Interested in tutoring medical students?

What if you could make some extra income from home?
Do you have any interest tutoring medical students?

If so, please fill out this form. We are in the process of collecting information from physicians who would like to spend some time working as tutors. We are currently looking for people who feel comfortable tutoring medical students prepare for USMLE Step 1.

Please fill out the tutoring form here.

Here's Your Chance to Teach for Kaplan Medical

Kaplan Medical is searching for qualified, energetic faculty members to join their group of expert instructors.

They are looking for physicians who can teach: Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, Neurology, Surgery, OB/GYN, Anatomy, Pathology, or Physiology.

If you have a passion for teaching and enjoy helping others reach their goals, teaching USMLE review may be right for you.

Here are 5 great reasons to teach for Kaplan Medical:

• Make a difference helping students excel on licensing exams
• Earn excellent pay
• Enjoy fl exible, part-time hours
• Work with well-respected peers in a stimulating environment
• Travel

Teach for Kaplan Medical

Kaplan Medical is searching for qualified, energetic faculty members to join their group of expert instructors.

They are looking for physicians who can teach: Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, Neurology, Surgery, OB/GYN, Anatomy, Pathology, or Physiology.

If you have a passion for teaching and enjoy helping others reach their goals, teaching USMLE review may be right for you.

Here are 5 great reasons to teach for Kaplan Medical:

• Make a difference helping students excel on licensing exams
• Earn excellent pay
• Enjoy fl exible, part-time hours
• Work with well-respected peers in a stimulating environment
• Travel

Should you leave clinical medicine?

Leaving a career in clinical medicine is often a one-way path. There are ways to return to clinical medicine after you leave, but it can be difficult (and costly). I often spend quite a bit of time speaking with people about this critical question because although the grass may look greener on the other side, that may not be the case.

As the health care system evolves, you may consider pursuing a non-clinical career. Remember that you may have the option of a blended career where you spend a part of your time in the clinical space (perhaps moonlighting or working an occasional weekend shift in the ER),  or you may wish to transition to a part-time schedule and fill the rest of your time with some writing, blogging, consulting, teaching/tutoring, etc. There are ways to keep your feet in both the clinical and the non-clinical worlds of medicine and if you choose to make a slow transition, this is often an easier way to make that switch.

Becoming an Entrepreneur When You Can’t Find a Job

AARP has some great articles on jobs and careers. I doubt that any of these articles are focused on the physician community, but the concepts and principles behind them are sound advice.

For instance, there's an article on AARP titled, "Hire Yourself: Becoming an Entrepreneur When You Can’t Find a Job"

There are many physicians who are over 50 and they are seeking to transition to a non-clinical career. I've spoken to many of these individuals in 2009 and I anticipate speaking to more of them in 2010. The difference between physicians and business executives is that physicians tend to under-estimate the power of social networking. They also focus too much on formal training and education as opposed to work experience and skills that may be self-taught. I'm obviously generalizing here, but much of this is due to the way that physicians are educated and trained. During medical school and residency, we don't rely on robust networking skills to succeed and advance in our careers. Instead, it's generally about self-related accomplishments such as grades, test scores, publications, research, etc.

So, if you're looking for a job and you can't seem to find one, are you ready to become an entrepreneur? Do you know what it will take to create a company and generate enough revenue for you to maintain your quality of life? I think it's a great idea to start a business, but you have to know where to begin. Some of the easiest places to start include the following:

• Writing. You can begin a freelance medical writing career and establish a business very quickly if you have strong writing skills and if you know how to begin.
  
• Internet. There are many web-based businesses that include different elements of health care resources, services, and products. It's very easy to create a website and to leverage that for your business.
  
• Consulting. Physicians tend to be good at consulting. After all, they have spent their careers solving problems.
  
• Medical Chart Review. Many physicians are establishing their own business as medical reviewers. They may review medical charts for a variety of clients.
• Teaching and Tutoring. There are many college and medical students who could benefit from some teaching and tutoring. Whether it's MCAT prep, USMLE step 1, or some other standardized exam, students are seeking help.

So, are you ready to be an entrepreneur? It may start by being an independent contractor and then forming your own business as your volume of business increases.

Teaching overseas

When I was a student in college, I spent several summers teaching English overseas. My wife also spent several summers teaching English to Chinese medical students and physicians who wish to improve their verbal English skills. The demand for English teachers is very big in many countries. This is particularly true in Asian countries like Korea and China. If you'd like to explore some opportunities in teaching, then you may enjoy spending a few weeks teaching English to eager students.

There are many opportunities to offer private tutoring services English overseas. Looking for a way to create some supplemental income and travel? Forget about medical tourism. Consider teaching tourism!

Non-clinical opportunities for supplemental income

Some physicians spend many hours "moonlighting" to generate supplemental income for the household. There was a time when I did a fair bit of moonlighting myself. Many physicians are looking for creative, non-clinical ways to earn supplemental income. Here are some examples of ways you can generate some income in your spare time.

• Medical writing. You can find some freelance/contract projects that have fixed durations (example: 3 months). You may also find some part-time writing projects that don't require extensive work experience as a formal medical writer.
  
• Consulting. Some start-up companies are looking for physician consultants to provide some medical direction and guidance as they develop their business strategy. Other companies may need physicians to offer advice about clinical workflow issues, decision-making processes, health care administrative issues, etc.
  
• Medical chart reviews. There are a growing number of companies that are paying physicians to review charts. Some chart reviews may be for medicolegal purposes. Other reviews may deal with claims and reimbursement. The world of "administrative medicine" is expanding quickly.
• Tutoring and teaching. There are many opportunities to help college and medical students with test prep (MCAT, USMLE Step 1, etc.). Some students need some personalized attention, especially if they struggle with a learning disorder, ADHD, etc.
  
• Blogging. Yes, blogging can generate supplemental income if you're creative and persistent.

You may also stumble upon some market research surveys that pay for your time (for instance, you'll see quite a few of these on Sermo). You may also choose to sell things on eBay, explore the world of real estate, or develop an online business where you're selling some type of product. If you've got an entrepreneurial spirit and you have some creative juices flowing in your head, then I'm sure you'll find many different ways to generate some supplemental income.

Private tutoring

Do you enjoy teaching? You may wish to consider some non-clinical private tutoring opportunities in your area. If you're retired and you miss those teaching days, then this may be the perfect opportunity for you to consider.

There are always medical students who are looking for tutors because they struggle with USMLE Step 1 or Step 2. There are other medical students who are seeking tutors because they're struggling with their course work (students always seemed to struggle especially with physiology). Don't live near a medical school? Then you may not have too many clients, but you'll still run into that occasional student who may return home to study for the boards.

When I was a college student at MIT, I began making some extra income by tutoring high school students (science, math, SAT prep, etc.). Then, when I was in medical school, I spent some time tutoring college students (biology, chemistry, MCAT prep, etc.). When I graduated from medical school, I found myself tutoring medical students (primarily with USMLE Step I). So the cycle always seems to continue. Now, I offer career counseling services for physicians, so I'm still teaching (it's not tutoring, but it involves some elements of teaching).

If you like the personal interactions of tutoring, then you may wish to consider this as a part-time venture. It's a great non-clinical job if you want flexibility. You may find that in your area, the need for medical tutors is quite great. As a result, you could have a busy business in no time. You may also find that high school and college students may be very interested in your educational services. If you're a motivated entrepreneur, then you may be quite successful.