Working as surgeon in the field

Un chirurgien osculte un patient au Soudan du Sud.

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.

You will supervise and coordinate all aspects of the surgery department. You will ensure the quality of the surgical service in the emergency room, outpatient clinic, operating theatre, inpatient department and dressing room. You will be responsible for providing the best surgical care to patients by working in close collaboration with the team (anaesthetists, operating theatre (OT) nurses, ward nurses and others) and by training the personnel in the operating room and on the surgical ward. Our surgical projects deliver high-quality care, with internationally standardised protocols, hygiene procedures, technical platforms and medical products.

1
Job description

Find out more about the position.

2
Testimonials

Read about experiences from the field.

3
Questions

Have questions? Find answers to your questions.

4
Apply

Make sure you’ve read everything before applying.

1. Job description

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

Responsibilities:

  • Undertake preoperative consultations, evaluating the surgical risks with the anaesthetist and/or other medical staff involved, and obtain the patient’s signed consent to operate
  • Carry out emergency and scheduled surgical interventions following MSF protocols and policies, including swab counts, ensuring appropriate use of surgical equipment
  • Carry out postoperative clinical care and ward rounds (in collaboration with the anaesthetist, Operating Theatre Nurse and ward staff), ensuring compliance with MSF protocols, rational use of medicines and proper OT register entries/documentation of all OT interventions
  • Coordinate the implementation of MSF clinical policies, tools, guidelines and protocols (antibiotic prophylaxis, postoperative pain management, thromboprophylaxis, Caesarean sections, blood transfusions, etc.) and recommendations (standard hygiene and sterilisation rules, prevention of HIV, TB, syphilis and hepatitis B exposure) in order to minimise clinical risks
  • In collaboration with the anaesthetist, carry out the collection and analysis of quantitative surgical anaesthesia data, using postoperative observation sheets, routine data collected, patient files, operating department register, patient files, etc.; review data, analyse clinical trends, comment on adverse events and coordinate patient referrals
  • Support organisation of the operating schedule and, with the operating theatre staff, monitor the use of materials and equipment and advise on instrument needs
  • Organise the hospital emergency disaster response plan, in conjunction with the anaesthetist and the medical doctor/nursing manager, and run hospital practice drills
  • Know and help implement the accidental blood exposure policy
  • Manage, train and supervise the surgery team through activities such as recruitment, capacity-building, briefing/debriefing and evaluation of staff

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:

  • Specialist surgery qualification
  • Recent clinical experience (at least six months within the last 24 months)
  • At least two year’s post-specialisation professional experience
  • Willingness to work in various surgical fields (gynaecology/obstetrics, orthopaedics, skin grafts, war surgery)
  • IT skills (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
  • Fluency in English and/or French; any other languages are an asset (Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Russian)
  • Available for a minimum of six weeks
  • 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
  • Flexible and able to manage stress
  • Self-driven with a solution-oriented approach
  • Ability to train others

Assets:

  • Experience working in developing countries
  • People management experience
  • Versatile experience in different surgical fields such as Caesarean sections, orthopaedics (including fixators), skin grafts
  • Training courses in humanitarian surgery in austere environments, as offered at the Royal College of Surgeons or the University of Louvain


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

John, surgeon

05:05 min

msf.related_videos.all_videos

3. Questions

What to expect

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Malawi, 05.02.2015

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How to apply

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

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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?.

All questions

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

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.

As Candidates, MSF cares about protecting your data. By applying to a position, you accept that MSF will use your personal data. For more information, please read our Human Resources Privacy notice.