moonlighting

[cali-ob]

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Hi,
do any of you PGY-2s or above moonlight? I am wondering because I will be finishing my intern year in FP in a few short months (yay!) and as someone with a salary and certain personal financial goals, I would love the opportunity to make additional income. However, our hospital does not offer any opportunities for moonlighting for the FP residents. I know some people moonlight outside of their institution, and I was thinking about an urgent care center.....I have read other posts, mostly from ED residents who moonlight in their own ED or a local small staffed ED, talking about what a great learning experience it is to work somewhere unprecepted, etc. I am a bit nervous about this...I think I can handle walk in urgent care type stuff but it seems so weird to not run things by anyone and just rely on my own judgement. And of course I would have to look into the whole malpractice thing. If a place won't cover it, is it worth it if I have to buy my own?
Obviously if I want to moonlight outside the system I will have to get liscenced and that is an expensive process. So I don't want to go through all that trouble and expense to get a liscence in a state that I don't plan on living in after residency unless I can find a moonlighting job.
Does anyone have any experience with this (outside institution moonlighting) as a resident that they can share?

thanks!

 

[DrMom]

You'll have to be licensed and have your own malpractice policy (unless you can find a place that'll pay it for you). You should be able to do urgent care, also some private FM docs have moonlighters covering evening hours or doing hospital notes/orders over the weekend. I know FM residents doing all of these options.

You definitely take on more malpractice risk (and a more expensive malpractice insurance policy) in an ED than the other options I've mentioned.

 

[secretwave101]

I was all keyed up to moonlight as an intern. By the time I actually took S3 and put in all the licensing paperwork and got legitimate...I was so stoked to have weekends off I haven't moonlit once! I've got about 5 months to go and I'm not sure I'll moonlight at all. Recently I pondered just exactly how much would be enough to make me want to do a 6th day in clinic...and when honestly pondering 1 MILLION dollars, I hesitated.

"A million bucks? For my weekend? NAhh...keep your dirty money! I'm going sledding with the kids." 😛

 

[DrJosephKim]

After taxes, it's really not worth moonlighting too much. I agree with the earlier comment - spend time with you family. You'll never get to relive those moments.

 

[Leonardsean]

You'll have to be licensed and have your own malpractice policy (unless you can find a place that'll pay it for you). You should be able to do urgent care, also some private FM docs have moonlighters covering evening hours or doing hospital notes/orders over the weekend. I know FM residents doing all of these options.

You definitely take on more malpractice risk (and a more expensive malpractice insurance policy) in an ED than the other options I've mentioned.

Do you have any links to places that may offer (cheaper) malpractice insurance. I looked at one place and the cost of the coverage was prohibitory to actually moonlighting (like $7000-$8000 per year)...I'd just be working for the insurance premium.

--Sean

 

[DoubleBogey]

I moonlit in my residency - paid 100-125/hr for guaranteed 12hr shift - made an extra 18k per year - some doubled their resident salary. Was nice and helped with having a wife and 2 kids. Some residents loved to moonlight and make the extra money (paying for trips/vacation or upcoming weddings) others took the stance that “I work enough with residency why would I want to work even more?”

To each their own - having extra money helps

 

[VA Hopeful Dr]

Do you have any links to places that may offer (cheaper) malpractice insurance. I looked at one place and the cost of the coverage was prohibitory to actually moonlighting (like $7000-$8000 per year)...I'd just be working for the insurance premium.

--Sean

All of my moonlighting had its own policy that covered me.

 

[SLC]

I work medicine consults in the Obstetrics hospital. We run a service there so my training license and malpractice insurance covers me. The pay isn’t as good, about $70 per hour, but I usually just sleep in a call room and don’t actually have to do much.

It’s been a huge help with tight finances in residency.

 

[Freezeout]

I didn’t moonlight much until my third year, but I don’t know of a single place I moonlighted or a colleague did where they didn’t cover your malpractice. I don’t think that will be a problem unless you’re in a saturated market or something. I’ll also add that I felt moonlighting was invaluable from a leaning perspective. It’s a whole nother ball game when you’re on your own and don’t have an attending to check out to.

 

[cabinbuilder]

I worked urgent care my third year. You have to have your own license - the residency license does not cover you. You have to have your own malpractice policy - most will not cover that for you.

 

[seap3]

I think the moonlighting opportunities and requirements for having your own malpractice insurance vary quite a bit based on location. I have been moonlighting since the start of 2nd year. I needed my own license and DEA for Urgent Care, but it is still in-house so malpractice is covered. Earned anywhere from $65-125/hr, averaged about 15-20K/year extra. As I'm getting to the end of 3rd year, I'm slowing way down. My time is starting to become more valuable and I'm tired.

We are lucky at our program - there are more good moonlighting opportunities available then we can fill.