Volunteering in International Surgery

There is a long history of Canadian Surgeons volunteering their time and skills abroad, but only recently has this type of work gained institutional recognition and support within the medical establishment. Clinical, teaching and research missions in developing countries can be one of the most rewarding aspects of medical practice and can make a genuine contribution to both the well-being of patients there and to strengthening fragile medical facilities. Nearly everyone who has been on such missions returns to report how much they learned and how the experience has given them a fresh perspective on their practice at home. Many CAGS members have indicated they would like to become involved but lack of information about where to go and how to organize a mission. The purpose of this memorandum is to inform members about options for volunteering for non-emergent surgical missions in developing countries and should be read in conjunction with the recent CAGS memorandum regarding emergency Medical Disaster Relief. Surgeons interested in international work are encouraged to attend the annual Bethune Round Table on International Surgery hosted by the University of Toronto, Office of International Surgery. The next meeting is May 26 - 27, 2005 and information is available at: www.utoronto.ca/ois.

INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATIONS

Canadian Red Cross
Médecins sans Frontiéres (MSF)
Faith-Based Organizations
The Canadian Network for International Surgery


PLEASE NOTE: THE RED CROSS AND MSF DO NOT OFFER POSITIONS FOR RESIDENTS.

Canadian Red Cross
The Canadian Red Cross supplies surgical delegates to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Geneva which runs all Red Cross international emergency medical relief operations in cooperation with the National Society in the affected country. ICRC is the oldest international humanitarian organization in the world, founded in 1864 and has won four Nobel Peace Prizes for its work. Getting involved with the Red Cross is time consuming as they expect surgical delegates to have significant, relevant experience, to have attended a week-long basic training course held once a year, and to have attended their War Surgery Seminar, held annually outside Geneva. That said, the ICRC is a highly competent and experienced organization and the War Surgery seminar is without equal. To start the process contact the Canadian Red Cross Overseas Personnel Officer in your region. Expect a year’s lead time before you are offered a mission.

Atlantic Provinces (New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland & Labrador)
Bill Lawlor
Overseas Personnel
International Services
70 Lansdowne Ave., PO Box 39
Saint John's, NB E2L 3X3
Tel: 506-674-6184

Ontario
Millie Blair
Overseas Personnel
International Services Department
5700 Cancross Court
Mississauga, ON L5R 3E9
Tel: 905-890-1000

Quebec
Ginette Archambault
Service de personnel à l'étranger
6, place du Commerce
île-des-Soeurs, PQ H3E 1P4
Tel: 514-362-2930

Western Provinces (British Columbia, Yukon, Alberta, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Saskatchewan, Manitoba)
Jean-Pierre Taschereau
Overseas Personnel
100 - 1305 11 Ave. SW
Calgary, AB T3C 3P6
Tel: 403-261-6223

Médecins sans Frontières (MSF)
Canada is part of the largest international humanitarian organization in the world and sends overseas volunteers to work with one of five international operations sections. Missions with primarily surgical content are a minority and volunteers are sent where the need is greatest, not necessarily where they request. There is a pre-mission course available which grounds prospective volunteers in the principles of security and prepares them for the cross-cultural experience. Missions are usually 6-8 weeks in length and can often be arranged in advance. Pre-mission training and requirements are less than with ICRC. Contact one of the MSF regional offices to begin the process.

National Office
720 Spadina Avenue, Suite 402
Toronto, ON M5S 2T9
Toll Free: 1-800-982-7903
Tel: 416-964-0619 / 416-963-8707

Quebec Office
342 Sherbrooke Est. Suite 2
Montreal, PQ H2X 1E6
Tel: 514-845-5621 / 514-845-3707

Western Office
45 Dunlevy Ave. Suite 230
Vancouver, BC V6A 3A3
Tel: 604-732-0673 / 604-732-0671

Faith-Based Organizations
An interesting option for Canadian Surgeons who want to serve in developing countries are the multitude of faith-based organizations that are involved in health care. Commonly these missionary organizations were the first to establish hospitals in these countries, often focusing on the under-serviced rural areas and consequently have a long history of providing excellent health care in some very difficult areas. These hospitals are quite accustom to accommodating foreign physicians and are quite appreciative of the help they receive. Although many of the missionary organizations prefer to recruit from their own faith community, most are quite happy to receive physicians who may not be actively practicing their faith as long as there is a basic agreement of lifestyle. In this case, it is important that there is a common understanding and agreement between the organization and the volunteer. It is often easiest arranged through an overseas colleague who can help make the connection with the hospital. Within these arrangements, many surgeons have found a short-term work placement at a missionary hospital an extremely rewarding experience. Contact Person: Dr. Geoff Ibbotson

The Canadian Network for International Surgery
(CNIS) supports members’ individual projects. They have developed a scoring system for member’s projects which looks at the potential benefits, the degree of support from northern and southern partners, the timeframe for the project and the resources available . CNIS welcomes all Canadian surgeons as members and those with a specific project in mind may approach CNIS for advice and support. Contact person: Dr. Ron Lett lett@cnis.ca

Finally, the CAGS Committee on International Surgery is happy to provide advice and contacts to Canadian surgeons interested in volunteering abroad. Contact Person: Dr. Massey Beveridge