ABSTRACT
A large and growing percentage of global health work is done by privately run NGOs, foundations, and philanthropic groups. Much of their staff is recent college graduates, unsure of what to expect either personally or professionally from their chosen field. This article briefly maps out the history of development work, providing context for a view of today’s aid landscape from the perspective of a freshly arrived medical relief worker. The piece describes the transition from the classroom to the field, and unexpected dynamics that shape aid work in the real world.
