Paperwork to Stay on Top of as a Moonlighting Physician

The paperwork may seem daunting, but realistically it does not take very much time to stay on top of, so you can keep delivering excellent care as a physician and focusing on finding the best available gigs.

As a physician who works in different places, you will be no stranger to paperwork. It’s the bane of your existence! We have written previously about the credentialing process, which typically and inexplicably takes a few months in most institutions. And once you are up and running in the hospitals and clinics which offer you the best rates and working conditions, there will still be lots of ongoing paperwork that you need to stay on top of and make sure doesn’t expire (which would be a disaster). Here are 3 big ones:

1. State licenses. This becomes more complicated the more state licenses any doctor has. The renewal process can typically be done pretty quickly online with payment of the associated fee. Not to be forgotten about are individual state Continuing Medical Education (CME) requirements, which thankfully frequently overlap between states. State licenses typically run for at least a couple of years before requiring renewal. Never let one needlessly expire!

2. Federal DEA and other controlled substances registrations. These organizations will usually send you renewal notices by email or postal mail. Some states, like Massachusetts, have their own certificates for allowing clinicians to prescribe controlled substances. There are some horror stories out there of doctors who have forgotten to renew their registrations (again, a simple online process).

3. Continuing medical education. This links to the first point above. Continuing Medical Education is not just about fulfilling your state’s requirements, but also about maintaining your knowledge as a physician. As a regular moonlighting physician, you are likely out of academic medicine—so will be making your own time for medical education. Whether it’s a quick online module or reading UpToDate, keep meticulous records of everything you do (we recommend having a dedicated folder for CME on your email).

Your individual hospitals and clinics will often be very good at reminding you of any upcoming expiring documents—but you cannot rely solely on this. Work out your own way to have regular reminders. It could be on a physical or phone calendar, or your own real or virtual personal assistant (there are many great companies available online ).

The paperwork may seem daunting, but realistically it does not take very much time to stay on top of, so you can keep delivering excellent care as a physician and focusing on finding the best available gigs.

Suneel Dhand MD is an internal medicine physician, author and speaker. He is the cofounder of DocsDox (www.DocsDox.com), a service that helps physicians find local moonlighting and per diem opportunities, bypassing the expensive middleman.

suneeldhand@outlook.com