“Fit” for service: contrasting physician profiles and motivations for short-term medical missions and Médecins Sans Frontières
نویسنده
چکیده
Background: Physicians from wealthy countries often provide direct medical services in lowand middle-income countries either on a short-term or long-term basis, herein differentiated by the physician’s source of income, rather than by time or mission specifics. Research data has accumulated in recent years on physician profiles and motivations for shortand long-term dimensions of physician commitment. This review provides some current insights on these physician pathways for transnational direct caregiving activities. Objectives: Comparison is made of US physician profiles and motivations for short-term medical missions and those of long-term medical missions, specifically from Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) for which comparative information is available. Conclusions: Current literature suggests that short-term medical mission physicians tend to be older, married males while MSF physicians are more gender-balanced, younger, and less woven into the traditional domestic medical system. Altruism and idealism are shared motivations. MSF long-term physicians may be more risk tolerant. The two dimensions are not competitive for the hearts and minds of physicians, but rather complementary.
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تاریخ انتشار 2017