Gynaecologist and Obstetrician

Whether an MSF project is a response to an emergency or longer-term program, provision of reproductive health care will very often be a component. 

Among other reproductive health activities, MSF teams conduct antenatal consultations, assist in deliveries (including Caesarean section), provide prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) treatment to HIV-positive pregnant women, and care for survivors of sexual violence. Additionally, several MSF programs offer specialist obstetric repair surgery for women with vaginal fistula. 

From flying to remote areas to manage complicated deliveries to caring for women struggling from debilitating conditions in conflicts, MSF obstetricians/gynecologists make a huge impact on women’s lives in our projects all over the world. 

As a gynaecologist, your main role will be to provide gynaecological and obstetric procedures, and to perform any treatment required, during or immediately after a woman has given birth, in order to reduce pregnancy, delivery and neonatology risks.

• Performance of both emergency and planned OB/GYN surgery  
• Management of obstetric complications such as instrumental assisted deliveries 
• Ensuring post-operative follow-up in collaboration with an anaesthetist and midwife 
• Providing gynaecological consultations in the outpatient department 
• Definition of admission and discharge criteria 
• Identification of training needs among the medical team and development of a realistic training plan 
• Training and specialist support of surgical and midwifery staff in diagnostic and clinical skills, including ultrasound 
• Carrying out patient rounds every day 

As the key referent for obstetric complications, you may be on call 24/7 for the duration of your placement. 

• A completed specialist training in gynaecology and obstetrics 
• Ideally a very versatile professional experience – including obstetric surgery 
• Ultrasound diagnostic skills 
• Ability to work under very basic conditions with limited technical resources (e.g. a lack of diagnostic equipment) 
• Strong intercultural competence  
• A good level of English 
• Availability of at least 4 months

• Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics training (ALSO) 
• 2 years post-specialization professional experience is required for some contexts 
• Knowledge of tropical medicine or infectious diseases, hands-on work experience in a low resource setting   
• Other language skills (Pashto, Dari, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Russian) are highly appreciated