MSF provides healthcare in many countries around the world and offers a rewarding professional and personal experience.
MSF employees often live and work in intercultural surroundings, under difficult and extreme conditions. If you are interested in joining an MSF mission, we recommend that you read the sections below and watch the videos. This will give you a better understanding of the implications of making this commitment and help you prepare for the recruitment process. Take your time to get informed and evaluate your motivations carefully.
When working abroad with MSF, you will need to adapt to many changes, including food, accommodation, daily routine, recreation, and language. A new lifestyle awaits you, where free time and privacy can be limited. You may have to share a living room, kitchen, and bathroom with other staff. Typically, you will have an individual sleeping space in a house, hut, or tent. In emergency settings, you might be asked to share a room with your colleagues. It's important to be sure you can cope without certain comforts before applying to MSF. However, you will benefit from staff who take care of cleaning and cooking.
MSF projects can be based in locations with challenging weather conditions (extreme heat or cold, high humidity, heavy rainfall, or desert climates).
Working in the field requires you to be in good health and maintain a healthy lifestyle to ensure you remain fit and well. This is essential to avoid disease and perform all required tasks. Therefore, appropriate vaccinations are necessary, along with certain preventive measures (such as malaria prevention).
Mission Duration
The standard duration of a first mission is six months (six to eight weeks for medical specialist roles). Depending on the country's needs, mission durations can vary; they may be shorter for emergencies or longer (nine to 12 months, for example) in specific projects.
Commitment
We ask you to commit to MSF for at least 12 months, which will likely include multiple missions. It's also important to take breaks between missions; you will discuss the duration of these breaks with your career manager after your first mission.
Flexibility and Notice
We understand that our staffing system requires significant flexibility from you. Please consider the notice period you will need (from the moment we contact you for an assignment to your earliest possible departure) to organize yourself.
While we highly value applicants who can be available immediately, we strive to accommodate your notice period to the best of our ability.
Managing Stress
MSF field projects can be highly stressful due to various factors: the urgent needs of beneficiaries, complete environmental changes, basic living conditions, local food, distance from friends and family, potential health challenges, strained team dynamics, feelings of insecurity, frequent project changes, and sometimes challenging relationships with local authorities. Effective stress management and mental health care tools are essential.
Impact on Family and Private Life
Working abroad involves leaving loved ones for extended periods since bringing family (partner or children) is usually not feasible in most contexts. Communication can also be challenging. However, under specific circumstances and after working with MSF for a while, family accompaniment might be possible in certain contexts. If your family accompanies you in the field, you will receive support to facilitate this.
Considerations for Extended Absence
Reflect on the impact of being away for six months or more on your personal life. During your assignment, you may face a heavy workload, limited relaxation opportunities, and blurred boundaries between professional and personal life. The realities of fieldwork can be stressful, so it's crucial to take care of yourself and understand your physical and mental limits. Returning home after a mission can also pose challenges similar to those encountered during the assignment itself, affecting your relationships with loved ones.
Working with Different Cultures and Realities
While cultural shock in a new country is expected, be prepared for cultural differences within your own team as well. Keep an open mind towards respecting beliefs and practices that differ from your own. Practices like punctuality at work and gender relations can vary significantly between countries.
Living and working in a diverse, multicultural team may lead to interpersonal conflicts and misunderstandings. Balancing these complex dynamics without compromising relationships with colleagues, patients, or local authorities is essential. Tolerance and mutual respect are core values at Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).
Witnessing New Realities
When applying to MSF, understand that we operate in countries facing significant challenges such as human rights abuses, gender inequality, persecution based on ethnic or social backgrounds, legal penalties for homosexuality, the use of rape as a weapon of war, and prevalent infectious diseases and epidemics.
Security
As part of our pool, flexibility is expected to work in various contexts, including unstable countries where security may be a concern. MSF prioritizes the safety and security of its staff, with comprehensive guidelines across all projects to mitigate risks. Ensuring your own safety is both an institutional and personal responsibility.
Commitment to MSF
Working with MSF is a commitment that extends beyond just a job opportunity or adventure. It requires dedication to represent MSF day and night, even during personal time. Adhering to MSF's security protocols and guidelines is crucial, as your actions directly impact project outcomes and beneficiaries.
These considerations are crucial for making an informed decision about joining MSF. They will be discussed further during your recruitment process and mission preparation. Working with MSF can be demanding yet profoundly enriching, often proving to be a transformative experience for many individuals.
