Psychiatry Single Specialty Group job located in California

• Seeking MD/DO interested in becoming a Psychiatric Qualified Medical Evaluators (QME).
• Independent Contractor role anywhere in California
• Highly flexible, well-paid, work with mentorship - no prior experience required

Psychiatric Qualified Medical Evaluator (QME)
California | Independent Contractor

Overview

Seeking highly trained, thoughtful, and collaborative psychiatrists to join our group as Psychiatric Qualified Medical Evaluators (QMEs). 

This position offers tremendous flexibility, with a time commitment ranging from as little as 2 cases per month to 2–3 cases per week, depending on your availability and interest.

We are the only psychiatry-specific QME group in California and one of the few physician-owned medical-legal management companies. We support psychiatrists in developing deep expertise in psychiatric medical-legal evaluations while managing every aspect of the administrative process as you build your QME practice.

Role Structure

In California, the workers’ compensation system chooses impartial physicians in their specialty fields to provide expert opinion for work injury claims. Experts have the freedom to assess cases without bias to provide a fair analysis of all aspects of injured workers and their claims.

Psychiatric QME work is meaningfully different from traditional clinical practice. In this role, physicians serve solely as medical-legal experts and are not responsible for treatment. There is no prescription management, no follow-up clinical care, no patient calls, and no after-hours responsibilities. Interviews of injured workers are primarily conducted in person although a percentage of cases may be conducted via telehealth when permitted by the parties to a case. All report writing is completed independently, on your own schedule and in the location of your choosing.

Requirements to Apply

• Board-certified in Psychiatry or board-eligible (ACGME-accredited residency)

• Active California medical license

• Strong written communication skills

• Ability to commute to selected office locations in your region (highly flexible)

• Curiosity about the medical-legal world and interest in mentorship

• Medical malpractice insurance that includes coverage for forensic activities

Pathway to QME Certification

After review of your CV and an online interview, we will invite qualified applicants to begin the process of QME certification with our support. 

The Division of Workers’ Compensation offers the Qualified Medical Evaluator examination twice a year, in April and October. The next exam will be administered on computers at Pearson Testing Centers (by appointment) between April 11th-17th, 2026. The deadline to register for the April examination is February 25, 2026. We will assist you in registering you for the examination and point you toward the materials you need to succeed. 

You are welcome to come into this process with no preexisting forensic knowledge or experience.

Compensation

• Competitive per-case compensation, averaging ~$3,500 per initial evaluation

• Guaranteed payment for completed cases

Physician Support & Mentorship

Our co-founders, Drs. Alexis and Patrick Link, provide:

• Structured psychiatric report templates that guide physicians through the medical-legal psychiatric interview and decision-making process, helping ensure clear, thorough, and defensible reports for industrial psychiatric injury cases

• Unlimited mentorship, including optional review and editing of QME reports

• Preparation for deposition testimony, an uncommon but important aspect of QME work

• Complimentary access to legal counsel for QME-related matters

Apply to join us and diversify your psychiatry career!