Medical Doctor
Provide clinical and occupational health services in Afghanistan.
Overview
Provide clinical and occupational health services in Afghanistan.
You have:
- A bachelor’s or higher degree in Medicine from a recognized University.
- At least five years of progressive work experience in medical care including emergency and trauma.
- Experience working in the UN or other international development organization is desirable.
- Have a valid license to practice as a medical doctor in your home country.
- Knowledge and certification in Basic Life Support (BLS).
- Knowledge and certification in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS).
- Knowledge and certification in Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS).
- Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment.
- Ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel.
- Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision.
Contract
This is a UNV International Specialist contract. This kind of contract is known as International UN Volunteer. It is normally internationally recruited only. More about UNV International Specialist contracts.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) assists the people of Afghanistan in laying the foundations for sustainable peace and development in the country. UNAMA’s current mandate comprises the following priorities: the provision of good offices; support for the organization of future elections; strengthening capacity in the protection and promotion of human rights including the protection of children affected by armed conflict and prevention of child recruitment; support for gender equality and women’s and girls’ empowerment; the coordination and facilitation of humanitarian assistance; and support for
Afghanistan’s development and governance priorities, including the rule of law, transitional justice as an essential component of the ongoing peace process, budget execution and the fight against corruption throughout the country;
The Security Council also recognized that the renewed mandate of UNAMA is in support of Afghanistan’s full assumption of leadership and ownership in the security, governance and development areas,
Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) or his/her designated representative, the UN Volunteer Medical Doctor will:
Clinical duties • Attend the UN clinic located in the respective Field Office, on a full-time basis. • Undertake day-to-day clinical consultations with UN personnel. • Stabilize and refer/evacuate complicated/emergency medical and trauma cases to higher medical facilities. • Follow up with higher medical facilities for all referred/evacuated cases. • Provide on-call services outside office hours to respond and attend to all medical and trauma emergencies, 24/7 • Identify and liaise with local health facilities that could be of help in mass casualty incidents. • Development of emergency capacity of medical facilities within the UN. • Provide timely support (e.g., medical escort) for medical evacuations (Medevac) and Casualty evacuations (Casevac) of UN personnel.
Occupational health duties • Conduct pre-placement, periodic, and exit medical examinations. and provide routine immunizations. • Prepare UN staff for traveling by providing immunizations, malaria prophylaxis, travel kits, personal health maintenance briefing, etc. • Maintain a current list of staff members with chronic health conditions. • Provide health education and health promotion programs. • Participate in addressing work environment and occupational health issues. • Ensure infection prevention and control standards are implemented in the UN clinic and compounds.
Training/Capacity building • Assist in the delivery of training such as: Emergency Trauma Bag (ETB) first responder course, individual first aid kit (IFAK) course, emergency first aid, UN Buddy First Aid Course, Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and AED, and medical incident command system. • Revise and rehearse the mass casualty incident response plan in UN compounds. • Participate and coordinate in-extremis exercises in UN compounds.
Managing Medical Logistics • Maintain adequate stocks of medication and medical supplies through management of the inventory and timely requests to the mission pharmacist to avoid stockouts. • Ensure proper functioning of medical equipment and devices, and report malfunctioning equipment to allow for timely repair/replacement. • Ensure optimal and rational use of resources while respecting medical ethics.
Reporting • Prepare and submit reports on all activities, to the CMO and/or his/her designate on a weekly and /or monthly basis.
Accountability, Communication, Integrity, Planning and Organizing, Working in Teams
• A bachelor’s or higher degree in Medicine from a recognized University. • At least five years of progressive work experience in medical care including emergency and trauma. • Experience working in the UN or other international development organization is desirable. • Have a valid license to practice as a medical doctor in your home country. • Knowledge and certification in the following areas of medicine are highly desirable as this experience will ensure stabilisation and referral of medical and trauma emergencies. o Basic Life support (BLS). o Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS). o Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS). • Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment; ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel. • Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision.
Afghanistan is a unique country and UNAMA is a unique (humanitarian) operation. It provides for an interesting and enriching environment, but also requires a mature level of cultural awareness, as well as more stamina and commitment than elsewhere to make life comfortable and affordable.
Therefore, flexibility and the ability and willingness to live and work in harsh and potentially hazardous conditions, involving physical hardship and little comfort, are essential. https://www.unv.org/
Potential interview questions
| Can you describe your approach to handling emergency medical situations? | This question assesses your decision-making skills in high-pressure scenarios. | Outline relevant experiences and the steps you would take during an emergency. |
| How do you ensure effective communication within a multicultural team? | The interviewer wants to understand your teamwork and communication skills in diverse settings. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| What strategies do you use for patient education and health promotion? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| Describe your experience with medical logistics and inventory management. | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| How would you handle a situation where medical resources are scarce? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| Can you discuss your knowledge of trauma life support certifications? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| Tell us about a time you dealt with a difficult patient or family member. | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| What motivates you to work in a challenging environment like Afghanistan? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |