In other words, as a person launching your international healthcare career is it better to first choose a particular community to serve, and then select from the available partnering organizations? Or vice versa?
I’ve personally taken both approaches. In the 1980s my main objective was a patient care position in China (the ball park). I next approached some universities and development NGOs in that nation (the ball teams), and in the end partnered with the Shanghai Charity Hospital where I served for a year. In the 1990s I formed a close partnership with the IMB (a ball team), who was active in fifty countries, and from their open positions I selected the nation of Angola (a ball park) where I was on site for two years.
Which approach is superior? Each has distinct pros and cons. First selecting your ball park may be best if you possess a strong attraction to a special community or nation – usually based on prior friendships, language skills, or travel experience. First selecting your ball team may be superior if you’re already attachment to that organization or if they have an appealing record of success. Ultimately, either approach is reasonable and prepares you for what’s most important: actually playing the game.