Working abroad
Welcome to the working abroad section of the Faculty's website. This section is written and updated by the International Committee.
Working in less developed countries
Time spent in other countries can broaden your understanding of many issues. The NHS Executive encourages its staff to take up opportunities to work in developing countries, as it appreciates that there are advantages both to the country visited and also to the NHS.
Further reading:
There are many opportunities to work in less developed countries.
If you are inclined to do so, essential reading is the: Toolkit
to Support Good Practice in International Humanitarian and Health Work
[PDF] (July 2003).
Articles that may be of interest are:
- How to Work in
a Developing Country by Paul Johnstone, Former Chair of the International
Committee
- Integrating
Overseas Work with an NHS Career by Nicholas Banatvala and
Annie Macklow-Smith
- Bringing it Back to Blighty by Nicholas Banatvala & Annie Macklow-Smith
Another useful resource on finding overseas jobs is the Aid Workers Network website.
Working outside the UK during your training in public health
Information on working outside the UK during your training in public health is available in the training section of the website under out-of-programme experience.
View International Committee report on WHO Geneva as a training placement [PDF].
Sushma Aquila is the International Faculty Adviser. She is willing to discuss possibilities if you are interested in an overseas attachment.
Read the letter to TPDs and Deans from the FPH President encouraging overseas training - March 2006
Reports of trainees' experience of working abroad
Report on public health secondment,
Good Shepherd Hospital, Swaziland, 2006/7 [3.31 Mb pdf]
Ciarán Humphreys
Out
of this World [pdf]
Out of Programme Experience (OOPE) at the World Health Organization
Alasdair Reid
An SpR's experience in Swaziland, 2005 [pdf]
Iain Maclennan
An
SpR's experience with the Stop TB Department WHO, Geneva [pdf]
Sarah Anderson
Polio
eradication in Ethiopia[pdf]
Anna Jones
An
SpR's experience of 6 months with the Global Alert Response (GAR) Team
of WHO [pdf]
Nima Asgari
HIV/AIDS
in Honduras [pdf]
Olaf Horstick
Useful links
Aid Workers Network
This organisation links relief and development field staff to share support,
ideas and best practice. It also provides guidance on finding jobs overseas.
Alertnet
Is a site giving news about disasters and emergencies run by Reuters and
with some information about jobs.
Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF)
Work in some of the more difficult parts of the world.
Merlin
Is willing to take doctors without previous overseas experience and work
in both emergency and more development situation.
The Department for International Development
(DFID)
This has information on their work and information on jobs. They tend
not to employ medical people without overseas experience. One of their
resource centres has reports of work carried out in some countries. View
these reports.
The International Health Exchange
Maintains a register of those interested in working abroad and produces
a list of vacancies every two months.
The International Union for Health Promotion
and Education
The IUHPE is a global NGO and principal professional association for
health promotion and health education. From 2001-2007 its European Region
Vice-President and Board od Trustees member is John Kenneth Davies (UK
- International Health Development Research Centre, University of Brighton).
Spencer Hagard (UK-LSHTM) and Maggie Davies(UK-HDA) remain members of
its Board.
The World Health Organization (WHO)
Has useful information, including their publications and where they can
be obtained.
United Nations website
With links to UNICEF, UNDP and the whole UN system - most of the sites
have jobs advertised.
Voluntary Service Overseas
Is taking doctors for less than the previous minimum of two years.