Are the glory days of medicine a thing of the past?

Swamped by paperwork, litigation risk and burnout, many doctors are seeking out alternative opportunities.  

Some strive to incubate the next unicorn (billion dollar business) or transition their move out of medicine.

Others use their side gig as a creative outlet, passion project or platform to change the world. The great thing about side gigs is you don’t have to give up clinical medicine entirely and this makes the process a whole lot less stressful.

No matter what pot of gold you’re chasing here are 8 reasons why doctors should develop a side gig.

1. Develop New Skills

Medical school and specialty training are not known for teaching business skills. When we start a side hustle we learn to develop a whole new set of skills in leadership, marketing, sales, negotiation, accounting, legal, hiring and firing.

Many of these skills are centred around communication and inspiring people to take action-  these skills can make you a better doctor too.

2. Push Through Your Comfort Zone

As doctors we love a challenge. Medical school challenged us with exams. Residency challenged our endurance and resilience. Then as consultants, we are challenged by disease and inspiring health…. for a while. When work becomes predictable a side project can challenge us to push new boundaries.

3. Test New Ideas

Clinical medicine today is so heavily guided by evidence based practice there is little room for taking a chance and “colouring outside the lines”.

A side gig can let you utilise the scientific method to test new ideas without the fear of those indemnity lawyers.

4. Don’t Die With Regret

Bubbling inside each of us in an idea we want to share with the world. Maybe its a book, a painting or a poem.  What a great tragedy to leave this world with that song still inside you.

5. Additional Income

We never know when the government, insurance company or lawsuit could put an end to our clinical career. There’s a peace in knowing that we have alternative income streams. Your side gig can buffer life’s calamities or simply pay for that extra vacation.

6. Pursue A Passion

Chasing a dream can uplift us on a daily basis and improve other aspects of our lives. It’s amazing how we can buzz with energy and sacrifice sleep when we are truly excited about our mission.

7. Help People On a Larger Scale

Most of us became doctors to help people but soon realised we are not reproducible and only able to help one patient at a time. The internet has removed the barriers of geography and time enabling our books, courses and blogs to educate and help people across the globe.

Checkout my course LinkedIn for Doctors and learn how to create your All Star Profile in just 60 minutes.

8. Connect With Other Motivated Individuals

We’re living in a global village, connected seamlessly by our smartphone to over 3 billion people.

By tapping into this pool of brilliance we can connect with like-minded people from all over the world to find inspiration and ideas to inject into our side gigs. Whether it’s a Facebook or LinkedIn Group, Instagram Pod or Slack forum there are countless opportunities to connect and network.

So what’s YOUR side gig? Do you have an idea, invention or book that’s waiting to see the light of day?

This is the time to take action.

Nurture it. Launch it. Give it a chance to take flight.

‘Til next time.

Live Life. Laugh Lots. Be Epic…. and leave a comment below.

Andrew