Tropical Medicine Specialist

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) provides aid in more than 60 countries to people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe, primarily due to armed conflict, epidemics, malnutrition, exclusion from health care, or natural disasters. MSF provides independent, impartial assistance to those most in need. MSF reserves the right to speak out to bring attention to neglected crises, to challenge inadequacies or abuse of the aid system, and to advocate for improved medical treatments and protocols.

The New York Medical Project Unit, which is part of the Medical Department of MSF’s Operational Center Paris (“OCP”), is seeking a ‘Tropical Medicine Specialist’ to enhance MSF’s ability to effectively diagnose and treat malaria and other tropical diseases as part of our continuous efforts to improve and broaden diagnostic and therapeutic capacities. This collaborative effort will be guided by the Deputy Medical Director in the US, who is a member of the senior management of the medical department of OCP, under the direction of the Medical Director.

The Tropical Medicine Specialist will be a member of the Medical Project Unit in New York, and a member of the Medical Department in Paris: as the reference person on tropical medicine (“TM”), most importantly malaria but also neglected tropical disease issues, s/he will be expected to provide relevant medical support to field operations, to keep abreast of specialized literature, develop links with external medical expertise and work on MSF medical publications when appropriate. As part of the medical department, s/he will be available to all operational desks guiding field operations. Furthermore, s/he will participate in MSF-USA activities, as needed, and tap into available international expertise (NGO’s, academia, MSF-USA office, MSF network and working groups, and field staff, etc) when appropriate.

While this support is initiated at the request of the OCP operational and medical departments, as with most positions in the medical department of OCP the entire MSF movement benefits from these positions. In fact, the essential work consists in providing ad hoc field support and in writing MSF international guidelines.

MSF programs in tropical medicine include the treatment of thousands of malaria patients annually in emergency response programs as well as regular programs in areas in which malaria is endemic, where consideration of intermittent presumptive treatment may be appropriate. MSF also has interest in expanding our programs focusing on neglected tropical diseases, including leishmaniasis, schistosomiasis, trypanosomiasis, and filariasis.

The main responsibilities of this new position include reviewing protocols and the efficacy of key treatments and diagnostics (if/when necessary in conjunction with Epicentre), recommending protocol changes if/when appropriate and otherwise supporting the medical teams (both in the field and HQ) concerning the diagnosis and management of malaria and other tropical diseases. As more diagnostics and effective treatments can be more costly if they are available at all, it may become necessary to liaise with MSF’s Access to Essential Medicines Campaign to enable their use.

Ideally, we are seeking a practicing clinician to work 3/5 time while continuing to practice in their speciality. However the other work commitment must allow for the flexibility to travel to the field with MSF. We will also consider full-time applicants.

Position responsibilities:

 Review protocols and efficacy of diagnostics and treatments used in management of malaria and key tropical diseases.

 Review and propose amendments (or creation) of internal tropical disease related guidelines

 Identify effective treatment options for tropical medicine infectious agents commonly encountered in the field

 Provide updates of MSF’s therapeutic guidelines concerning use of selected drugs.

 Support to the Medical Director and Pharmacists in drugs selection

 Follow specific research questions in collaboration with Epicentre

 Liaise with the Access Campaign as necessary on malaria and tropical medicine drug issues

 Review specialized literature and keep up-to-date on medical issues in the tropical field

 Develop links with centers of expertise/knowledge in the tropical medicine field (CDC, academia, etc) to benefit MSF’s field programs, and represent MSF at relevant meetings/congresses

 Visit field projects in order to get a better understanding and provide practical and operationally sound, hands-on advice on malaria and tropical issues (min. 3 field visits/year).

 Recommend changes to program directions or adjustments in intervention methods, due to changes on the ground for review and approval.

 Ensure appropriate and adequate circulation of medical information between the field and HQs via the medical department or a specific desk

 Share information and provide advice on malaria and tropical medicine to other operational MSF sections

 Develop publications on medical issues, in the field of tropical medicine

 Advise on tropical medicine issues regarding the health of teams in the field and returning from mission

 Develop and strengthen a medical network among MSF-USA returned field workers

 May be called upon to lead modules at training sessions organized by MSF-USA, especially those regarding MSF’s medical policies, with natural emphasis on malaria and tropical medicine.

Qualifications:

 Medical doctor with formal Tropical Medicine specialty in Infectious Diseases, or other generalist/specialist with extensive field-based tropical medicine experience

 Minimum 2-5 years medical field exp. in developing countries, preferably with MSF

 Excellent communication skills in English (written and oral); French preferred.

 Demonstrated ability to coordinate projects with a wide variety of participants, and to facilitate dialogue and share information among all concerned parties.

 Ability to synthesize and analyze medical data so as to recommend improvements to field practice and draft implementation plans for adopting changes

 Ability to write reports, medical protocols, and scientific articles for internal and external audiences

 Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from colleagues, including managers, as well as donors, and the general public.

 Strong computer literacy.

 Ability to read and understand French required; fluent French a strong asset.

 Genuine commitment to MSF's humanitarian principles

 Willingness and ability to travel regularly to the field and other MSF offices (25%)

 Residence in or willingness to relocate to the NY metro area. Starting salary high-90’s to low 100’s for full time equivalent, commensurate with experience, prorated for part-time work. Excellent benefits. To learn more, visit our Web site: www.doctorswithoutborders.org

To apply send letter of interest and CV to: Employment.msfusa@newyork.msf.org, Attn: Tropical Medicine Specialist Search.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply by August 15, 2011.

No calls, please.