Working as HIV/Tuberculosis Specialist Doctor in the field

MSF Switzerland is not currently looking for this type of profile.

Un médecin spécialiste HIV MSF en consultation avec un patient.

Being an HIV/tuberculosis (TB) specialist doctor with MSF can be a challenging role, and the needs will be very diverse depending on the project you work in: you may be involved in setting up an HIV treatment programme or plan, organising and evaluating existing medical activities for TB patients, or operational research related to HIV or TB. You will collaborate with the country's healthcare staff working at MSF intervention sites, such as primary health care centres, outpatient consultations or in a hospital.

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Job description

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Testimonials

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Questions

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1. Job description

This is an exciting and diverse role and, depending on the type of project, will involve some or all of the following.

Responsibilities:

  • Ensure that all patients are treated in accordance with the protocols available for HIV, TB, hepatitis C and B
  • Ensure the use of clinical algorithms for the management of advanced HIV
  • Be responsible for the diagnosis of therapeutic failure, opportunistic infections and co-infections, and the initiation of antiretroviral therapy, second- or third-line antiretroviral therapy
  • Ensure proper diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of patients with Kaposi’s sarcoma undergoing chemotherapy
  • Keep abreast of new drug-resistant TB regimens and implementation of new drugs for drug-resistant TB and extensively drug-resistant TB
  • Ensure that patients in need of psychosocial support are identified and referred to the psychosocial department
  • Improve quality of care and treatment for patients with HIV and/or TB from diagnostics, to linkage, treatment and retention in care at health centre, clinic and community levels
  • Monitor the proper functioning of the department, equipment or materials and control the rational distribution of medicines
  • Assure general compliance with standing hygiene standards, such as ensuring the quality, disinfection and sterilisation of medical equipment
  • Keep the patient and/or family informed about the illness and provide appropriate explanations about the treatment to be followed
  • Ensure ongoing training of the multidisciplinary medical/paramedical team in order to optimise the quality of care and empower the staff Manage the team under your responsibility, supervising performance, organising and scheduling shifts and rotations, directly participating in emergencies and on-calls if necessary
  • Fill in patient files, collect and analyse medical data and participate in medical reporting

Depending on our activities and needs, your responsibilities may be adapted and evolve according to the specific projects.

You will not face these challenges alone; other MSF team members (both international and locally hired staff) will provide technical support, including comprehensive guidelines and protocols.

Requirements:

  • At least three years’ clinical experience as a medical doctor or intern towards specialisation with a focus on HIV and/or MDR-TB
  • Recent clinical experience of at least six months within the last 24 months
  • IT skills (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
  • Fluency in English and/or French; any other languages are an asset (Portuguese, Spanish, Russian, Arabic)
  • Available for a minimum of six months
  • Commitment to MSF’s work and values
  • Strong team player
  • Willingness to work in all kinds of contexts worldwide, including unstable areas
  • Adaptable and able to work in a multicultural team
  • Self-driven with a solution-oriented approach
  • Flexible and able to manage stress
  • Ability to train others

Assets:

  • Specialisation in infectious diseases or respiratory/lung diseases or HIV
  • Experience working in developing countries
  • People management experience


We encourage applications from people of all genders, ages, sexual orientations, backgrounds, religions, beliefs, abilities and all other characteristics of diversity.

MSF does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of discrimination or harassment, including sexual harassment. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo reference checks.

3. Questions

What to expect

Malawi, 28.06.2017

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What MSF offers

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How to apply

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It is rare that MSF advertises job openings for specific countries or projects.

Instead, in order to be able to respond to medical emergencies, MSF recruits applicants into different professional reserve lists, (also referred to as “pools”) throughout the year. Candidates within the pool will be matched to a specific position in a specific country based on their skill set, competencies, technical experience and background.

When applying to join our pool, you can indicate any geographic preferences you may have. However, in accordance with the MSF Charter, providing assistance to populations in distress must take priority over geographical preferences. As a candidate, you must be flexible and willing to work wherever your skills are most needed. Therefore, it is not always possible to fulfil specific country requests. MSF expects candidates to be flexible about where they work so that we can meet the needs of the field. However, if you have special skills, speak additional languages or have restrictions, those will be taken into consideration for each placement.

The standard duration of a first posting is six months. Medical specialists such as anaesthetists, gynaecologists and surgeons are placed in projects from six weeks to three months. This is not the case for general practitioners, paramedical or non-medical profiles.

For subsequent postings, depending on the needs of the country, the duration may be shorter for emergencies (several weeks to three months) or longer (perhaps six to 12 months) in more stable contexts. Coordinator positions are opened for a longer period, from one to two years.

We are mainly looking for candidates who are prepared to make a long-term commitment and work with MSF over several years. We therefore ask you to engage with MSF for more than one mission, or at least 12 months. This will probably include one or more breaks, as it is important to rest between assignments. You are invited to discuss the timing of your break with your career manager when you return from the first posting.

For all non-medical profiles, a minimum of two years’ relevant work experience is required (excluding internships and voluntary work). For doctors, a minimum of three years is required (excluding internships and voluntary work). Surgeons need 2 years post-specialisation experience and specialists do not need post-specialisation experience. For all medical profiles, a minimum of three years’ experience is required (excluding internships and voluntary work). Previous work experience is essential as we expect a high level of autonomy from our staff in the field. Detailed criteria for each profile can be found under What’s your profile?.

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4. Apply online

Your application will be processed by a specific MSF office according to your country of residence. If you are already employed by MSF Switzerland, choose "OCG Field employee" or "OCG HQ employee".

Please notice that some offices do NOT recruit specific profiles. If that might be the case for your profile, please apply via MSF Switzerland.

This application form is only for field missions. If you wish to apply for HQ positions, please consult our current jobs postings.

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