How to Make Money in Medical School: 10 Side Gigs for Medical Students

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Learn about the best side hustles for medical students so you can earn additional income and graduate with less debt

A medical student wearing a white coat and stethoscope happily looking for side gigs on his phone and laptop

learn how you can create an income stream while staying on top of your medical studies

Introduction

It goes without saying that doctors are well paid, but medical students know that the path towards that lucrative salary can be tough in the meanwhile. As a med student, you’re probably subsisting on loans, scholarships, family help, or some combination of the three.

In any case, medical school is expensive and notoriously demanding, making it a challenge to hold down a traditional job while getting your education. This leaves many students wondering how to make money while in medical school. 

If you could use extra income during med school, read on. In this guide, we’ll go over ten great side hustles for medical students. Though many med students participate in common part-time jobs like rideshare driving, bartending, dog walking, or babysitting, we won’t cover those here. Instead, we’ll go over work that’s especially well-suited for both medical students’ skillsets and their busy schedules.

List of the best side hustles for medical students

  • Tutor: Medical students make desirable tutors. It’s widely assumed that if you can get into medical school, you have a record of high academic performance. That’s why tutoring undergraduates or high school students, particularly in STEM subjects, is a natural fit for medical students. You can also tutor fellow med students who are in the classes behind yours (for example, as an M2 you could tutor an M1). Whether you work through a company or independently, tutoring is usually a flexible and lucrative gig.

  • MCAT tutor: If you scored highly on the MCAT (typically in the 90th percentile or better), you can also tutor premeds who are gearing up for the exam. Like other types of tutoring, you can work independently or for an established test prep company that will provide you with training and resources. Some companies might also hire you to promote their materials as a campus rep. 

  • Medical school admissions consultant: As someone who’s successfully gone through the admissions process, you may be a great candidate to guide medical school applicants as an admissions consultant. While consulting can be done independently, you’ll likely have better reach by working through an established, reputable company. Admissions consulting is typically flexible work that allows you to take on as many students as you have time to help.  

  • Medical writer: If you can write well, you can combine your scientific knowledge with your writing skills to work as a medical writer. Medical writers create a range of content from journal abstracts to policy documents to pharmaceutical sales training guides to health and wellness blog posts. Though companies and healthcare institutions do hire full-time writers, writing on a freelance basis is usually the best bet for med students.

  • Medical editor: Medical editing relies on a similar skillset as medical writing, but instead of creating content from scratch, you’re responsible for tasks like formatting, proofreading, and fact-checking. If you’re well-versed in grammar and AMA style, consider working as a freelance medical editor. 

  • Research assistant: It’s likely that your medical school is attached to an academic research institution where you could get hired as a part-time research assistant to a professor or lab. While research work may require more structured hours than other side hustles, it has the added benefit of being excellent for your medical student CV. 

  • Research trial participant: You can also participate in research as a paid trial subject. Clinical trials test medications, devices, or medical interventions, so you can select trials based on your comfort level and demographic. Being a guinea pig isn’t for everyone. Nevertheless, it’s an easy and often low-time-commitment way to make money while getting another perspective on the research process. 

  • EMT: Some prospective medical students first train as EMTs in order to get a sense of whether medicine is right for them. EMT certification is time consuming enough that we don’t necessarily recommend pursuing it after you’ve already matriculated into medical school. However, for those who are already certified, working EMT shifts during med school can help you earn extra income while applying your medical knowledge.

  • CPR/first aid instructor: Similar to EMT work, it’s not uncommon for medical students to already possess certification as a CPR or first aid instructor. If that describes you, you can continue to teach courses during medical school while practicing relevant skills.

  • Personal trainer: Though personal training also requires certification, gaining that certification is a fairly easy process. Because most people seek out personal trainers to become healthier, medical students make highly appealing candidates. On top of this, personal training lets you set your own hours and helps you stay active yourself. 

Final thoughts

Medical school is a busy time during which it can be a challenge to earn money. However, the above side hustles are all great ways for medical students to create income streams while staying engaged with their medical educations.