House Officer Moonlighting

1.0 Purpose
To establish guidelines for Departmental decisions concerning House Officers involvement in Professional Activities outside of the Educational Program (Moonlighting).

2.0 Procedure

2.1 House Officers at the Medical College of Georgia may engage in Professional Activities outside the educational Program (moonlighting) only with prior written consent from the Program Director and Senior Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education and VA Affairs with a copy on file in the Graduate Medical Education Office and the House Officers Training file. (See attachment for Moonlighting Approval Form)

NOTE: U.S. Code of Federal Regulations governing exchange visitor Program allows an exchange visitor who holds a J visa to receive compensation only for activities that are part of the designated Training Program.  An exchange visitor who engages in unauthorized employment shall be deemed to be in violation of his/her Program status and is subject to termination as a participant in an exchange visitor program.

NOTE: House Officers in H-1B status may not work for other employers or in positions other than those described in the MCG H-1B petition without applying for additional H-1B sponsorship.

2.2 Even when permitted, House Officers must not be required to engage in Amoonlighting,@ because Residency education is a full-time endeavor.  The Program Director must ensure that moonlighting does not interfere with the ability of the House Officer to achieve the goals and objectives of the educational program.

2.3 Moonlighting that occurs within the Residency Program and/or the sponsoring Institution or the non-hospital sponsor=s primary clinical site(s), i.e., internal moonlighting must be counted toward the 80-hour weekly limit on duty hours.

2.4 All House Officers engaged in moonlighting must be licensed for unsupervised medical practice in the State where the moonlighting occurs.  It is the responsibility of the moonlighting House Officer and the Institutional hiring such a House Officer to moonlight to determine whether such licensure is in place, adequate liability coverage is provided and whether the House Officer has the appropriate training and skills to carry out assigned duties.  The Medical College of Georgia cannot insure the activities of a House Officer while they are moonlighting.

2.5 The Medical College of Georgia requires that the Program Director acknowledge in writing that he/she is aware that the House Officer is moonlighting and that this information is made part of the House Officers folder and a copy on file with the Graduate Medical Education Office.