This post is about my income for October 2017. Total earnings were $2,857. As my income streams are drying up, I’m searching more aggressively for my next career move.
This is one of the lowest income I’ve generated since starting to moonlight in residency (2006). In a way it feels great, hopefully this is the push I need to switch careers.
JustAnswer – $2,500
JA income gets deposited through PayPal on the first of the following month. Though I haven’t yet received the income, I know approximately what it will be.
It’s hard to say how many hours of work went into earning this money, didn’t feel like much this month – perhaps 12 hours, for any hourly wage of $208.
The work has become easier than ever. I’ve developed my own methods, become efficient in answering the right questions in a timely fashion. Just a year ago I recall being frustrated with JA to the point of wanting to quit.
JA has been the only company so far to explicitly allow me to work on their platform from another country. However, due to recent drama with other companies I have decided to always use a VPN.
Future JA Income
My friend at JA who hired me has since moved on and I’m super excited for her – she is searching for her own new career adventure. For now, I am in good standing with JA and the income is helpful.
I learned the lesson of income diversification firsthand. When employed full-time your employer has a lot invested in you. Once you go part-time or per diem it can feel like being a second class citizen.
Kaiser Permanente – $357
I officially resigned from KP this month. This KP paycheck should be my last. It’s after-tax income for administrative work which I did early on in the year.
The reason for resigning had mainly to do with the current investigation I’m subject to. Since I don’t need the income and don’t really feel welcome at KP any longer then there it’s best to move on.
My resignation wasn’t retaliatory – burning bridges is childish. I still have solid connections at KP in the Northwest region and KP’s in Northern California as well as Southern California. All these groups are completely independent which is good for me in case I ever need the income.
American Well – $0
My work with AmWell has officially ended because I was let go for logging on from another country. I wrote about this in this post regarding bullying.
Every other telemedicine company that I am licensed to work for (JA, Teladoc, DOD) have clearly outlined their position on working from another country.
AmWell didn’t. Ideally, I would have liked to see them point out the fact that I logged on from another country, tell me that it’s not acceptable, and move on from there. However, I was contracted through a locum agency to work for AmWell so I was dealing with the headhunter types and not AmWell directly.
Regardless, I really enjoy the AmWell work-model. They appear committed to patient-care without trying to replace a face-to-face visit with telemedicine.
For anyone interested in working for AmWell from another country, use a VPN which will change your foreign location to the US. Normally I’m against lying or deceiving an employer. However, if they have little regard for their employees then it only seems fair to look out for myself.
AirBnb – $0
My plan is to move back into my condo in Portland which means I won’t be able to generate income from it through AirBnb any longer.
Being a landlord isn’t too bad but it takes work. Having to reply to inquiries and worrying about the tenants is just a part of it. The accelerated depreciation of the condo is another factor.
If you are away from your home for a few months, AirBnb can be a wonderful way to keep the home occupied as well as earn a side-income.
Looking Ahead To November 2017
The next few months are uncertain. Will I move back to Portland for good? Will I attempt to get a long-term visa and return back to Barcelona?
More importantly, my desire to continue practicing medicine has completely faded. The only thing keeping me in medicine is the ease of the income – I am simply too greedy to break away from that.
Recent events with the Oregon medical board, which are still ongoing, have further reinforced my desire for an encore career. I suspect that I’ll continue to work on JA for as long as that income source is viable. I should be able to earn another ~$2,000 for the month of November through them.
Encore Career – Future Income
The idea of an encore career has been on my mind as much as telemedicine was 2 years ago. The next few months I’ll focus on figuring out a new career path.
What I haven’t yet explored is whether I desire any future income at all. My $140,000 condo alone can earn me enough to live a happy retired lifestyle indefinitely.