Doctors Without Borders recruiting in Austin

Doctors Without Borders, the medical aid group that has tackled humanitarian crises around the globe, is looking toward Austin's diverse workforce for help.

The nongovernmental organization will be recruiting in Austin on Tuesday at the Austin Recreation Center at 1301 Shoal Creek Blvd., from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Applicants can apply online at doctorswithoutborders.org and are interviewed before being accepted into a pool of field workers, who are assigned to a mission depending on global needs.

“Austin is very diverse,” said Douglas Mercer, Doctors Without Borders’ recruitment director. “There’s a lot of diverse professional experiences and economic, racial diversity that applicants can bring with skills to the field.”

The organization, which provides medical assistance to areas affected by war, epidemics or natural disasters, values diversity in job skills because field workers often work in less-developed countries for extensive periods, Mercer said.

“We work in low-resource communities, often in conflict, and it takes time to adapt to these conditions,” Mercer said.

To fulfill its mission of providing health care access, the organization needs more physicians, nurses, midwives, obstetricians and gynecologists, surgical staff and pharmacists, he said.

Caitlin Meredith, a field epidemiologist for Doctors Without Borders, said potential field workers could come from Austin hospital networks such as St. David’s Healthcare or Seton Healthcare Family, and the new University of Texas Dell Medical School.

Meredith has worked with the organization for 12 years, helping research and identify disease outbreaks in African countries such as Sudan, Zimbabwe, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria.

To quickly tackle epidemics, laboratory technicians and health promoters are also necessary, and mental health counselors can help patients who experience trauma or loss.

“We’re usually among the first on the scene and want to get where people are in need, isolated or lacking care,” Meredith said.

But these health operations also require coordination and support from people with skills in financial and resource administration, logistics and water sanitation.

“We have always found success recruiting in Austin because Austin has a breadth of medical and nonmedical experiences,” Mercer said.

More importantly, Austin’s progressive values align with the organization’s humanitarian principles, he said.

“Our belief is that by being a human being, you have a basic right to health,” said Mercer. “So, we’re committed to taking care of the global community, just like Austin is committed to its own community.”

Austin’s participation in the organization is highest in Texas and comparable to other major cities like Portland, Ore., Mercer said.

Currently, 10 active members are from Austin, but the organization is looking to hire more for the nine-month to yearlong missions. Expenses such as food and lodging are paid for, and they are given health coverage and a $2,000 stipend.

The extensive missions require commitment but are great learning opportunities for any professional, Meredith said.

“Their skills are tested,” Meredith said. “It’s a challenge unlike any other, and in settings that are dynamic, and working with teams that are at their best.”