Five side gigs physicians can do from home to earn extra income

With a wide knowledge base and scope of practice, family physicians are well-suited for many side gigs beyond just seeing patients in a clinic. The internet has only expanded such opportunities. Here are five that you can do from home.

1. Case reviews. State medical boards, second-opinion consulting services, hospitals, and other organizations pay for chart or case reviews. Just make sure you’re comfortable critiquing a fellow physician’s work.

2. Utilization review. Insurance companies or their contractors use utilization reviewers to assess whether medical treatments were appropriate so the companies can determine whether they should cover them. Compensation rates can vary a lot between companies. If the first rate you’re quoted seems low, try another company.

3. Coaching medical students or residents. This could entail reviewing their personal statements and curricula vitae, or conducting mock interviews (which can now be done through videoconference). Be aware that some of the organizations that pay for this work are looking for physicians with a certain pedigree, such as an Ivy League degree.

4. Telehealth. Demand for telehealth has soared during the pandemic, and some telehealth companies allow flexible scheduling as well as remote work. The downside to the telehealth boom is that competition for these jobs is increasing too.

5. Media. TV news networks have long employed medical correspondents, but those jobs were few and far between. The internet provides more opportunities, such as writing for one of the many health websites out there. Other options include podcasting or serving as a health influencer on social media, if you can build enough of a following to sell ads. But be careful whose ads you accept as some could harm your credibility.

Before you take on any side gig, review your primary employer’s policy on outside work and examine your liability insurance carefully. You may have to ask the secondary organization you choose to work for to provide coverage for those activities.

Read the full FPM article: “Find Your Side Gig: Extra Income Opportunities for Family Physicians.”