Surgeon

As an MSF surgeon, you could be called to perform a C-section in a temporary tent hospital for displaced people in South Sudan, or a complicated operation on a child suffering from NOMA in Nigeria. The surgical work we do is incredibly diverse, and so is the flexibility of our surgeons.

Your job
Working as an MSF surgeon, your main job will be to organize and perform surgery activities, ensure pre- and post-operative surgical care, in accordance with MSF policies and protocols (antibiotic prophylaxis, post-operative pain management, thrombo-prophylaxis, blood transfusion, etc) and universal hygiene standards. You will be working in close collaboration with medical staff in the emergency department, intensive care unit and operation theatre.

Being in the role of a manager, you will be responsible for providing a supportive work environment, by means of continuous training, coaching and supervision.

Data collection, analysis and reporting are an intrinsic part of the role. Furthermore, you will be responsible for forecasting medical supply needs and managing medical stocks.

Most surgical interventions carried out in MSF projects are performed by general surgeons, trauma surgeons and gynaecologists/obstetricians. However, due to the specificity of our programs, different surgical specialties are needed at times, in particular plastic surgeons and paediatric surgeons.

General surgeons
in an MSF field project, you will often be confronted with the following diagnoses and surgeries:

• Acute general surgical interventions (hernia, appendicitis)
• Orthopaedic emergencies (open fractures, fixateur externe)
• Obstetric emergencies (especially C-sections)
• Paediatric surgery
• Complicated wounds and burns (skin grafts)
• Experience in trauma or war surgery is an asset