Surgeon

Surgeon

Caption MSF medical activity manager Khassan El-Kafarna works in the hospital in Dnipropetrovsk region. It is the closest medical facility to the eastern frontline that provides specialised care. This facility admits wounded patients and those with chronic conditions requiring surgery. "When it gets to the patient care and the surgery, it's like getting into another universe, another reality. Basically, everything around shuts down, and you see only the patient and the operation field that's in front of you. You don't think about anything else during that time", says Khassan. © Yuliia Trofimova/MSF

Our surgeons provide practical, life-saving care to vulnerable people all over the world.

As a Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) surgeon, you could be called to perform a caesarean section in a temporary tented health facility for displaced people in South Sudan, through to performing a highly technical operation on a child disfigured by noma in Nigeria. Surgical work with MSF is incredibly varied.

We are not currently accepting applications for surgeons.

Responsibilities

Our surgeons are always based in the project (unless it is managed at distance due to security), and perform a wide range of surgical interventions and non-surgical care, from burns care and dressings through to fistula surgeries and managing spear wounds.

It’s an exciting and diverse role and our surgeons are usually responsible for some or all of the following:

• Performing obstetric surgeries where needed
• Management of war wounds (bullet removal, amputations, etc)
• General surgery
• Burns management
• Training/managing national staff (operation theatre nurse, paramedics, etc)

Application guide

Read our guide on the application process for all overseas roles

Read our guide >

Role requirements

• Post CCT/FRCS higher surgical training and an ability to work autonomously
• Full GMC or Irish Medical Council registration
• Ability to perform general surgery including Paediatrics and Caesarean sections. Some experience in A&E and orthopaedics is desirable
• Current or recent practical experience
• Ability to work with limited resources
• Experience in managing, supervising and training others
• Able to work well as a part of a multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary team
• Willing to work in unstable areas and ability to cope in a difficult and unpredictable environment
• Availability for a minimum period of eight weeks
• Minimum of three months’ work, volunteering or travelling experience in low-income countries

The Surgical Training for Austere Environments (STAE) is a course that was designed in collaboration between MSF and the Royal College of Surgeons. The aim of the course is to provide experienced surgeons with the essential general surgical skills needed to work abroad in low resource settings. MSF strongly recommends this course to all surgeons that want to work abroad with us.

Languages

We're currently looking for surgeons with good French or Arabic skills.

If you can speak French or Arabic you're much more likely to be accepted onto our register.

Your language level may be tested during the recruitment process.