Typical Roles
Typical Roles
Médecins du Monde UK is looking for both medical and non-medical volunteers to work in the field in more than 50 countries.
It’s important to remember that this kind of volunteer work is the result of an individual, ideological commitment. We perceive your desire to volunteer with us as a gesture of solidarity, which has more significance than simply looking for a job.
Medical: doctors, nurses, midwives, psychologists and surgeons
You will need two years post qualification experience
A diploma in tropical medicine would be useful
Minimum period for volunteering: three months
To understand the context, the doctor will meet with the local authorities and the different partners to exchange information and present the project, having consultations with auxiliary staff. S/he will also assess the structures, needs (reception, medicines, and materials) and the need for staff training – all of this within the framework of the project’s objectives and its implementation.
After the initial assessment within the project’s framework, the doctor will make proposals for improvement in collaboration with the authorities and teams. S/he will organise their implementation and follow-up, supervising the structures’ functions.
Her experience will give her an overview of women’s health and that of newborn children. Many of our projects take place in mother and childcare centres where there can be social and economical difficulties, which can result in additional problems (addictive behaviour, flaws in primary care, various deficiencies) as well as psychological issues (difficulties in being a mother, maltreatment, abandonment). Therefore, she will be very sensitive to problems of prevention and early detection.
Recruiting and training local staff to work on the project is also part of this role. However, the amount varies depending on the role and previous experience of the nurse. Nonetheless, recruitment and training of local staff is very important at all times as the aim of many of our projects is the transference of skills, ensuring that a project is sustainable after the departure of our team.
S/hetakes part in defining the planning, supervising and organising of itsimplementation. S/he is in charge of the project’scontinuous assessment. In terms of safety, s/he participates in analysing the context, drafting safety protocols, defining safety rules for people and goods for the whole project. This ensures that the logistical means are suitable, and defines the project’s needs in terms of safety. The co-ordinator organises and controls their technical implementation.
Non medical: administrators, logisticians and lawyers
You will need three to five years experience in your given field
Minimum period for volunteering: six months
In the budgetary and financial part of the project, an administrator participates in the planning process, defining objectives, organising and ensuring their implementation. S/he takes part in ensuring the continuous evaluation of the project.
In terms of safety, an administrator helps to analyse the context and drawing up of safety protocols. S/he manages the administration of both local and expatriate staff.
There are both medical and non-medical co-ordinator roles.
S/he takes part in defining the planning, supervising and organising of its implementation. S/he is in charge of the project’s continuous assessment. In terms of safety, s/he participates in analysing thecontext, drafting safety protocols, defining safety rules for people and goods for the whole project. This ensures that the logistical means are suitable, and defines the project’s needs in terms of safety. The co-ordinator organises and controls their technical implementation.
A logistician must have solid technical professional experience (at least two years) in electricity, building or electro-mechanics. S/he must speak one foreign language fluently (usually English or Spanish)and must be available for a period of six or twelve consecutive months.
For medical and non-medical positions, a working knowledge of French is useful, although not obligatory. Other languages, like Spanish and Portuguese, are also useful.
Other jobs
This list is not exhaustive, as the availability of jobs depends on the unique circumstances of each project: nutritionists, laboratory technicians, anthropologists, ethnologists and biologists. Please contact us if you would like to find out more.
It’s important to remember that this kind of volunteer work is the result of an individual, ideological commitment. We perceive your desire to volunteer with us as a gesture of solidarity, which has more significance than simply looking for a job.
Medical: doctors, nurses, midwives, psychologists and surgeons
You will need two years post qualification experience
A diploma in tropical medicine would be useful
Minimum period for volunteering: three months
- Doctors
To understand the context, the doctor will meet with the local authorities and the different partners to exchange information and present the project, having consultations with auxiliary staff. S/he will also assess the structures, needs (reception, medicines, and materials) and the need for staff training – all of this within the framework of the project’s objectives and its implementation.
After the initial assessment within the project’s framework, the doctor will make proposals for improvement in collaboration with the authorities and teams. S/he will organise their implementation and follow-up, supervising the structures’ functions.
- Midwives
Her experience will give her an overview of women’s health and that of newborn children. Many of our projects take place in mother and childcare centres where there can be social and economical difficulties, which can result in additional problems (addictive behaviour, flaws in primary care, various deficiencies) as well as psychological issues (difficulties in being a mother, maltreatment, abandonment). Therefore, she will be very sensitive to problems of prevention and early detection.
- Nurses
Recruiting and training local staff to work on the project is also part of this role. However, the amount varies depending on the role and previous experience of the nurse. Nonetheless, recruitment and training of local staff is very important at all times as the aim of many of our projects is the transference of skills, ensuring that a project is sustainable after the departure of our team.
- Psychologists
- Surgeons
- Co-ordinators
S/hetakes part in defining the planning, supervising and organising of itsimplementation. S/he is in charge of the project’scontinuous assessment. In terms of safety, s/he participates in analysing the context, drafting safety protocols, defining safety rules for people and goods for the whole project. This ensures that the logistical means are suitable, and defines the project’s needs in terms of safety. The co-ordinator organises and controls their technical implementation.
Non medical: administrators, logisticians and lawyers
You will need three to five years experience in your given field
Minimum period for volunteering: six months
- Administrators
In the budgetary and financial part of the project, an administrator participates in the planning process, defining objectives, organising and ensuring their implementation. S/he takes part in ensuring the continuous evaluation of the project.
In terms of safety, an administrator helps to analyse the context and drawing up of safety protocols. S/he manages the administration of both local and expatriate staff.
- Co-ordinators
There are both medical and non-medical co-ordinator roles.
S/he takes part in defining the planning, supervising and organising of its implementation. S/he is in charge of the project’s continuous assessment. In terms of safety, s/he participates in analysing thecontext, drafting safety protocols, defining safety rules for people and goods for the whole project. This ensures that the logistical means are suitable, and defines the project’s needs in terms of safety. The co-ordinator organises and controls their technical implementation.
- Lawyers
- Logisticians
A logistician must have solid technical professional experience (at least two years) in electricity, building or electro-mechanics. S/he must speak one foreign language fluently (usually English or Spanish)and must be available for a period of six or twelve consecutive months.
For medical and non-medical positions, a working knowledge of French is useful, although not obligatory. Other languages, like Spanish and Portuguese, are also useful.
Other jobs
This list is not exhaustive, as the availability of jobs depends on the unique circumstances of each project: nutritionists, laboratory technicians, anthropologists, ethnologists and biologists. Please contact us if you would like to find out more.