Moonlighting

The general surgery residency program does permit residents who are in their research years, also known as lab years, to moonlight at outside institutions. Moonlighting activities performed within the Nebraska Medical Center do not pertain to the following policy. Moonlighting is not permitted during clinical years of the residency program. 

Criteria for Eligibility

All of the following criteria must be met.

• The research resident is in good standing with the program.
• The research resident’s mentor has given approval for the resident to engage in moonlighting activities.
• The moonlighting activities do not and will not interfere with the primary job functions of the research resident. This includes all time in the lab, meetings with mentors and other program, department, or UNMC personnel, and any other UNMC commitments. 
• The research resident must comply with current duty hour rules of the program per the Office of Graduate Medical Education. All hours worked during moonlighting are to be counted towards work hours within a given week.  

Policy

• Moonlighting is optional. There is no requirement on behalf of the program for any resident to engage in moonlighting activities. The refusal to engage in any such activities will not have any direct or indirect effect on the performance or evaluation of a resident. All residents have the right to refuse moonlighting requests.
• Moonlighting must not compromise research projects or productivity. Research residents will be held to the same standards as if they were not moonlighting. Obligations to the research project, the program and UNMC will always take precedence over moonlighting. 
• The program director and the resident’s research mentor have the right to prohibit or cease moonlighting activities of a research resident, based on his or her performance and/or productivity. Work performance of the research resident will be evaluated and monitored by their research mentor. Moonlighting privileges may be reinstated at the request of the research resident based on acceptable work performance. Both the program director and research mentor must agree to reinstate privileges.   
• All moonlighting hours must be logged and counted towards the current work hour regulations for a work week. All moonlighting hours are in addition to the standard 40 hours per week the research resident devotes to the research project. Under no circumstances should a research resident violate the work hour rules for the program.
• Malpractice insurance for the research resident is covered by UNMC and the Office of Graduate Medical Education moonlighting policy agreement. No additional malpractice coverage is needed by the hiring institution. A certificate of insurance can be provided upon request. 

Specific responsibilities of the research resident and outside hiring institution

• The hiring institution will provide the contract for services. The contract is an agreement between the research resident and the hiring institution and is independent from all other contracts involving UNMC.
• The research resident will receive payment for moonlighting activities directly from the hiring institution. UNMC has no involvement regarding rate of pay or compensation.
• The research resident must have a full medical license and be able to practice as an independent practitioner at the hiring institution. Even if the resident will only be performing duties at the hiring institution equitable to a resident and is always under the supervision of another attending physician, he or she must still obtain full licensure.

Procedure

• Any research resident who has the intent to engage in moonlighting activities must first notify both their research mentor and Program Director.
• The research resident, program director, and mentor must all consent to the proposed moonlighting activities prior to their commencement. Agreement in writing is required, signified by the signing of this document. 
• A signed memorandum of understanding must be submitted to the residency program coordinator’s office and will be kept in the research resident’s file.
• One memorandum of understanding is sufficient for multiple hiring institutions. There does not need to be a separate or additional memorandums completed if the research resident engages in moonlighting activities at more than one outside institution.
• A signed memorandum is valid for a maximum of two academic years, or from the signature date until the completion of the academic years in which the resident is entered in his or her research years, unless the program director or research mentor invalidates the agreement based on the above policy. Should invalidation occur, the research resident will notify the residency program coordinator’s office so that a notation can be made in his or her file.
• If moonlighting privileges have been revoked and subsequently reinstated, a new memorandum needs to be signed and submitted to the coordinator’s office.