About 23 percent of physicians believe that their side jobs, which include clinical trial research and reviewing health insurance claims, are more fulfilling than their day jobs.
Physicians also enjoy side gigs because they offer more flexibility. Medical moonlighting is also becoming more popular as physicians become tired and burned out in the day-to-day workforce, according to the report.
However, it is important that physicians are upfront with their full-time employers about any moonlighting positions, as contracts could put limits on outside work.
“Whatever the opportunity, the most important aspect is that this gig aligns with your values and your comfort level as a physician,” Jordan Frey, MD, a plastic surgeon, told Medscape. “You want to make sure you’re not taking on an opportunity that doesn’t seem ethical, that isn’t a good fit, or puts you in an unsafe situation.”
