MPH Student Practicum in Namibia: Results & Reflections

At Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH), I was drawn to the rapidly developing field of mHealth, which has the potential to play a part in the transformation of healthcare and increase its quality and efficiency. At BUSPH, faculty mentors helped me select coursework to develop the skills necessary to design and evaluate a mHealth intervention, and they also helped me secure an international practicum in Namibia.

During my practicum, I took the lead on several mHealth ventures. I helped organize a mHealth conference, I assisted in the launch of a mobile payment system for primary care services, I implemented a mHealth health education tool, and I contributed to a proposal for the initiation of a mobile cash transfer scheme.

The practicum played an incredibly important role in my professional development. In Namibia, I integrated and applied classroom mHealth learning in a public health work environment. I gained experience in building partnerships and working with diverse groups, and the health education mHealth tool that I spearheaded is currently helping clinical workers educate their patients on important health topics.