Working as a doctor abroad: what is it, why would you do it, and where is the best place to go?

What is working as a doctor abroad like?

• Responsibilities: Doctors are desperately needed worldwide, from emergency aid stations in disaster areas to village clinics in developing countries and international hospitals in expat communities. There are shortages almost everywhere. Whether you are still studying, have just graduated, or have years of experience, working as a doctor abroad requires more than just medical knowledge.
• As a doctor, your responsibilities include:
• Providing medical care in clinics, hospitals, or mobile teams.
• Contributing to prevention programs or vaccination campaigns.
• Training and supervising local healthcare personnel.
• Advising NGOs or governments on health policy.
• In emergency situations: triage, first aid, and crisis coordination. You can work for development and aid organizations (such as Doctors Without Borders or Cordaid), international hospitals and private clinics, government projects, health missions or expat clinics, tropical medicine programs, or medical internships and volunteer work in, for example, Africa, Asia, or South America.
• Working conditions (salary, compensation, and expenses): these vary greatly by organization and country. Often, the following applies:
• A local salary or a volunteer position with room and board.
• Sometimes expenses, travel expenses, or a daily allowance are reimbursed.
• Sometimes  insurance, vaccinations, and visas are included, sometimes it's your own responsibility.
• Where you stay depends on the organization and location. Sometimes it's hospital accommodations or a simple guesthouse, sometimes you live with other international colleagues, and sometimes you have to make your own arrangements.

What are the reasons for working as a doctor abroad?

• To deepen your commitment: you work directly on improving the health of people who often have limited access to healthcare. You are truly involved in people's lives and their future prospects. 
• To strengthen your professional practice: working with limited resources teaches you to prioritize carefully and think practically.
• To train your stress tolerance: unforeseen situations, language barriers, or cultural differences can be quite stressful. It's important to find flexibility and calm in these situations.
• To increase your empathy: you learn to deal with different customs, belief systems, and expectations and find yourself in situations that sometimes demand considerable empathy.
• To make a meaningful contribution to a better world: by providing medical care in countries where it is desperately needed, you contribute to improving the lives and quality of life of people in other countries. This also has many other positive consequences.
• To increase your self-awareness: outside your familiar environment, you'll more quickly discover your qualities as a doctor and as a person.

What skills and motivations do you need to work as a doctor abroad?

• Communication skills: Knowledge of the local language is useful, but listening and clear communication are more important, not only with patients, but also with colleagues and translators.
• Empathy: Cultural sensitivity is essential for building trust with patients and local teams.
• Professional conduct: Even under pressure, you remain careful, honest, and responsible in your medical decisions.
• Planning and organization: From vaccination campaigns to inventory management, a good system prevents chaos and ensures that money is spent most efficiently.
• Situational awareness: You work in an environment with different rules, values, and resources. Understanding or at least respecting these helps you work much more effectively.
• Commitment: Your patients count on your commitment and reliability, sometimes literally with their lives.
• Motivation, meaningful work: Working as a doctor abroad is often more satisfying than working within a rigid system, but motivation is necessary because you often work long days with all kinds of events.

What are the best countries and locations to work as a doctor abroad?

• Working in development projects: e.g., Uganda, Malawi, Tanzania
• Working in emergency aid or crisis areas: e.g., Sudan, Yemen, Haiti
• Working in expat or private clinics: e.g., UAE, Singapore, Qatar, Australia, but virtually anywhere with expat hubs
• Working in local hospitals or educational projects: e.g., Nepal, India, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Peru
• Working through exchange programs or medical internships: e.g., South Africa, Ghana, Indonesia, Nepal

What are the risks of working as a doctor abroad, and are you insured against those risks?

• What are the risks of working as a doctor abroad?
  • Mental strain is common: working long hours in understaffed teams, dealing with death or cultural differences in care can lead to burnout, insomnia or trauma.
  • High levels of stress are common: due to responsibility, a desire to help, miscommunication or cultural and linguistic problems.
  • High workloads are common: due to long days, emergencies, staff shortages, or intensive supervision.
  • Unsafe working environments are common: infrastructure, health risks, political instability, social norms.
  • Accidents often occur due to incorrect actions, and working in extreme heat or cold increases the risk of back problems, overexertion, or exhaustion.
  • It is common for someone to contract a contagious or local disease such as hepatitis, tuberculosis, HIV, or tropical diseases, especially when protective equipment is limited. A lack of gloves, disinfection, sterile materials, or safe needles can increase risks, preventing you from working for a period of time or even requiring you to be flown home.
• Are you insured while working as a doctor abroad?
  • Local employers usually offer no, or limited, supplementary insurance.
  • There is a risk of accidents because, for example, you are doing work with which you have little experience.
  • During work, an internship, or volunteer work abroad for which you receive compensation or a salary, the coverage of your own health insurance in your home country may lapse.
  • There may be several reasons why you need separate insurance when working abroad. See the pages on: insuring international Insurances for working abroad, for internships abroad, for volunteering abroad, or for expats and emigrants.