could be as a doctor, a nurse, a medical
coordinator, an accountant, a logistician or a
project manager. aside from their projects in
london, doctors of the world does not accept
medical students.
groups or Individuals: teams are composed
of two to 12 international staff, along with 20
to 100 national staff.
annual no. of Volunteers: 300
annual projects: 160
selection & Interview process: send a CV
and cover letter stating your availability and
interests to the uK office by email or post. If
shortlisted but no role, applicants are placed
on a waiting list. If there is a matching role,
candidates have final interviews in paris.
In-country support: all volunteers attend
a three-day pre-departure training at our
headquarters in paris. they are also briefed
individually on the context and the project’s
situation.
International federation of the red Cross
and red Crescent societies (IfrC)
po box 372 Ch-1211, geneva 19, switzerland
%+41 22 730 42 22
fax +41 22 733 03 95
http://www.ifrc.org
depending on where you live, the red
Cross might bring to mind any number of
community services. In the uK and the us,
the red Cross is concerned with disaster relief
and mitigation, blood services or emergency
preparedness and response. In other areas
of the world, the red Cross may operate
ambulance services, provide wartime medical
service or run orphanages. the Ifr C is a
non-religious organisation and, with millions
of volunteers, the largest relief organisation
in the world. those interested in participating
in domestic disaster relief should contact
their local chapter. those interested in joining
international relief operations should be aware
that it can literally take years (sometimes
decades) of training and experience to be
deployed on an international operation with
the Ifr C. that said, the organisation is often
among the first on site delivering aid, setting
up sheltering operations and distributing
essentials in times of international crisis.
status: world’s largest humanitarian
organisation, comprised of hundreds of
International red Cross and red Crescent
societies in almost every country in the world,
including the american red Cross and the
british red Cross.
timing & length of placement: dependent
on operation.
destinations: global.
Costs: the red Cross usually funds all
transportation and accommodation while a
volunteer is on assignment.
eligibility: organisations under the Ifr C
umbrella have varying eligibility criteria.
annual no. of Volunteers: millions globally.
selection & Interview process: If you wish
to volunteer with the red Cross, begin by
contacting your local chapter. the interview,
training and eligibility requirements of
international relief operations are extremely
rigorous.International medical Corps
US Office: 1919 santa monica blvd. suite 400,
santa monica, Ca 90404 usa
%+1 310 826 7800
fax +1 310 442 6622
[email protected]
http://www.imcworldwide.org
UK Office: 3rd floor, 254-258 goswell road,
london eC1V 7eb, uK
%+44 (0) 207 253 0001
fax +44 (0) 207 250 3269
[email protected]
http://www.imcworldwide.org.uk
ImC is a private non-political, non-sectarian
organisation that assists with healthcare
training and relief services in the developing
world. though it might not have the
recognition that doctors without borders
does, ImC is a major player in the field of
international voluntary medical work, currently
saving lives in afghanistan, Chad, drC, Iraq,
somalia, sudan and uganda (among others).
status: non-profit organisation.
timing & length of placements: assignments
to various locations are for a minimum of six
to eight weeks, though with highly technical
positions a two- to four-week placement is
sometimes possible.
Costs/pay: In general, volunteers cover the
cost of travel to their assignment. per diem
allowances, shared housing and emergency
medical evacuation insurance are usually
provided. In some instances, depending on
funding, duration of contract and the person’s
speciality, the volunteer may be eligible for a
monthly stipend.eligibility: emergency roster volunteers are
required to be ready for deployment within
24 to 72 hours and be professional doctors,
nurses, lab technicians, nutritionists, emts,
engineers or various medical administrators.
there are other domestic opportunities in the
us and uK that don’t require medical training.
selection & Interview process: submit a CV
and cover letter via email or post. promising
applicants are then interviewed.
médecins sans frontières
(doctors without borders)
rue de lausanne 78, Cp 116 - 1211,
geneva 21, switzerland
%41 22 849 84 84
fax 41 22 849 84 88
http://www.msf.org
with offices in 19 countries and operations
around the world, msf is one of the best-
recognised international voluntary medical
relief organisations. It delivers emergency
aid to people affected by armed conflict,
epidemics and natural or man-made
disasters and has been doing so for over a
quarter of a century. msf is one of the first
organisations to arrive on the scene of adisaster, dispatching teams with specialised
medical equipment specifically suited to
the assignment. each year, msf-affiliated
doctors, nurses, water-and-sanitation
experts, logisticians and other medical and
non-medical professionals tackle more than
3800 field assignments in over 70 countries,
working with over 22,000 locally trained
staff.
status: International collective of non-
governmental, non-profit volunteer
organisations.
timing & length of placements: physicians
are required to be available for a minimum
of six months, though surgeons and
anaesthesiologists may be accepted for
shorter assignments.
destinations: msf works in more than 70
countries.
Costs/pay: the organisation covers all
transportation and accommodation costs and
pays a monthly stipend of approximately € 600
and a per diem allowance in local currency.
eligibility: the general criteria for working
abroad are: at least two years of professional
experience in a relevant, usually medically
related field; availability for at least six
months; current professional credentials; and
relevant work or travel experience outside the
us. medical students are not accepted.
groups or Individuals: an average field project
team has four to 12 international volunteers
working in collaboration with up to 200 local
staff members.
selection & Interview process: after eligible
applicants complete an application form, a
motivation letter and a current CV, they will
be contacted for an interview. applicants who
advance past that stage are moved into a
pool of active volunteers and considered for
deployment based on their qualifications.
In-country support: Volunteers are briefed on
the region’s security situation before going
to the field and are given specific security
protocols on-site.05: Organised Volunteer Programmes:Emergency & ReliefA Médecins du Monde staff member bringing
emergency relief following the 2005 Pakistan quakePhoto: Médecins du Monde