Abstract
Objective
The authors surveyed psychiatry residents to determine who participates in moonlighting and to understand their views and opinions on the necessity, importance, and educational value of moonlighting.
Methods
An electronic survey was distributed to psychiatry residents at 16 programs nationally. Descriptive characteristics were calculated. Logistic and linear regressions were performed to determine differences between those who moonlight and those who do not and to assess differences in measures of financial distress, quality of life, and work-life balance.
Results
A total of 173/624 (27.6%) residents participated. Within the subset allowed to moonlight, 50% (47/94) reported moonlighting during prior academic year, for an average of 17.4 ± 8.6 hoursh per month. Within those eligible to moonlight, there were no differences in perceived financial distress, quality of life, work-life balance, and confidence between residents who moonlighted and those who did not. Among moonlighters, 10.6% moonlighted overnight before working the next day, and only 68.1% included moonlighting when recording duty hours. 45% reported no supervision available while moonlighting.
Conclusions
In the study sample, 50% of psychiatry residents eligible to moonlight opted to do so. Though most programs have policies in place regarding moonlighting, programs may benefit from ensuring that residents are reporting moonlighting in duty hours and that supervision is available to those moonlighting.
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Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the psychiatry training directors who supported this study and helped to distribute the survey to their residents.
Funding
Nicole M. Benson, MD, received support from the Massachusetts General Hospital/McLean Hospital Research Concentration Program R25MH094612. This work was conducted with support from Harvard Catalyst | The Harvard Clinical and Translational Science Center (National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health Award UL 1TR002541) and financial contributions from Harvard University and its affiliated academic healthcare centers. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of Harvard Catalyst, Harvard University, and its affiliated academic healthcare centers, or the National Institutes of Health.
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The Partners Institutional Review Board determined that this study was exempt from review.
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On behalf of both authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.
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Benson, N.M., Beach, S.R. After Hours: A Survey of Moonlighting Practices in Psychiatry Residents. Acad Psychiatry 43, 18–22 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40596-018-1003-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40596-018-1003-6