Working With MSF

Q: How does MSF recruit volunteers?

A: Médecins Sans Frontières' (MSF) / Doctors Without Borders' national and regional offices are responsible for recruiting, screening, interviewing and placing medical and non-medical volunteers. This is done in a variety of different ways, including: medical conferences, professional associations, specialized outreach activities, and targeted recruitment campaigns.

• If you are Canadian, please see: MSF.ca.

• If you are American, please see: DoctorsWithoutBorders.org.

Q: How long are volunteer terms?

A: Most first assignments (known as missions) are nine to 12 months duration. There are, however, some exceptions:

• Six-month opportunities occasionally occur for physicians;

• Surgeons and anesthetists are sometimes needed for assignments lasting from one to three months (or more);

• Project Coordinator, Logistical Coordinator, and Financial Coordinator positions are for at least 12 months;

• Medical Coordinator and Head of Mission positions are for at least 24 months.

Q: What are the basic requirements for a medical position with MSF?

A: Medical staff require a valid, current license from Canada, the USA, or Europe; outside of this, eligibility is decided on a case by case basis.

• Physicians – A minimum of one to two years of work experience (clinical hospital doctor or GP) post-residency.

• Surgeons – A minimum of two years of post-registration/graduation experience in surgery. Experience in general, vascular, orthopedic, or obstetrical surgery is usually necessary.

• Anesthesiologists – A minimum of four years of experience (in anesthesiology).

• Nurse Anesthetists – Full qualification, plus two years of experience.

• Nurses/NPs – A minimum of two years of post-graduate nursing experience. Post-graduate specialties in community/public health, infectious diseases (TB, HIV/AIDS), operating room, or emergency room are assets.

• Midwives – A minimum of two years of relevant post-graduate work experience. Midwifery experience in isolated communities or in developing countries is an asset.

• Mental Health Specialists – Formal education in a caring profession (e.g., psychiatric nurses, social workers, clinical psychologists, counselors, psychotherapists) and two years of post-qualification experience.

• Laboratory Specialists – A minimum of one to two years of work experience in a clinical lab. Training in tropical diseases is an asset.

• Dieticians/Nutritionists – A minimum of two years of relevant post-graduate work experience. Experience in epidemiology and statistics are essential.

Q: What are the basic requirements for a non-medical position with MSF?

A: The requirements are:

Logisticians –

• A minimum of two years of professional work experience;

• Technical and administrative skills in three or more of the following areas: vehicle mechanics; energy and electricity; IT (information technology); supply management; communications; construction; water and sanitation.

Administrators –

• A minimum of two years of relevant work experience;

• Experience in either financial administration (accounting and reporting) or financial management (planning and budget control).

Finance Controllers –

• A minimum of two years of relevant work experience;

• Experience in either financial administration (accounting and reporting) or financial management (planning and budget control);

• Training in finance, administration, or accounting is recommended.

Water & Sanitation Specialists –

• A minimum of two years of relevant work experience;

• Training in civil engineering, water and sanitation, land and water management (preferably international), or related.

In addition, all of the above must have relevant travel and/or work experience in a developing country, or work experience in remote Northern Canada.

Q: What are the basic requirements for a coordinator position with MSF?

A: The requirements are:

Project Coordinator –

• A minimum of two years of relevant overseas work experience in a coordinating role.

Medical Coordinator –

• Applicants must be doctors, RNs, or other health professionals;

• A minimum of two years of post-graduate work experience;

• A minimum of two years of overseas NGO experience supervising medical programs as a project cocoordinator or medical team leader.

Logistical Coordinator –

• Experience in car mechanics, electricity, ICT, supply, and communication;

• Experience with organization and set-up of logistical systems and related administrative procedures, including: international ordering procedures/documents; in-country customs clearance procedures and supply lines; ability to design air, water or land logistical systems; ability to design HF and VHF communication systems.

Head of Mission –

• A minimum of three years of experience in the humanitarian field;

• A minimum of two years of experience in a management position in a humanitarian organization;

• Human resources, project management, and budget management skills.

Q: What "soft skills," such as interpersonal skills, does one need?

A: Volunteers live and work together in very basic conditions with little privacy, in situations that can change rapidly. Tolerance, flexibility, the ability to manage stress, being a team player, and possessing strong interpersonal skills are essential.

Q: What sort of personality does one need? – Or, generally, which personality types do well and which don't do well?

A: People who do well with MSF are those with strong humanitarian values, who are flexible, open-minded, easygoing, and committed. Teamwork plays a very central role in our work, so you must be a good team player, with endurance and stamina to work under difficult conditions. Individuals who are confident, diplomatic, patient, and able to function effectively under stress are most successful. We also require that volunteers are able to work with a range of people from different cultures, age groups, and personality types.

Q: Do I need to speak a language other than English?

A: English is essential. The ability also to speak French, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian, or Arabic allows for more placement opportunities. (Preference with MSF Canada is given to candidates who are bilingual in English and French.)

Q: Do I have to have experience in a developing country to apply?

A: Generally, previous work or travel experience in Africa, Asia, Central and South America, or in remote areas such as the Canadian North is required.

Q: What expenses are covered by MSF?

A: MSF covers:

• Costs of living and accommodation in the project country;

• Transportation to/from the project;

• Required immunizations, anti-malarials, etc.;

• Insurance covering health, luggage, private and professional liability, repatriation, accidents, and flights.

Volunteers also receive a stipend paid monthly to their home bank account to help cover their fixed costs at home and to help them to reintegrate after a mission. A per diem is given in the field to cover day-to-day costs.

Q: Can I pick a specific country?

A: No, you must be willing to be sent where the needs are greatest. You can indicate your level of comfort in terms of security, but must understand that the majority of MSF's projects are in countries with some level of instability.

Q: Is there an age limit?

A: No, but applicants must be in good health and able to withstand basic living conditions, harsh climates, and long hours of work.

Q: In what age range are most of your volunteers?

A: Recent volunteers in the field have ranged from 24 years to 80 years.

Q: Can my family come?

A: It depends on the context (i.e., on a country to country basis), and even then, only those in certain positions (i.e., Head of Mission, Medical Coordinator, Financial Coordinator, or Logistics Coordinator) are able to travel with dependents.

Q: What is the general recruitment, interview, and orientation process for MSF?

A: The instructions for applying to MSF are found on our website at msf.ca. Once a completed application (online application, résumé, and letter of motivation) is received electronically at the appropriate MSF office, it will be prescreened. Candidates who meet all criteria and are prescreened "positive" will be contacted for an interview. Candidates prescreened "negative" will be contacted to be given more information, including suggestions about how to better prepare themselves for an MSF mission.

Q: Does MSF have trouble finding people to fill its positions?

A: MSF is always looking for qualified volunteers.

Q: What type (i.e., profession) of volunteers does MSF need most of, and what type is hardest to get?

A: We are always in need of more physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, midwives, laboratory specialists, and mental health specialists.

Q: Does MSF have a lot of "repeats"? If yes, in which categories? If yes, in which age groups?

A: Most volunteers, regardless of their profile, do more than one mission with MSF.

Q: Does anyone ever "quit" and go home?

A: The main reason a volunteer ends a contract early is due to a family emergency at home. However, MSF has ended contracts due to conduct issues or difficulties within a team.

Q: What are some of the types of projects on which volunteers could be working?

A: MSF works in areas of Africa, the Americas, Australia, Asia, and Europe where it has found services inadequate to meet a population's medical needs. We work in wars and conflicts, with refugees and displaced people, in natural and manmade disasters, and give long-term assistance. Our work is varied. We start projects when a humanitarian crisis is identified. We conduct massive vaccination campaigns. We provide feeding, patient care, maternal and pediatric care, mental health care, and HIV/AIDS care and prevention. We distribute drugs and medical supplies. We engage in training and supervision of medical staff. We do data collection. We work in the rehabilitation of hospitals and clinics, and in water and sanitation improvement.

Q: What are the general types of projects, and how many and what kinds of staff work on each type of project? What percentage are expats and what percentage are locals?

A: This varies very much from project to project. Please see our 2003/2004 Activity Report online at msf.org. Last year, MSF sent 3,000 expats to the field, and we worked with 15,000 national/local staff.

Q: What are the major adjustment problems in terms of work, particularly for clinical staff and for non-medical staff?

A: For both types of staff, the major adjustment involves team dynamics, and being able to adapt to the local environment and to work well with both local and other expat staff.

Q: What do volunteers gain by working for MSF?

A: Volunteers gain:

• An understanding of the challenges of practicing medicine in a low-resource setting, and a "hands-on" medical experience that enhances clinical skills.

• An understanding of the rational use of resources, and of health systems in other countries.

• Information on the major determinants of health in disadvantaged populations: poverty; access to basic needs; access to treatment; violence; humanitarian issues; and political factors and their processes.

• A basic understanding of the pathology and treatment of the major illnesses in international health (e.g., HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria) and the difficulties the populations have in accessing medicine, including the barriers to treatment.

• A knowledge of neglected diseases, and of the global burden of disease and the implications for the future.

• An understanding of the role of culture in medical practice.

• An understanding of the differences of health research between developed and developing countries.

• An understanding of the links between the fields of public health, community health, population health, epidemiology, health policy, international issues, and law and health economics.

• An understanding of MSF's guiding standards: humanity; medical ethics; international health; humanitarian law; human rights norms; and advocacy on behalf of populations in danger.

Q: What do volunteers say is the most gratifying thing about working for MSF?

A: Though it may sound like a cliché, what is heard repeatedly from volunteers is that they feel like they've "made a difference" and that they were able to work in environments where their skills and knowledge we not only useful, but vital.

To read the stories of healthcare professionals who have worked with MSF, see: Across Careers and Continents, "Keep Up the Fight, Nigerians!", I Got to Decide, and What is a Hospital?

Would you like to share your experiences or observations about living abroad? Email us today at submissions@medhunters.com.

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