The Lived Experiences of Physicians Engaging in Moonlighting Before Residency Training: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study in Cebu City, Philippines

Moonlighting is a common transitional practice among licensed physicians awaiting entry into residency training. Although it provides opportunities for income generation and continued clinical practice, little is known about how physicians experience moonlighting during this period in the Philippine setting. Given the limited qualitative evidence describing physicians' lived experiences during the transition between medical licensure and residency training, particularly in the Philippine context, this study explored the lived experiences of physicians who engaged in moonlighting before residency training in Cebu City, Philippines.
Methods. This qualitative study employed Husserlian descriptive phenomenology to explore the lived experiences of licensed physicians who engaged in moonlighting prior to residency training. Eight physicians were purposively selected, with additional participants recruited through snowball sampling until data saturation was achieved. Data were collected through semi-structured, in depth interviews lasting approximately 45–60 minutes. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using Colaizzi’s seven-step phenomenological method. Trustworthiness was established through credibility, transferability, dependability, confirmability, and authenticity. Ethical approval was obtained before data collection, and written informed consent was secured from all participants.
Results and Discussion. Three overarching themes emerged from the analysis: (1) Driving Forces of Moonlighting, encompassing financial necessity, meaningful use of time, service to communities, and opportunities for professional development; (2) Breadth of Moonlighting Experiences, highlighting diverse clinical, community, and academic responsibilities that strengthened physicians’ autonomy, clinical judgment, communication skills, leadership, and adaptability in resource limited settings; and (3) Essence of Moonlighting, describing moonlighting as a transformative experience characterized by lifelong learning, humility, resilience, confidence, and professional identity formation. Participants perceived moonlighting as an important bridge between internship and residency, enabling them to assume greater clinical responsibility while preparing for future specialization. The findings suggest that moonlighting contributes substantially to physicians' professional growth while simultaneously exposing them to challenges associated with workload, limited resources, and independent decision making.
As a qualitative study conducted among physicians in Cebu City, the findings provide in-depth contextual insights but may not be generalizable to all healthcare settings.
Conclusion. Moonlighting before residency training serves as a meaningful transitional stage in physicians' professional development. Beyond financial benefits, it enhances clinical competence, professional confidence, adaptability, and readiness for residency training while fostering a deeper understanding of patient care and healthcare systems. The findings support the development of institutional guidance and policies that promote safe, ethical, and educationally valuable moonlighting practices for early career physicians.

Physicians; Internship and Residency; Qualitative Research; Professional Role; Career Choice; Philippines.

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