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Moonlighting as a medical resident

Residency Program Insider, February 20, 2019

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The American Medical Association policy on moonlighting (when a resident works as an independent physician outside of and in addition to residency) states, ?Resident/fellow physicians in good standing with their programs should be afforded the opportunity for internal and external moonlighting that complies with Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education policy.?

Moonlighting affords several benefits to residents. It allows them to bring in additional income to assist with the repayment of their student loans.  It also presents the opportunity for residents to gain experience in a more general specialty than their own (e.g., internal medicine). Through moonlighting, residents can interact with patients they may not normally treat and experience an environment different from that of their residency program. Additionally, for residents who may be in research-centric years or residencies, moonlighting aids them in maintaining their clinical skills.

Moonlighting is not without its challenges, though. Many residents are already working long hours, and an additional job requires them to work even more, though they are still bound by the 80 hours per week duty restrictions. Moreover, residents who moonlight are sacrificing time that they may have spent doing other things, such as spending time with family or completing tasks at home.

Source: American Medical Association
 

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