Anaesthetist
Caption Serge, an MSF anaesthetist, taking care of a newborn admitted to the surgical unit of a hospital in Cameroon. © MSF/Pierre-Yves Bernard Instagram: @pyouaille
Our anaesthetists are teachers and trainers and are there to help people manage pain in sometimes unbearable circumstances.
The role of a Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) anaesthetist is incredibly varied: you might find yourself training local staff in the middle of a refugee camp hospital or managing anaesthesia with very basic resources for complex obstetric surgeries - all in the course of a day.
Responsibilities
Our anaesthetists often work across various departments; supporting surgery, maternity and going wherever else they're needed.
As an anaesthetist you'd be responsible for:
1. Ordering and managing materials to manage the anaesthesia needs of an entire hospital
2. Mentoring and support for local staff learning basic anaesthesia
3. Planning and implementing anaesthesia management training workshops
4. Supporting pain management for all departments in the hospital/health centre
Role requirements
5. Proven experience in anaesthetics – experience of paediatric and obstetric anaesthesia is particularly useful
6. Full GMC or Irish Medical Council registration (doctors without this will need to provide a transcript of training, from a recognised training faculty and proof of original registration in the country they are registered in)
7. Ability to work with limited resources
8. Available for a minimum period of eight weeks
9. Minimum of three months' work experience in low- and middle-income countries
10. Ability to work in unstable environments
11. Adaptable and able to work in a team
12. Flexible and able to manage stress
13. Able to provide training and supervision to others
14. Fluency in English
Assets
15. You will find it helpful to have done other medical jobs – time spent in casualty and paediatrics departments will be especially relevant
16. Availability at short notice
Languages
We're currently looking for anaesthetists 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.