Moonlighting?

[patriot_missile]

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Hi, if you finished med school and the 1 year internship, can you now moonlight in ER and not have any real jobs? What would be your pay there? And how hard would it be to get jobs in different places and on different days?

 

[Square Pants]

I would also love to know the answer to this question.
Yea moonlighting!
Boo residency!

 

[Jim Picotte]

You'd have to be in a residency to "moonlight". Think of what the term means. If you're in a state that would grant a permanent license after one year of residency and after passing all the USMLE steps then you'd be a general practitioner. Not having a permanent position and going from place to place as needed as a licensed physician would be called "locum tenens". The demand for such a person if very low (with only one year of residency and no specialty) and likely only the most desperate places would want to have you work for them but you would be a licensed physician and may be able to find work somewhere. Most major hospitals would not hire you. Just finish the residency and get certified. Most places would rather let their residents moonlight than hire someone with only one year of residency for a shift that they have no control over.

 

[Scrubbs]

As an EM resident, I find it kind of offensive that people keep bringing up the concept of working in an ED after a 1 yr (rotating) internship... nothing personal to those who are asking/have asked... but seriously - wouldn't you think it was strange if someone asked if they could set up shop as a surgeon after a prelim surg year? It makes it sound like working in an ED is 'easy' and doesn't require a higher level of training than a 1 yr internship. After 1 yr TRAINED to work in the ED I wouldn't feel comfortable working without backup and supervision...

Just my $0.02 🙄

 

[seattledoc]

The majority of insurance companies will not reimburse non board-certified or board eligible physicians, so most people wouldn't hire you because they wouldn't collect on your production, or at the very least collecting would be a big pain for them.
Get the board certification. Finish a residency.

 

[seattledoc]

correction, they won't reimburse non-board certified but WILL reimburse board-eligible, sorry about that.

 

[Square Pants]

correct me if I am wrong, but you work under direct attending supervision while moon-lighting. You do the H&P, discuss the patient with the attending, order the tests, discuss the tests with the attending, and then plan a course of action with the attending.
Unless my hospital is different...

 

[DrQuinn]

Originally posted by Square Pants
correct me if I am wrong, but you work under direct attending supervision while moon-lighting. You do the H&P, discuss the patient with the attending, order the tests, discuss the tests with the attending, and then plan a course of action with the attending.
Unless my hospital is different...

That's not what moonlighting is from most people's perspective. That looks like being a third or fourth year medical student.

Moonlighting = Acting like an attending, i.e. yer on yer own buddy.

Q, DO

 

[Winged Scapula]

Originally posted by QuinnNSU
That's not what moonlighting is from most people's perspective. That looks like being a third or fourth year medical student.

Moonlighting = Acting like an attending, i.e. yer on yer own buddy.

Q, DO

Perhaps Square Pants and I work at similar hospitals because our moonlighters do the very same thing - although that is for surgical patients and moonlighting as a surgical resident rather than an EM.

I do lots of stuff on my own but when it comes to admissions for complicated processes I call the attending on call (ie, I wouldn't call for a simple diverticulitis if I was gonna see the attending in a couple of hours but I would for someone needing to go to the OR).

 

[seattledoc]

yeah, my moonlighting was that I was on my own in a level 3 ER in a 40 bed hospital, alone for 12 hour shifts. Steep learning curve arena.

So you guys get paid to moonlight even though you are still in the resident role, with attending backup? Not bad...

 

[Winged Scapula]

Originally posted by seattledoc
yeah, my moonlighting was that I was on my own in a level 3 ER in a 40 bed hospital, alone for 12 hour shifts. Steep learning curve arena.

So you guys get paid to moonlight even though you are still in the resident role, with attending backup? Not bad...

Sure - some of the local community hospitals don't have enough resident coverage and rely on moonlighters to fill the gaps in the call schedule.

It can either be sweet (ie, a quiet night) or hellish - no way of telling in advance. But for the money, most are willing to put up with the latter of the two.

Not all programs allow moonlighting but for those that do and those in the lab, it can means lots of extra cash and a way to keep your fingers in the clinical pie.

 

[Scrubbs]

Originally posted by seattledoc
yeah, my moonlighting was that I was on my own in a level 3 ER in a 40 bed hospital, alone for 12 hour shifts. Steep learning curve arena.

That's what I think of for moonlighting in an ED... so IMHO 1yr internship does not an EP make. 😉

 

[seattledoc]

yeah, that particular job was in the last 4 months of my residency so I felt fairly competent by then. I wouldn't have considered the position after one year of training.