What the work involves
A first side gig can be clinical or non-clinical. Preparation for either starts with the same questions: what your employer allows, what credentials you hold and what the new work requires.
Who the work may fit
Choose work that fits your schedule, your skills and your appetite for risk. Start with one project and learn what the paperwork involves.
Questions before you say yes
- What does my employer's contract say about outside work?
- Which licenses and registrations does the work require?
- What is on my own NPDB record?
- What coverage and tail terms apply?
- What are the deadlines and payment terms?
Your first step
Read your employment contract's outside-work and conflict provisions, then list what credentials the work would require.
What can go wrong
Taking a first gig before checking your contract and credentials, then finding it is not allowed or not covered.
How to get started, step by step
Turn the idea into a specific next action. These are preparation steps, not approval to perform a role.
- Read your employer's outside-work, conflict and moonlighting terms.
- Check the license, registration and privileges the new work needs.
- Run an NPDB self-query so you know what any organization may see about you.
- Ask for coverage, scope and payment in writing.
- Start with one assignment and keep your records organized.
Where to look and who to ask
Use search terms and contacts that fit this work. Check the actual source and current requirements; these suggestions are not verified openings or Saile inventory.
- Start with your own network, your specialty society and your state medical board for licensing questions.
- Search by the type of work you want, then verify each organization.
- Check the Saile app for current opportunities.
JAMA Career Center — professional search resource, not an opening endorsement
Scheduling and payment realities
Plan the first gig around your fixed commitments. Do not stack a new commitment on a busy month.
Keep gross pay and taxes separate
For federal employment taxes, the IRS considers control and the relationship, not only the contract label. Self-employed individuals generally pay income and self-employment tax and may need estimated payments. Keep payment and expense records and ask a tax professional about your actual arrangement; this guide does not calculate take-home pay.
IRS: Independent contractor or employee
IRS: Self-employed individuals tax center
Before you say yes: a final checklist
Do not let an unanswered question become an assumed term.
- Did I read my contract?
- Do I know the credentials required?
- Have I checked my own NPDB record?
- Is coverage in writing?
- Are scope and payment in writing?
Work types to compare
Telemedicine
Compare visit type, patient states, schedule and clinical support.
Locum tenens
Compare assignment duties, onboarding, travel and written terms.
Per diem / PRN
Compare minimum commitments, offered shifts and cancellation rules.
Consulting / project work
Compare eligibility, deliverables, conflicts and review deadlines.
Frequently asked questions
How much does this work pay?
This guide does not quote a market rate or promise earnings. Compare a verified written offer, including all required work and expenses.
Does Saile have this work available now?
Check the Saile app for current openings. This educational guide does not claim that a particular role or project is available.
Can I do this alongside my main job?
Check outside-work approval, conflicts, confidentiality and scheduling obligations before accepting.
What should I get in writing?
The work, deliverables, schedule, payment terms, coverage responsibilities, cancellation terms and the steps required before starting.
What should I do next?
Request a sample task without unnecessary patient information, a review policy and an escalation path. Read confidentiality and liability terms before taking access to records.
What the primary sources say
The National Practitioner Data Bank lets you run a Self-Query. It produces a certified PDF response that lists any reports in the NPDB that match your profile, or states that none were found. The NPDB says reports can include medical malpractice payments, adverse licensure or privileges actions, and judgments and convictions. To start, you create a personal account and complete a profile that can include your license information, professional schools and identifiers such as NPI or DEA. The NPDB says it does not email Self-Query responses or send them to third parties such as state licensing boards. Run one before credentialing so you know what an organization may see.