director knows about all but one, but I don't even do that one anymore.

 

[OnlyLiveOnce]

Moonlighting, as in, doing radiology work for other hospitals? Even before your residency is complete? At what stage of residency could you start doing this?

 

[colbgw02]

Moonlighting, as in, doing radiology work for other hospitals? Even before your residency is complete? At what stage of residency could you start doing this?

The radiology RRC recently changed the rules such that 1st year radiology residents (PGY-2s) can no longer take unsupervised call. Accordingly, I very much doubt that these folks would want to moonlight or even could if they tried.

Apart from that, it's really just a personal comfort level. Even if you don't know exactly what something is, you can pretty much tell if it is A) abnormal and/or B) important. The natural tendency is to be at the top right of the ROC curve (too many false positives), but that's true of new radiology attendings as well.

 

[tabula0rasa]

Quick question, how much can a radiologist make in a moonlighting shift and how long is that shift?

 

[rad_one]

A radiology resident can moonlight as an attending after 2.5 years of diagnostic radiology training. They have to be board eligible, meaning they have passed the physics and written exams. They have to get a state license and have staff privleges at the hospital where they are interpreting studies.
Who pays the malpractice and tail coverage is between the resident and the group. I started moonlighting midway through my 3rd year. It's good experience, good money, and it looks good to future prospective employers.

 

[Amxcvbcv]

A radiology resident can moonlight as an attending after 2.5 years of diagnostic radiology training. They have to be board eligible, meaning they have passed the physics and written exams. They have to get a state license and have staff privleges at the hospital where they are interpreting studies.
Who pays the malpractice and tail coverage is between the resident and the group. I started moonlighting midway through my 3rd year. It's good experience, good money, and it looks good to future prospective employers.

How terrified were you? How comfortable were the ordering physicians/mid-levels with your experience and expertise?

Was it a tough gig to get or are you just in a very underserved area?

Any idea how the changes in boards with effect the definition of "board eligible"?

 

[rad_one]

I would not say terrified, just nervous. Doing many unsupervised call shifts as a resident where you have to be the one to make the initial call conditions one for the real world. There is nothing like having the final say, however. Nobody to overread your work. You really begin to realize the ramifications of what you say.

The ordering physicians leran to get to know you via your reports, and telephone/ face-to-face consultations. Don't care what the midlevels think.

I'm not sure what the new board setup will have on board eligibility status. Residencies have different moonlighting opportunities, so the details will very with each program.

 

[fun8stuff]

I would not say terrified, just nervous. Doing many unsupervised call shifts as a resident where you have to be the one to make the initial call conditions one for the real world. There is nothing like having the final say, however. Nobody to overread your work. You really begin to realize the ramifications of what you say.

The ordering physicians leran to get to know you via your reports, and telephone/ face-to-face consultations. Don't care what the midlevels think.

I'm not sure what the new board setup will have on board eligibility status. Residencies have different moonlighting opportunities, so the details will very with each program.

Yeah, I think it varies somewhat... A local program I know of allows you to start moonlighting in neuro after your second month of neuro and 1 of those months is completed at the end of the TY. So, some actually start moonlighting as early as July of R1.

 

[Amxcvbcv]

Yeah, I think it varies somewhat... A local program I know of allows you to start moonlighting in neuro after your second month of neuro and 1 of those months is completed at the end of the TY. So, some actually start moonlighting as early as July of R1.

Moonlighting in radiology as an R1? In July? That seems unbelievable. 😛

 

[fun8stuff]

Moonlighting in radiology as an R1? In July? That seems unbelievable. 😛

I know... I just double checked a few emails and I had 3 of the residents at that program all tell me the same thing.... "as early as july of pgy-2 depending on when you have your second month of neuro"

 

[PublicEnemy]

depends. there's basically different categories of radiology moonlighting. many places that allow R1's internal moonlighting options are "baby-sit" the scanner deals. a lot of imaging centers require a physician to be available in case of contrast reactions. a lot of times this is for mri's where contrast reactions, nsf are so incredibly rare, residents are basically getting paid 70-100 bucks an hour to read or study.

other more advanced moonlighting involves actually providing radiology services. sometimes this is doing weekend shifts or holidays, but the resident basically plays the role of an attending. these usually pay really well.

i've also encountered rads residents that did moonlighting as urgent care/triage docs, basically doing intern work in the ED.