Doctors Without Borders & Surgeons

[N-transition]

Does Doctors Without Borders take, as volunteers, surgeons other than general surgeons? Has anyone heard of surgeons from ortho, plastics or neuro volunteering with Doctors without Borders? Any info. is appreciated. 😎

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[Apollyon]

http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/
http://www.msf.org/

They say they need surgeons, but don't specify. Since they're in war zones and other debilitated areas, I would likely guess that ortho, neuro, ophtho, and ENT are in high demand, but, also, if you are one of those specialists, be ready to be doing general, too (ie, if you're, for example, a neurosurgeon, and you are doing all neurosx cases, you're probably in a HOT war zone).

 

[supercut]

Based on second hand information (from friends who have gone) I'd say you have to be a gen surgeon. You have to be able to operate on the abdomen for sure. Also must have the abililty to handle vascular and thoracic stuff.

Some of my friends have done things beyond gen surg (eg debride brain after GSW, put on ex fix and c sections). But it's hard to imagine how you could do it without gen surg training. If you are fellowship trained (vs 3+3) plastics and have gen surg training, you could. Otherwise, there are other organizations that would focus on your specialty (operation smile, for instance...for plastics)

 

[N-transition]

supercut,

are you saying they ( Doctors without borders) would take someone from plastics who went through just 3 yrs of general surgery training in their residency? Is three yrs in general surg. enough to operate on the abdomen.

 

[zensurg]

I would say this is strongly dependent upon which program you train at. Plastic surgeons at our institution spend their 3rd year before entering plastics as the chief operating surgeon on the service. At our program, the 3rd year resident performs the majority of operations.

 

[N-transition]

zensurg,

if you don't mind me asking. Which porgram are you or referring to? I'd really like to look into it. Thank you. 😎

 

[N-transition]

Anymore opinions out there?

 

[Dr. Z]

I agree with Supercut. My friend who recently returned from a 3 month mission with Doctors Without Boarders performed mostly general surgery cases. However, he did have to perform other operations (ortho, neuro, optho, gyn) that are normally not done here in the US by general surgeons. Based on what he told me, I would expect that unless you are trained in general surgery (with a couple of extra rotations in ortho and neuro surg) you would have a difficult time being the only surgeon on a mission. He also told me that they like to send only one surgeon on a mission at one time. I think that an ortho trained surgeon would feel rather lonely when a GSW to the abdomen shows up in the ED.

Also, if you are interested in this type of mission work you might want to read "The Dressing Station: A Surgeon's Chronicle of War and Medicine" by Jonathan Kaplan. It is an interesting read. Hope this helps.

 

[N-transition]

I agree with Supercut. My friend who recently returned from a 3 month mission with Doctors Without Boarders performed mostly general surgery cases. However, he did have to perform other operations (ortho, neuro, optho, gyn) that are normally not done here in the US by general surgeons. Based on what he told me, I would expect that unless you are trained in general surgery (with a couple of extra rotations in ortho and neuro surg) you would have a difficult time being the only surgeon on a mission. He also told me that they like to send only one surgeon on a mission at one time. I think that an ortho trained surgeon would feel rather lonely when a GSW to the abdomen shows up in the ED.

Also, if you are interested in this type of mission work you might want to read "The Dressing Station: A Surgeon's Chronicle of War and Medicine" by Jonathan Kaplan. It is an interesting read. Hope this helps.

Thanks alot Dr. Z. I read Kaplans book. And it is a great read.