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Recently, U.S. News and World Report named physician assistant (PA) the No. 3 best job overall and the No. 2 best health care job — and for good reason. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for PAs is expected to grow 20% between 2024 and 2034, significantly outpacing the national average. 

For Benita Varnado, MD, FACOG, the path to medicine was paved early on, guided by her mother, a pediatric nurse, and father, a dentist. As a child, she spent time in his dental practice, welcoming patients and assisting with paperwork.

On a typical day in Sarasota, Florida, Dr. John P. Lafferty IV might spend an hour sitting at a kitchen table with a health plan member. The conversation may begin with medications or recent doctor visits, but it often becomes something more personal. How are they sleeping? Are they steady on their feet? Is there something about their treatment plan that just is not working?

The supervised clinical training period, also known as residency, is a time when physicians build clinical skills, expand medical knowledge and learn to manage a clinical workload with independence. While the long hours and demanding schedules are part of the process, it’s also common for residents to take on additional clinical work — and supplement their earnings — outside their core program.

Moonlighting as a resident involves picking up extra shifts in addition to residency. This can translate into gaining both a supplemental income source and additional hands-on experience in clinical settings. It can also introduce resident physicians to new patient populations or practice environments that complement their primary training. 

Learn more about physician opportunities with Signify Health on our Resident Careers page, or keep reading to better understand the moonlighting process.