Radiology MSF, volunteering, international/overseas work?

[Arrowx7]

Hi there,

I was wondering if Radiologists do any MSF or overseas work in developing countries? I think the answer is no since they need some high-tek stuff to do their work, but I thought I'd inquire.

[Lactic Folly]

The answer is yes: (you can do a search and find more examples)

http://www.acr.org/Membership/Volunteering/International-Outreach

http://imagingtheworld.org/

http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acr/acrbulletin_201206/index.php?startid=26

[Arrowx7]

So someone scans overseas, and they interpret from back home and text the diagnosis?

[Lactic Folly]

Also donations of equipment, and training of local healthcare workers:

http://www.acr.org/Membership/Volunteering/International-Outreach/Articles

[Satsuma]

MSF unlikely as they are more involved in relief work in the initial stages of a humanitarian emergency and less so in the "development" stages. So they like to hire, gen surg, anesthesia, emerg and other such specialties.

 

Once there is capability of imaging then sure, they will need radiologists. Hopefully with the idea of training locals to do the work, as it is not sustainable to expect foreign docs to always be reading scans.

 

Also, there are countries that are in development of certain specialties such as radiology. So even though they aren't undergoing a current crisis, there is still need of someone to help develop a specific field, education etc.

 

I just spent a month in Haiti, where I had access to a CT scanner but no radiologist to read the scans. Eventually they will need to have a locally trained person to read the CT scans. So there will be opportunity. It just isn't as common as other specialties.