Working as psychiatrist in the field

Un psychiatre en consultation au Mexique.

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.

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As an MSF Psychiatrist, your role will be to propose, implement and improve treatments for patients with mental health conditions, using strategies and tools adapted to the context and culture. We provide a range of mental health and psychiatric services to our patients, depending on the programme type and context: programmes integrated into hospital activities, psychiatric and psychological outpatient consultations, programmes offering specific care for trauma (conflict-related, sexual violence) and certain diseases (tuberculosis, AIDS).

Job description

Find out more about the position.

Testimonials

Read about experiences from the field.

Questions

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Apply

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1. Job description

This is an exciting and diverse role involving some or all of the following.

Responsibilities:

Provide care for patients suffering from severe and common psychiatric disorders, paying special attention to the cultural context
Participate as a member of the mental health team and provide supervision and support to national psychologists and counsellors
Train and supervise MSF staff in the diagnosis and treatment of severe and common mental health disorders according to MSF guidelines
Ensure that psychotropic medications from the MSF standard drug list are available in the project
Ensure that proper data regarding clinical activities are collected (for monitoring purposes)
Evaluate psychiatric services available in-country, including possibilities for psychiatric hospitalisation, and the quality of those services
Establish collaboration/communication with MSF and non-MSF medical services in order to achieve a multi-disciplinary approach to patient care

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:

Degree in Psychiatry (Medical Degree with Psychiatry degree registered or resident in Psychiatry with 6 semesters validated)
2 years’ experience working in adult psychiatry
Recent clinical experience (at least six months within the last 24 months)
Experience of working with vulnerable populations
Experience in training, coaching and supervision
IT skills (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) for data and team management
Fluency in English (minimum B2 level)
Available for 3 to 6 months
Commitment to MSF’s work and values
Willingness to work in all kinds of contexts worldwide, including unstable areas
Ability to work with limited resources and in difficult conditions
Adaptable and able to work in a multicultural and multidisciplinary team
Strong team player
Ability to cope with stress and to organize and prioritize workload
Self-driven with a solution-oriented approach

Assets:

Fluency in other languages (Arabic, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Russian)
Experience working in developing countries or with patients from different cultures
Training in psychotherapeutic approaches, in particular in cognitive behavioral techniques
Clinical training or experience in working with trauma-related conditions
Work experience in a similar non-governmental organization

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 and criminal record checks.

2. Testimonials

Ana María, Psychologist

12/08/2015 03:13 min

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External ressources

Listen to MSF's podcast Première Ligne, 50 ans d'humanitaire (in French)

3. Questions

What to expect

We need you to be able to quickly adapt to different cultures...

MSF is an organisation driven by strong values...

République démocratique du Congo, 21.08.2016

Find out more about our recruitment criteria and the next...

Can I apply for a specific post in a specific country?

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.

How long is a posting?

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.

How much experience do I need before applying?

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?.

All questions

Next information sessions

Come discuss with our team and learn about our criteria to go on a mission. All information sessions

4. Apply online

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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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Working as psychiatrist in the field