Here’s a statistic I find hard to believe. According to an article in medscape.com, 39% of physicians work a side job. Instead of a job, Medscape calls it a “side gig.” Nevermind what they call it. It’s staggering to think that more than a third of physicians need to work a second job to make ends meet. On the one hand, medscape.com reports physician income has been steady or has actually increased while on the other hand, their 2025 report on “Physicians and Side Gigs” says 39% of doctors have a second source of income. That percentage is mind-boggling.
The article I referenced says the most popular “side gig” involves “medical support work,” one example of which is being an expert witness. Apparently there’s a big demand for doctors who are willing to testify in malpractice and personal injury cases, so much so that a company in Cape Cod, Massachusetts is in business solely for the purpose of training physicians to be expert witnesses. That’s a career path I never would have chosen. The company is called SEAK, Inc., and their website claims they have “assisted tens of thousands of physicians over the past 40 years.” It’s hard to imagine there are “tens of thousands of physicians” who are expert witnesses, and there is that much demand for their professional expertise.
SEAK, Inc maintains both a directory of physicians either experienced in or trained in being an expert witness, and a directory of independent medical examiners. These physicians are categorized by specialty and the services they provide. SEAK also has an array of seminars, videos, and live training sessions on the various aspects of becoming an expert witness and maintains a practice with that emphasis. In addition they have online streaming training sessions.
Apparently, if you’re good at convincing a jury of your knowledge and expert opinion, this side gig can be lucrative. In fact, you can name your price. Not all of the work is testifying in court. Much of it is advisory or consultory for attorneys or insurers. Chart review is another popular gig. Either way, this type of work has become very attractive because it allows a physician to share his/her knowledge and experience, and exert influence on the outcome of various litigations.
In the past, I have received marketing brochures from SEAK, which is a small but effective company. They seem to be the leader in an industry that has a larger sphere of influence than I would have ever thought. It sounds like this is a good business whose reputation will remain untarnished as long as physicians’ ethical standards are upheld.
Reference: Kane L. Good Pay, Rewarding Work: Could You Be An Expert Witness? medscape.com 2026 June 3.
