See, that’s the whole point. This was a discussion about people being able to live on seasonal, menial and easy to access jobs like unloading goods or waiting tables. They weren’t living very good of it, but it was possible without sleeping on the street.

A doctor is a very bad example indeed, because most doctors have fixed jobs they can’t easily leave for longer time periods. No, it’s actually a very similar example to yours. Contract work in the medical industry has been becoming extremely common over the last decade or so. Hospitals need to pay premium to fill their short-term staff shortages and doctors and nurses get higher than average pay combined with a lot of flexibility. Work half a year and earn enough for the rest? Absolutely possible, if you’re willing to move on short notice.

So both examples show jobs that are difficult to get into with years of certification and training. Both have nothing to do with the initial point of the discussion.