Doctors Without Borders

[Lt.]

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Looking for any and all information about MSF from people with experience with this or similar programs. This is essentially my dream as a doctor after gaining sufficient experience post-residency. Pros? Cons? True stories of hope/inspiration? Gritty horrible realities? Also welcome recommendations for similar organizations or anecdotes from humanitarian medicine. Please share!

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I have documentaries (in Becoming a Student Doctor)...

They do have a good YouTube channel.

 

[GoSpursGo]

If you’re thinking “significant experience post residency,” that’s 10+ years away. Why not just focus on the immediate time period?

It’s incredibly rewarding. You sacrifice a lot in earnings and lifestyle. I’m not sure there is much more to say.

 

[wholeheartedly]

Video documentary: Living in Emergency

Books

by James Orbinski “an imperfect offering”, he has other good stuff too, just google him and dive in

video “triage: james orbinski’s humanitarian dilemma”

by James Maskalyk “ six months in Sudan”

Paul Farmer’s books. the movie “Bending the Arc”

“called for life” by Kent Brantly (doc who got Ebola and was sent to Emory)

”the lassa ward” Ross Donaldson

slightly different angle

”no time to lose, a life in pursuit of deadly viruses” by Peter Piot

 

[Lt.]

If you’re thinking “significant experience post residency,” that’s 10+ years away. Why not just focus on the immediate time period?

It’s incredibly rewarding. You sacrifice a lot in earnings and lifestyle. I’m not sure there is much more to say.

I guess the idea is to have something to offer rather than just being a bumbling medical student with goodwill. The imagination is performing trauma surgery in war-torn areas and such. I wouldn't feel able to do so competently unless I had plenty of real experience under my belt.

 

[TheBoneDoctah]

Are you in residency? Medical school?

 

[Lt.]

Are you in residency? Medical school?

No, premed. Nontraditional transitioning from the military, where I served as the equivalent of a field medic.

 

[LunaOri]

Your experience as a field medic might allow you to volunteer for medical crisis trips even before you finish your training.

 

[TheBoneDoctah]

No, premed. Nontraditional transitioning from the military, where I served as the equivalent of a field medic.

Would worry about that later.

 

[LizzyM]

Dare to dream... and take every opportunity you have to teach others -- get that experience because much of what is done by these groups is in-service training of local providers.

 

[Just Call Me Doc]

No, premed. Nontraditional transitioning from the military, where I served as the equivalent of a field medic.

Check out Team Rubicon. They are a veteran-founded disaster organization that does overseas medical disaster response (as well as local disaster clean-ups). My background let me do a couple trips with them before and during med school. I'd also look at Pat Tillman Foundation for scholarship once you get into med school. DM me for further questions. Good luck.

 

[Emh_omega-323]

Non-trad with an IR background and some humanitarian aid experience here. I'm interested in MSF in the future too!

Maybe you could try getting some non-medical aid experience now? Happy to help provide ideas on how!

I will say just from prior humanitarian aid work to be really really sure you are emotionally equipped for the whole "war torn" thing. A lot of people aren't and really fall apart. Even if you don't it absolutely will affect you to some degree for the rest of your life. This is a long time in your future! Just you know, keep it in the back of your mind to not underestimate it for the glamour. I have several friends with PTSD from aid work.

 

[Emh_omega-323]

Non-trad with an IR background and some humanitarian aid experience here. I'm interested in MSF in the future too!

Maybe you could try getting some non-medical aid experience now? Happy to help provide ideas on how!

I will say just from prior humanitarian aid work to be really really sure you are emotionally equipped for the whole "war torn" thing. A lot of people aren't and really fall apart. Even if you don't it absolutely will affect you to some degree for the rest of your life. This is a long time in your future! Just you know, keep it in the back of your mind to not underestimate it for the glamour. I have several friends with PTSD from aid work.

One more quick thing if you're still in college or after... Arabic and French are probably the most useful languages in the field so learn one of these now!

 

[Lt.]

One more quick thing if you're still in college or after... Arabic and French are probably the most useful languages in the field so learn one of these now!

Would not have guessed this, thanks. I've always had an unexplained interest in Middle Eastern culture, so maybe this could be a thing.

 

[Emh_omega-323]

Would not have guessed this, thanks. I've always had an unexplained interest in Middle Eastern culture, so maybe this could be a thing.

Definitely worth considering. Unfortunately lots of protracted violent conflict in the Arabic speaking countries--Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, Palestine, etc. For French it's parts of Francophone Africa, especially the DRC, Haiti, and just being a lingua franca for the UN and many large aid organization being based in Geneva.

I helped at refuge camps in Greece, and most of the people were from Afghanistan, Syria, or the DRC.