7 Best Side Hustles for Medical Doctors Today

Being a medical doctor is one of the most respected professions anywhere in the world, but even with the prestige and a comfortable steady income, many physicians and surgeons find themselves looking for additional ways to earn. Whether it is to pay off student loans, build wealth faster, pursue a passion, or create a financial safety net, side hustles are becoming increasingly popular among medical professionals, including doctors.

According to a 2023 survey of 1,939 physicians across nearly 30 specialties in the United States, about 39% were working on a side gig. Of these, 25% of these held medical consulting, 18% served as an expert witness, medical moonlighting (17%), chart review (15%), and speaking engagements (14%).^[1]Stempniak, Marty. “Nearly 40% of Physicians Surveyed Say They’re Working a Side Gig.” Radiology Business, October 13, 2023. … Continue reading

Outside medicine, 18% were involved in real estate. Among the other most popular side hustles, business or other consulting services accounted for 17%, investing (15%), teaching (13%), and writing for 9%.

Being a doctor is also very mentally/physically demanding. This is not at all an overstatement.

According to a study, to provide guideline-recommended care to patients, a primary care physician would require nearly 26.7 hours per day. That means working more hours a day.^[2]Porter, J., Boyd, C., Skandari, M.R. et al.Revisiting the Time Needed to Provide Adult Primary Care. 38, 147–155 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-022-07707-x

Pursuing a side hustle as a medical doctor can be a way to avoid the routine, develop other passions, prevent burnout^[3]Galán Feced, Carlos, and Nathan Rennolds. “Bill Gates Says Shaking Up Routine Is the Key to Preventing Burnout at Work.” Business Insider, 13 Dec. 2021, … Continue reading, and find more satisfaction in one’s life.^[4]Physician Burnout 2019 – InCrowd

If you are a medical doctor looking to pursue a side hustle, this post explores some side hustles to consider.

Still Thinking Twice About Starting a Side Hustle as a Medical Doctor?

To further buttress why starting and pursuing a side hustle as a medical doctor may be necessary, a side hustle can help you meet the financial expectations imposed on you by being a doctor. With the class comes the added need to live in a different house, drive a good car, put your kids in the best of schools, as well as offer financial assistance to family members who may depend on you. These extra responsibilities make it harder to “get rich” from your salary alone as a doctor.^[5]Houston, Melissa. “If Your Salary Won’t Make You Rich, What Will?” Forbes, December 27, 2023.

Pursuing a side hustle may also be your best move as a doctor because it helps you explore other aspects of your life that you are passionate about. This can give you more self-satisfaction and self-fulfillment, a study shows.

Last but not least, pursuing a side hustle as a medical doctor can make you stand out from the crowd. Amid thousands to millions of medical doctors in the world, pursuing a special side hustle you love can help you stand out and give you wider recognition. For example, Dr. Mehmet Oz is a cardiothoracic surgeon who has gained widespread fame as a television personality, author, and host of “The Dr. Oz Show”, where he discusses health and wellness topics.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Side Hustle as a Medical Doctor

Starting a side hustle as a medical doctor requires you to consider the special factors applicable to clinical practice. You have to find a side hustle you are passionate about and one that can allow you to manage your time most effectively.

Here are some important factors to consider when choosing a side hustle as a medical doctor.

1. Your passion

The first thing to consider when choosing a side hustle as a medical doctor is your passion. What are you passionate about outside medicine?

Even though medicine is a very jealous profession that doesn’t allow one to explore other aspects of one’s life, many doctors have other passions they’d like to explore.

However, pursuing one’s life passions can make one satisfied and happy in life, reducing burnout, depression, and overall dissatisfaction in life. This is exemplified by the statistics from a study that showed that about 28% of physicians said they find their side gig more fulfilling than their full-time job. Only around 22% found their full-time job their primary satisfaction vocation, while 49% labeled both the side hustle and full-time profession as equal in satisfaction.^[6]Ibid. Stempniak, Marty. 2023.

2. Current knowledge and skillset

Whether within or outside medical knowledge, an area where you have a vast amount of knowledge, or a skill you are naturally good at is a good place to start when finding a suitable side hustle as a doctor. You can also easily leverage your medical knowledge for your side hustle.

For example, if you like to educate people, you can consider starting a health podcast, video channel, or even a health blog. With your existing knowledge as a medical doctor and with a bit of learning in content creation, you can produce insightful deliverables that would gain traction beyond your practice as a medical doctor.

From this idea, there are a lot of other side hustle ideas you can generate and choose from as a medical doctor.

3. Your time

Are you already involved in a lot of other extra-clinical activities, or not? You need to factor in your time when choosing a side hustle as a medical doctor.

Some specialties are more strenuous and time-demanding than others. You need to consider your peculiar situation when finding the side hustle of your choice.

But very importantly, you need to accept that there would be trade-offs, even if it means having to sacrifice some not-too-important hobbies from your daily schedule.

4. Lucrativeness

The lucrativeness of a side hustle is another important factor to consider when choosing a side hustle. You want to consider the potential profitability of a side hustle, especially if you have several options to choose from.

Of note, avoid rushing into a side hustle because someone else told you that it’s very lucrative. Find something you are passionate about and focus on building it piece by piece.

7 Best Side Hustles for Medical Doctors

According to Sermo, a medical survey platform and physicians community, physicians reported participating in the following forms of active income at some point in their career:

• Medical surveys – 33%
• Contributing to a community – 14%
• Medical Writing – 12%
• Telemedicine – 11%
• Speaking engagements – 10%

While the above active income streams are potential side hustle options, side hustles can also include passive income streams where you don’t have to be actively involved to make money.

Now, let’s explore some of the best side hustles you can pursue as a medical doctor.

1. Medical Writing and Blogging

If you are passionate about educating people on health-related information, and you have a flair for writing, medical writing or blogging is one avenue you can explore. This involves creating written content that answers people’s health questions, debunks health myths, and educates the general or technical community.

Offering your expert medical knowledge through blogging/freelance writing is a great way to get yourself involved with your passions while still making extra cash in the process.

To become a medical blogger, you can create your own health blog or affiliate with another blogging platform. While for freelancing, you simply need to find opportunities to write health content for a fee.

2. Telemedicine Consultation

Telemedicine ranked one of the most popular side hustles for medical doctors published by Sermo above. It offers an avenue to discover a side hustle related to the medical practice, and this concept is gradually becoming a part of mainstream medical practice.

Telemedicine involves having consultations with a patient in any part of the world over the Internet. It’s a step towards the digitalization of modern medical practice, and it could potentially give you true financial freedom as a medical doctor.

3. Health Vlog or Podcast

I know several health vloggers who post video content educating people within their community on common health-related matters. Creating video content can be an easier way of breaking down difficult concepts for your audience, and this can increase your relevance as a medical doctor.

By offering helpful and verifiable health information via video creation, you can attract opportunities that make you feel more satisfied as well as potentially earn a side income.

4. Locum Tenens

Locum tenens means “to hold a place“. It is a practice of temporarily filling in for another physician who may be compulsorily away from the workplace. This is a lucrative side hustle for any health professional as it can come with travel benefits, accommodation, and feeding allowances depending on the situation.

Whether they have a family emergency or are going for an exam, patients would need a doctor to care for them. Thus, by filling in for the absent doctor, you can get paid in the process.

4. Medical Research

Medical research is an aspect of research that focuses on collecting, analyzing, and presenting verifiable health-related information to both the academic community and laypersons who are interested in medical data.

Picking up medical research as a side hustle enables you to contribute knowledge to the advancement of Healthcare, can potentially increase your industry relevance, and also provide you with an additional stream of income.

You can also earn money by helping other researchers or organizations carry out health-related research relevant to their niche while they pay you for those services.

5. Medical Products and Apps Development

As technology and artificial intelligence develop, medically-oriented apps and software are constantly being sought after. Health facilities also require medical products like equipment and consumables for their day-to-day patients’ care.

By exploring the area of medical product development, you can make additional income as a medical doctor. Being a part of such product development allows you to tackle some known challenges regarding medical equipment and products. By doing so, you can have a competitive advantage when distributing your products and software to health workers and facilities that need them.

Examples of medical products include consumables like syringes, infusion fluids and devices, injection needles, surgical instruments, etc. Medical apps include drug finders, medical calculators, x-ray interpreter software, diagnostic assistance apps, etc. This not only increases your potential earnings but can also make you feel more satisfied, especially if that’s something you have always been passionate about.

6. Fitness and Wellness Coach

If you are a medical doctor who has a passion for fitness, being a fitness and wellness coach is another side hustle you can pursue for extra income and better self-satisfaction. You understand the importance of weight control and fitness for overall health and well-being.

Non-communicable diseases like diabetes, cancer, obesity, etc., can best be prevented by adopting healthful lifestyle changes like regular exercise, avoidance of smoking and drinking, and so on. Inculcating this knowledge into your fitness classes can make you stand out in your niche both as a wellness/fitness coach and a medical doctor.

7. Online Medical Tutoring

Medical students and professionals are constantly in need of simplified explanations for complex medical concepts both for their continuing exams and for clinical practice. Thus, if you are passionate about teaching people, medical tutoring is another great way to carve out a niche for yourself, satisfy your passion, and earn a side income.

There are tons of platforms where you offer medical tutorial content online. These include MedSchoolCoach, Udemy, Lecturio, Osmosis by Elsevier, Med Mastery, etc. You can also start up an independent YouTube channel to publish medical content to help students and medical professionals.

Depending on your interest, you are free to target any specific group of medical professionals ranging from medical students to clinical physicians, to surgeons, to researchers, etc.

Non-Medical Side Hustles for Medical Doctors

Even though almost all the side hustles for doctors above are related to medicine, nothing stops you from venturing into non-medical vocations too.

A 2024 survey by CHG Healthcare on job moves and career changes among doctors showed that 62% of physicians had made some type of career change in the past two years; about 2 in 5 physicians (39%) changed job types or employers, while 15% took on a side job or other contract work; 6% retired, and 2% left patient care for non-medical work.

Such dramatic job shifts or side hustle considerations are very possible for doctors because they are often well-trained in areas of analytical reasoning, discipline and resilience, adaptability, continuous learning mindset, and communication skills, which are essential for success in any field one is interested in.

Some examples of non-clinical side hustles you can consider as a medical doctor include the following.

1. Real Estate

Real estate is one of the most popular non-medical side hustles for physicians in the United States, as it is a great way for physicians to diversify their income and wealth and use their existing assets to generate a side income. While the initial period can be unpredictable and uncertain, real estate can soon become a more reliable passive income for a physician who is investing in it as a side hustle.

2. Influencer

Even though not necessarily a medical side hustle, doctors are increasingly exploring the influencing space through content creation. By leveraging their knowledge and authority, medical influences can seek to answer people’s questions in their areas of preference or specialization.

Eventually, health influencers can make money from brand affiliate marketing, brand ambassadorial deals, product sales, and promotion. Thus, being an influencer is now one of the most popular side hustles physicians are exploring.

Others are:

• Advisory board membership
• Coaching
• Investments
• Commerce
• Creative arts
• Music

There is no limit to what side hustles you can pursue even as a medical doctor. As long as it aligns with your passion, it can be a source of fulfillment, a break from monotonous routines, and a source of extra income.

Tips for Achieving Success in Your Side Hustle as a Medical Doctor

Becoming successful in your side hustle as a medical doctor requires you to be decisive from the very beginning. With the following steps, you can achieve success in any side hustle you choose to pursue as a medical doctor.

1. Define the long-term plan for your side hustle

Whether you just want something that just momentarily takes you outside clinical practice or something that can completely replace your professional vocation as a medical doctor, it is important to define long-term plans for the side hustle. Many people have reported turning their side hustles into a full-time business, while others have reported making even more money from their side hustle than from the main job.

Clearly define your objectives, set goals, define your expectations, and gradually work towards achieving them.

Your planning should also outline possible challenges, financial requirements,

Your planning should also involve outlining the possible challenges you may encounter and ways you can surmount them. If there are any financial requirements, you should prepare adequately for them too.

2. Make feasible funding plans for your side hustle

Whether it is to learn a new skill or create a platform, getting started with a side hustle may require you to invest in some funds. It is, therefore, important to make plans for funding your side hustle during the early stages.

Oftentimes, funds from your main job can be invested into your side job until it is well-established.

3. Learn time management

Managing a side hustle with a main job is not an easy thing to do, especially for a doctor who probably has a tight schedule already. This is where time management comes in.

You want to be able to strike a healthy balance between your main job and your side hustle without compromising either. You also need to be as consistent as possible as you pursue your side hustle, even as a doctor.

Very importantly, understand that none of these things is cast in stone. Even when you fail to achieve your time targets, remember that consistency is about picking up from where you stopped.

4. Learn to work remotely

The internet has opened up numerous capabilities for global communication, connectivity, and collaboration, making it easier to pursue a side hustle that doesn’t require your physical presence.

Several of the side hustles for doctors above, like telemedicine, online tutoring, etc., require one to be comfortable with remote communication. Thus, learning to work remotely can significantly improve your chances of success in your side hustle as a medical doctor.

7. Build your social media brand

Today, business success has become inseparable from social media authority. Having a large social media reach can give your brand more credibility, a bigger reach, and increase turnover in your side hustle offers.

Focus on growing your social media accounts by posting helpful, timely, and engaging content related to your side hustle niche. Over time, your side hustle will become more visible, and you will be more satisfied while making more money in the process.

8. Create a healthy balance

A study has identified that there could be a potential conflict of interest between an employee’s side job and their main profession. For this, earlier public policies restrict participation in side hustles to promote efficiency. ^[7]Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr. “The New Normal, ‘Side Hustles’ and an Employee’s Duty of Good Faith to Their Employer.” Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr, 21 Feb. 2022, … Continue reading

But today, the internet and technology have given more flexibility to side hustle enthusiasts. However, there is a place for balancing your efficiency both at your main job and your side hustle.

Learn to be mentally present at your main job until after your work hours when you can safely give maximum attention to your side hustle. As a medical doctor with very few free hours, consciously learn to maximize the few hours you have.

Your main job can be a source of funding for your side hustle until it is established. So, even if you plan to eventually quit your main job and turn your side hustle into your primary job, you should remain committed to your main job until you are ready to leave.

Conclusion

Medical doctors are increasingly venturing into side hustles to supplement their income, boost their satisfaction, and look for ways to break from monotonous routines. This post explored some side hustles for doctors and tips on how to succeed in any side hustle of your choice as a medical doctor.

If you found this post interesting, I’d love to know your thoughts in the comments section below. Which side hustles do you consider best for you, and which challenges do you encounter setting up your side hustle as a medical doctor? Our experts might be able to help.