7 moonlighting gigs for physicians
Key Takeaways
Maybe you’re the kind of doctor who likes a little professional variety. Or perhaps you have a ludicrous amount of student loan debt and need extra money to pay it down. Regardless of your goal, it’s never been a better time for moonlighting for physicians.
In addition to supplemental income, moonlighting is a great way to explore other career paths, connect with professionals you otherwise wouldn’t meet, and yes, even have some fun. Here are some options you could consider.
Become a consultant
If you reflect on your time in medical school, you’ll probably realize something that was conspicuously absent: business training. With all that time spent learning all it takes to care for patients, there was little left to teach you how to start, acquire, run and sell a practice of your own.
This knowledge accrued over the course of your career is valuable. Put it to good use by consulting for today’s entrepreneurial doctors. There’s also no need to limit yourself to physicians. Any type of doctor, including dentists, chiropractors and other healthcare professionals who own and operate their own practices, could benefit from your expertise.
Become a career coach
Your experience in the business of healthcare positions you well to mentor new entrants to the field. With increasing demand for physicians, the doctors of tomorrow will face added pressures in the forms of increased patient volumes, rapidly emerging new technologies, and likely lower reimbursement rates.
If you reflect on your career, you’re likely to be able to identify some people who mentored you along the way. How would you like to fill this role for an up-and-comer yourself, and make a little money in the process?
Work for an insurance company
This might feel a bit like joining the Dark Side, but insurance companies are increasingly relying on physicians to perform utilization review (UR). During UR, a payer-employed physician will review another doctor’s request for a procedure to determine if it’s covered and/or if it’s necessary.
Some might view this role as harmful to fellow physicians. Others might see it as reducing unnecessary testing and decreasing healthcare costs. However you view it, insurance companies are hiring.