Meet Residents

Thabo Moloi

I was born in Johannesburg. During apartheid it was difficult to go to school in South Africa because there was rioting and schools were being burnt down. Because of this, I lost four years of schooling, so my parents sent me to Botswana to study. I decided to pursue medicine, but it was not offered, so the government of Botswana sponsored me to study in Washington at George Washington University as an undergraduate, and then in Grenada for Medical School.

I have now returned to Washington for my clinical rotations at Greater Southeast Community Hospital. It is an interesting place to work because there are victims of violence, abuse, drugs, HIV, and Hepatitis C. I am comfortable with these patients because of my years in South Africa. When I was young I saw that many blacks received inferior health care in South Africa. So it is my dream to make medicine available to more people. I want to help people as a doctor in a small village in Botswana, because the government has sponsored me throughout my education. Although there are many places I could make more money, I want to give back to the people that gave so much to me.

I enjoy living in the International Student House because it represents a microcosm of the world. The most important thing I have learned is that people from countries with political tension accept each other here and become friends. I wish I could bring this message home, because in Africa different tribes do not always get along. It has also been a pleasure to share my experiences of Botswana and South Africa. For example, very few people have visited Botswana or know that the UN has cited it as a successful example of democracy in Africa and that it is a very peaceful place. To share the pride I have for my culture and to learn of others' cultures has been a unique and memorable part of the ISH experience.

Back to the Meet Residents Page...