3. Fake sick

Doctor talking to patient | Source: iStock

That fake cough you perfected back in junior high could make you some cash. Teaching hospitals across the country hire people, known as standardized patients, to help train medical students by pretending to have a certain medical condition or symptoms.

As a fake patient, you’ll need to be able to convincingly mimic both the symptoms and the emotions of a real patient. After you meet with the student, you’ll provide feedback on their performance. You don’t necessarily need to be pro actor to land the part, which usually pays around $15 an hour. but you do need a “good memory, and excellent listening skills and concentration while being trained, interviewed and examined,” according to Drexel University’s College of Medicine.