Background Information - Job-specific
Prior to the epidemic of Ebola Virus Disease, Liberia faced one of the most acute shortages of human resources for health in the world; nearly 200 Liberian health workers died of Ebola in 2014. Many of the country’s pre-existing health facilities were closed for months, and supply chains were interrupted. Coverage rates for essential interventions plummeted, while rates of premature mortality from non-Ebola causes (maternal hemorrhage, obstructed labor, malaria, tuberculosis, HIV, pneumonia, road trauma) increased around the country. In early 2015, the Ministry of Health of Liberia launched an intensive restoration effort to re-open health facilities and expand a comprehensive package of Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) activities to enable health workers to “keep safe and keep serving.” Through a partnership with the World Health Organization, World Bank, and UN Office for Project Services, Liberia now seeks foreign health worker consultants in strategic areas to support the reopening of hospitals, health centers, and clinics, to promote rigorous adherence to IPC protocols, and to offer clinical training and mentorship to Liberian counterparts in both inpatient and outpatient settings. By helping to restore access to essential services and to improve the quality of care, consultants will contribute to Liberia’s efforts to build a resilient health system that can achieve and sustain the goal of zero new cases of Ebola virus Disease, and that is prepared for future threats.
Functional Responsibilities
Recruited specialist physicians will work with Liberian colleagues to continue delivery of a context-oriented curriculum, enhance the quality of the undergraduate and postgraduate medical education program, improve the quality of patient care through role modeling, support the sustainability of the training programs, and develop evidence-based clinical care guidelines and a culture of continuous quality improvement.
The main tasks of the faculty will be to rotate at the urban and rural training sites to teach and mentor postgraduate residents, as well as provide in-service training to mid-level health workers (i.e. nurses, physician assistants, etc.). More specifically, the scope of work for the faculty includes the following:
Educational/Clinical Responsibilities (80%)
- Provide direct patient care within the scope of the specialty, and in an educational format for mid-level cadres.
- Organize and actively participate in seminar-based and clinical teaching.
- Train, mentor and supervise postgraduate students to be capable of managing the obstetric and gynecological problems seen in Liberia and West Africa sub-region, and to be able to promote and advocate women’s reproductive health in the sub-region.
- Develop and train postgraduate residents in the interventions to reduce teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections.
- Engage in co-mentorship with Liberian faculty to develop clinical and teaching skills.
- Provide periodic on-call support.
- Participate in continuing medical education, including journal clubs.
- Assist in development of curriculum and associated pedagogical approaches.
- Organize and conduct seminars in evidence-based medicine, clinical epidemiology and other focused curricular modules.
- Develop educational tools to enhance learning and teaching.
- Participate in formal evaluation, periodic of trainees.
- Assist in development and/or enhancement of clinical guidelines and therapeutic/diagnostic approaches.
Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Specific Training Responsibilities (5%)
- Conduct IPC training with postgraduate residents and mid-level cadres.
- Work in partnership with Liberian counterparts to identify and develop opportunities for curricular integration of IPC.
Administrative Responsibilities (15%)
- Enhance the structure and design of clinical training.
- Support the development and implementation of administrative tools and structures required for residency operations, including the creation of trainee, faculty, and program evaluations tools.
- Recommend revision to curricula and modules, where applicable.
Education
- Certified practitioner in the field of Obstetrics/Gynecology in her/his home country.
- Including any of the following or equivalent: Board certified, fellows of their respective colleges, or Master of Medicine in the area of Obstetrics/Gynecology.
Experience
3-5 years of work experience in clinical medicine and teaching.
Competencies
- Excellent clinical skills, a talent for teaching and interest in medical education.
- Strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to communicate effectively and diplomatically, and to work flexibly and independently with multiple reporting relationships.
- Emotional intelligence and personal maturity, enthusiasm for working in a developing country, cultural flexibility and competence, and a passion for improving healthcare delivery.
- Strategic and innovative thinking skills, and the ability to foster interdisciplinary collaboration.
- Experience in evidence-based medicine, quality improvement, data-driven decision making and program evaluation.
- Professional experience in cross-cultural and low-income settings is strongly preferred
- English proficiency required.
HOW TO APPLY:
Please apply here
