This article is written by April Han. She is a multi-passionate entrepreneur. With a formal education in Business Administration and years of working with healthcare startups under her belt, she is able to provide valuable advice to aspiring locums in terms of creativity, innovation, and discovery of solutions to the challenges amid our society’s growing demand for health services. A life-long learner with a growth mindset, she is currently expanding her knowledge of the healthcare marketplace through online courses and hands-on training from world-class mentors.
Looking for some income-generating ideas for locum GPs? One of the most renowned literary idols could give you an idea.
Anton Chekhov was born in Taganrog, Russia on January 29, 1860. When he turned 15, he was separated from his family. His father, being a grocer with frequent financial problems, had to go to Moscow in search of greener pastures.
In 1879, Anton finally was able to join his family in Moscow where he enrolled at a medical school. His family was still cash-strapped so he juggled between studying and freelance writing. Today, he is considered one of our major literary idols. His masterpieces are still played in stages worldwide. He also influenced other notable writers including Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce, and Henry Miller.
Anton Chekhov is but one of the many physicians who had to take on jobs far removed from their chosen profession in order to supplement their income. And you can do it too, just like they did. Here are 6 income-generating ideas for locum GPs that may well be your key to financial freedom.
Be a Social Media Influencer
A social media influencer helps brands get their message across potential customers. You can start out as a product reviewer or blogger. Being a licensed general practitioner will help you position yourself as an industry expert who can give people some valuable information regarding a product or service related to your field.
Many of the big brands today pay social media influencers in their marketing campaigns. This isn’t surprising as a Nielsen survey says 90% of consumers trust peer recommendations compared to 33% still relying on advertisements.
Medical Writing
Considering the introductory Anton Chekhov story, this should have gotten the first spot in this list of income-generating ideas for locum GPs. The point is, a great many doctors have proven themselves to be astounding storytellers. Siddharta Mukherjee, Atul Gawande, Khaled Hosseini, and Oliver Sacks come to mind.
You could put your medical know-how to good use by writing for health websites, magazines, and journals. And if you’re not very confident about your writing, take this online “Writing in the Sciences” course by Stanford University. Dedicating 3-5 hours a week for a couple of months could give you a lifetime of income-generating skill.
Set Up Your Own Business
Doctors are touted as lousy businessmen, but John Harvey Kellogg would turn in his grave if you believe an iota of this unfair judgment. I can give you a few reasons doctors make excellent entrepreneurs.
- Smart decision-making. Years in practice and medical school gave you invaluable experience in the form of failures and rejections. In the business world, the most successful startups are run by CEOs who’ve had their fair share of mistakes and failures. They have learned from these mistakes and so they judge situations based on real-life knowledge.
- Dealing with uncertainty. In businesses, a lot of things are uncertain. The same is true in the medical profession. Doctors make decisions based on incomplete information. They rely on their “gut instinct” which is a special skill they share with businesspeople.
- “Mastering the Five Skills of Disruptive Innovators.” Clayton Christensen and Hal B Gregersen mentioned (1) associating (2) questioning, (3) observing, (4) experimenting, and (5) networking to be the skills that make successful entrepreneurs. If you went to medical school, I bet you do these things already by instinct.
Continuing your career as a locum offers flexibility, freedom, and control over your work-life balance. Click below to register as a locum GP or call us at 6258 6683 for any enquiries.
Become a Utilization Reviewer
According to Deloitte, insurance companies are faced with a couple of challenges: increase sales and boost profit. A utilization review is needed to minimize costs and to make sure that a treatment is necessary. This is where your expertise is useful. Medical utilization reviewers are in demand these days. It pays well, plus you can do this as a part-time work-at-home gig.
Produce Presentations for Online Courses
With the rise of educational websites like Coursera and EdX, online short courses have become popular in the past few years. Universities, businesses, government, and non-government institutions offer online courses and seminars for health professionals and the public. You can offer your services to these organizations especially if you have writing and computer software skills.
Be an Adjunct Professor
Part-time professors work about 10-25 hours a week. This could mean teaching one or two courses, maybe biology or global health. Teaching college students is the best choice since it could pay the same hourly rate as in clinical practice. Teaching in high school won’t make my personal income-generating ideas for locum GPs list, though, as it pays too little.
While better income is one of the advantages of working as a locum doctor, having an additional source of income is more than welcome. The above are but a few income-generating ideas for locum GPs. They all require hard work, but don’t get disheartened. Remember the words of Roy Bennet: “You are braver than you think, more talented than you know, and capable of more than you imagine.”
Related articles that might interest you:
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Understanding Tort of Negligence as a Medical Professional Freelancer
Freelancing and Illness: What Can You Do?
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