Makhethe
Mpoti ’08
Home country: Lesotho
Major: biochemistry
 I finished Smith in May 2008.
Then I moved to Boston and worked as a research assistant
for a clinical study at Boston Medical Center. The goal of
the study, called Project RED for Re-Engineered Discharge,
was to improve hospital discharge so as to decrease the number
of re-hospitalizations within 30 days of initial discharge.
The inpatient doctors who started the project realized that
it didn't take very long for patients to show up in the emergency
room again, and they wanted to get it right the first time!
I was really happy doing this
job because I knew by the time I left Smith that I did not
want to do basic science research in a lab (the track that
Biochemistry majors typically follow). At the same time,
I didn't know much about clinical research and didn't know
if I would feel comfortable doing it. It was also a great
first full-time job because of the wonderful team I worked
with.
Despite being quite happy at
work, I was otherwise continuing to miss home terribly and
in December 2008, I decided that when my work permit ended
in June 2009, I would not renew it but would return home
to Lesotho. And so I got back to the country on June 7th
and started working a week later on June 15. I work for an
organization called Lesotho-Boston Health Alliance (LeBoHA)
formed by some doctors in the department of Family Medicine
at Boston University/Boston Medical Center with an interest
in International Health. LeBoHA has two main mandates: 1)
training doctors in the specialty of family medicine in a
new program that started in January 2008, and 2) improving
systems in the hospitals where our registrars train.
I work
as the Residency Administrator for the Family Medicine Specialty
Training Program (FMSTP), the first of its kind in a country.
Despite the fact that Lesotho does not have a medical school,
there is a great need to train doctors to work in rural settings
that are found in Lesotho.
I am extremely happy to be home.
Additionally, continuing to work in the health arena is perfect
preparation as I'm currently applying to medical school in
neighboring South Africa.
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