Which programs let you moonlight?

[oncology2020]

which programs let residents moonlight? any let residents moonlight early in residency? what about during "dedicated research time"?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[w00tz]

which programs let residents moonlight? any let residents moonlight early in residency? what about during "dedicated research time"?

-Freida has a column for moonlighting Y/N when you search for programs. Not sure how accurate...
https://freida.ama-assn.org/Freida/user/programSearchSubmitDispatch.do

-Just a med student, so no idea. Residents say the learning curve is pretty steep in RO, so I would imagine I would be spending my first couple of years trying to learn about cancer and rad bio. Would be cool to go to ASTRO too, so maybe research with free time. But my priorities might be different if I was trying to feed a family and had crazy loans.

-One attending I worked with said he moonlighted even when his PD did not allow it during residency. I guess anything is possible if you are sneaky enough. Not sure if this was during research or not.

 

[Neuronix]

-One attending I worked with said he moonlighted even when his PD did not allow it during residency. I guess anything is possible if you are sneaky enough. Not sure if this was during research or not.

That's a good way to get kicked out of residency. This is something the ACGME tightened up on when they tightened the work hour rules. Malignant PDs in things like IM and surgery didn't want their residents to take the extra 20-40 hours they gained going from 100-120 to 80 hours a week and start moonlighting on the side. "You're my indentured servant! Mine!"

So you have to record your moonlighting hours in addition to having approval from your program, and not doing so is a clear violation of ACGME rules that could get you very quickly canned with no backup whatsoever.

The issues are practical:
1) Do you have time. i.e. With reading, research, etc...

2) Will you learn how to be a good rad onc if you don't spend that time doing reading, research, etc.

3) Most importantly, where can you moonlight? There might be some easy clinical gig, but do you really want to moonlight in urgent care several years out from your prelim? I don't care how good your prelim year was, you forget it quickly when you don't use it. You still might be able to find SOMETHING, and various people around the country have. But then the question becomes whether the money is worth it for the various licensing, risk/insurance, hours, etc issues you're going to encounter. In the end it's very location specific and opportunity dependent. I wouldn't count on it being an option, and I wouldn't pick a program based on its availability.

 

[medgator]

3) Most importantly, where can you moonlight? There might be some easy clinical gig, but do you really want to moonlight in urgent care several years out from your prelim? I don't care how good your prelim year was, you forget it quickly when you don't use it. You still might be able to find SOMETHING, and various people around the country have. But then the question becomes whether the money is worth it for the various licensing, risk/insurance, hours, etc issues you're going to encounter. In the end it's very location specific and opportunity dependent. I wouldn't count on it being an option, and I wouldn't pick a program based on its availability.

Well said. Very spotty opportunities for moonlighting in rad onc from what I've seen. Agree that I would want it to be rad onc specific as much as possible. That being said, I've heard of gigs where rad onc residents cover a local free-standing rads facility while they give contrast so they can be the MD "on site" in case there are any issues with that.

 

[ramsesthenice]

Im sure it goes without saying but for gods sake no one ask about moonlighting on interviews. Maybe with the residents but not with any faculty. We don't do weekends (unless on call) but its still a residency with a lot of long hours. And unlike many residencies our after hours work load (reading, research, etc) is actually pretty high. Looking for extra work not related to the demanding job you are applying for could be interpreted as a serious lack of foresight and understanding of what you are getting into.

Second everything above. Your Malpractice insurence paid for by your residency ONLY supports you at your home institution. To make back enough to profit you either need a really sweet deal or to do a lot of it or both. Its not realistic in most circumstances.