join Doctors without borders

I would love to be able to work as a doctor in very remote circumstances rather than the hum drum of working in a general practice in a first world country. I have travel in Africa for about 3 months and was amazed at how many orphans there are, how high the HIV rate is in certain countries because of the government in charge (are they in denial or tackling the issues), but also just how happy and appreciative these kids are of live and their education. It would be brilliant to be able to work in some amazing countries!!

This is one of the main reasons why I became a doctor! Frustratingly, my debts are such that I couldn’t afford the time off earning to do this and that is likely to be the situation for several years to come unless I pay it off. I could work as a locum for a year as that would help me make more than a dent in the debt but it may not be a very good career move. I’m working in the developed world in the meantime but hopefully some day in the not too distant future I should be able to work for MSF.

If I get a PhD in Counseling Psychology, I will definitely spend a year or two in Doctors Without Borders. I can’t even articulate how much respect I have for this organization…

I should contact somebody from DWB and get some tips for what to do in the next 4-6 years while I’m in Grad School… things I should do to make myself a better candidate. Which foreign language to study? Is there any real world experience they want me to have? Etc.

I want to work in Africa, and really help people with nowhere else to turn. If all my goals up to this point come through, I hope to dedicate a chunk of my life to this awesome service.

this sort of depends on one of my other goals… getting into Med school… which may or may not depend on two other goals… to get a 4.0 in this, my last, semester, and to get a good MCAT score.

So it’s a layered goal. Although, of course, perhaps I can assume an admin. position in MSF, which would not require med school… horray for options!

Long term goal indeed this is-... goddamn though, i’m so lazy… and i can’t think of a way to overturn that… i’ve been a very decadent sop lately- sleeping in, skipping classes =/ fie! if i’m ever going to become a doctor… or even get into med school i’d better start focusing. concentrating on grades-hell, even WORRYING about grades- but that’s never been my strong suit… i’m easy-going by nature… i just wish i could learn to take my life a bit more seriously. ::sigh::