Question about moonlighting

[GottaHaveIt]

Just wondering if we are qualified to moonlight at urgent cares during later years of residency? Has anyone done it before?

I know certain programs have built in moonlighting options at ERs so I would imagine moonlighting at an urgent care should be possible, I'm just not sure.

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[RangerBob]

I've heard of some PM&R residents moonlighting at urgent care centers, but they were residents who were very, very comfortable with their general medicine/urgent care medicine knowledge. You can't just take the MSK cases--you have to see everything including abdominal pain, peds, gyn stuff, etc etc. Personally, I wouldn't be comfortable enough to work in an urgent care center independently. Most of our residents have moonlighted at comp and pen at the VA, nursing home coverage, and disability evals. But it all depends on what your comfort zone is and whether the urgent care center's malpractice insurance (or your own) will cover you.

 

[j4pac]

I have moonlighted in urgent care. The key is finding an ideal practice. It would probably be tough for me to recommend for a PM&R resident with nothing but an internship (where let's face it...you get very little independent outpatient/ER) under your belt to do urgent care.

I did an internal medicine internship...then did two years as a PCM before I had the confidence to moonlight. I stopped doing it because they were starting to force me to see Peds and with my background I wasn't comfortable with it. The flow is typically heavy and you have very sick people you are seeing in primary care. It's a bit scary to be honest. Every shift that I worked, I sent at least someone to the ER for admission. Those aren't the scary ones...the ones that cause you to lose sleep at night are the sick ones you decided to not send to the ER.

In urgent care you have to be confident, efficient, and know how to use resources effectively and efficiently. That's tough to do for someone with very little experience and your setting yourself up for hurting someone or a lawsuit.

I'll be starting PGY-2 in a few months. I will not be moonlighting in anything that doesn't make me a better PM&R doc. Life's too short. There will always be time to make money.

 

[Lostin_space]

Just wondering if we are qualified to moonlight at urgent cares during later years of residency? Has anyone done it before?

I know certain programs have built in moonlighting options at ERs so I would imagine moonlighting at an urgent care should be possible, I'm just not sure.

I'm pretty darn good at Medicine stuff myself but definitely would not moonlight at urgent care. Anything can come in the door and some cases may truly be emergent. Are you going to be able to intubate someone? Treat Peds? OBgyne? I would not. Also for the $ not worth it. I would say doing things like disability evals, which pay about 1000-1500/day, SNF coverage, admissions at rehab centers after hours/weekends, that would make more sense and it's just plain safer.