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Anyone else have an interest in this, or any experience with them?
DuncanYoyo said:Anyone else have an interest in this, or any experience with them?
Sarikate said:Totally into this organization. You guys should read "Hope in Hell," a book about MSF. It's eye-opening, pretty thrilling.
I agree about orthopods, but here's the quote about what they DO want:scrappysurfer said:If you are committed to working for this group, check their list of acceptable specialties. They do not have spots for ER docs or for orthopods.
liverotcod said:I agree about orthopods, but here's the quote about what they DO want:
"MSF is particularly seeking emergency medicine physicians, general practitioners, family practitioners, internists, pediatricians, obstetricians/gynecologists, and infectious-disease specialists."
from http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/volunteer/field/vol_physicians.shtml
bbaek said:no surgeons???
lightnk102 said:I've looked into the possibility of doing a rotation with them (or even just following one around for a while. i'd be willing to be a mule and do nothing but carry things and load/unload supplies), and it sounds like you really need to offically have your MD and be trained before they'll even consider it. Based on their website, it seems like the only non-medical volunteers they accept are for administrative purposes within the U.S. Has anyone heard any differently?
shantster said:If anyone really wants experience doing medical mission work abroad before attaining a degree, International Service Learning (www.islonline.org) is a good organization to look at. I'm a sophomore in college right now and for Spring Break I am going to Costa Rica and Nicaragua to do work there. From hearing from students who went last year, I'll be taking histories, doing diagnoses, dispensing medications, and doing dental work, obviously after training. So I will be getting hands on experience before going to medical school.
lightnk102 said:I generally have a hard time going through organizations that make you pay to volunteer. There's something about it that rubs me the wrong way. I guess part of it is because I'm not sure if my money is going to the community anyways, and part of it is because I'm uncomfortable with someone being capitalistic about my desire to donate my time and energy (some of the tuition costs are upwards of $1k, NOT including plane flight). That and, it's my most bitter sentiment that these programs effectively make volunteering abroad the special domain of kids with rich parents.
I've done international volunteer work before that didn't require me to pay "tuition", and that's normally been through organizations local to the country who need help (most volunteer-organizations that charge you are based in developed countries). The local organizations are usually thrilled that someone wants to "work for free" (in third world countries, they have a harder time finding "volunteers") and are usually understaffed anyways. Plus, you get to interact with the community on a more personal level. Usually the only costs I incur are my own plane flight there, and room and board when I get there (sometimes the organization is even willing to cover your room for you and you end up staying with one of the employees there. sort of like a "host family"). I'm not aware of a website that has links to local organizations that need help, but perhaps someone here knows of one? I tend to stumble upon my projects by chance through surfing the web and reading the local news articles online.