Positions we are not seeking to hire to go on assignment

For the humanitarian projects MSF does not look to hire:

Certain medical professions 

Neurologists, urologists, dentists, dermatologists, ears, nose and throat specialists, ophthalmologists.

Students and interns

We do not hire students or interns in our projects because of their lack of professional experience, which is intended to ensure both a sufficient level of professional knowledge to deliver high quality care and a certain maturity and experience of a more demanding working environment. In the case of health professionals, this is also due to the legal requirements in our project locations, as most countries only allow health professionals with the appropriate training and diploma to work, which is often also a condition for obtaining a work visa or permit.

See general requirements for more information.

Paramedics

We do not recruit paramedics as internationally mobile staff. The vast majority of MSF staff members with hands-on paramedic/first responder responsibilities are recruited locally.

Nursing professions

The nature of our humanitarian work rarely involves nursing or emergency medical services. The medical professions are mainly on site to guarantee the correct implementation of our medical protocols, the quality of our work, and to take on management, training and supervision responsibilities in the area of clinical practice, which they may also carry out themselves at times. The majority of our nurses are locally hired staff.

Military professionals (i.e., active members of national armed forces or reserves):

As a neutral organisation, this decision aims to avoid various conflict and risk situations that could arise if our projects were supported by military personnel. Our policy is that if you have been a member of the armed forces, you can apply for MSF roles two years after leaving the military and/or reserve forces while showing a transition to civilian life.

If you are not yet qualified to work with MSF, or if your profession does not meet the requirements, you may want to consider other humanitarian organisations.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This list is provided for information purposes only. MSF is not responsible for the content of any websites listed here and takes no responsibility for the activities or mandate of any of the organisations mentioned.