How father’s death inspired Rutendo Kahari into a career in Medicine

Rutendo Kahari (RK) is a pre-med student who was inspired into a career in medicine after losing her father to heart failure. She talks to Nompumelelo Damba (ND) on her journey thus far.

ND: You are a Premed student can you tell us what it means and your area of Focus?

RK: A premed student is a term used by university students to show that they plan on attending medical school and are currently enrolled in classes/activities needed to apply to medical schools in the US. I completed my A levels last year (2021) at Speciss College Bulawayo campus where I studied Math, Biology and Chemistry. So, I decided to take a gap year as a premed student to build medical related experience for my university studies. I had the opportunity of spending 7 weeks in Mombasa, Kenya where I shadowed doctors and other healthcare professionals in the city’s largest public hospital. This experience has tilted my focus in some way. Before my experience I was an aspiring biomedical scientist who hoped to contribute to the advancement of Africa’s healthcare system by developing drugs for Africa’s prevalent diseases such as TB, Malaria, HIV and Cholera using biotechnology.

So, after my experience, I felt like I wanted to do more, I wanted to connect with my patients, create viable treatment plans for them and see them getting better. So, I am currently in a space where my focus is a bit blurry whether I should be a biomedical scientist or a doctor.

ND: I have read your story, but I want everyone to hear it from you. Can you take us through what pushed you to do medicine?

RK: Growing up, I was very close to my father but when I was 8, he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure (a chronic heart condition that weakened the pumping power of his heart muscles) due to hypertension (high blood pressure) and a stroke (caused by a blood clot in his brain) that affected his hearing and speech. My father fought for his life for ten years and passed away just before my 17th birthday (I’m currently 19). I watched my dad change from being the strong dad who could carry me around (I was such a daddy’s little girl) to being bed ridden and taking 16 tablets a day! I was so obsessed with understanding how all those tablets worked because I wanted so desperately to fix my father. I did not realise it then but that was the spark of my interest in medicine, and when my father passed away, I knew my purpose was to heal. I couldn’t fix my father, but I can dedicate my life to helping others. So, I want to honor my father by doing everything I can to help and to heal so that others do not suffer as he did. My experience with my father helped me to discover my passion for medicine.

ND: In 2021 you were nominated for a US Virtual Reality Program can you tell us about that?

RK: So, in 2020, I applied for the Future Earth Academy Virtual Reality Biotech High School Beta Phase where one of my mentors (Elizabeth Gulugulu) recommended me to Dr Jennifer Jones (who is now my mentor) so that I can apply for the program. Biotechnology is a branch of science where biology and technology intersect, and it is one of my interests.

I went through the rigorous application process where I was interviewed by Dr Jennifer Jones. Dr Jones was looking for 10 driven high scholars from different parts of the world and I was humbled to represent my country and continent as the other students where from Canada, Australia, Nepal, Malaysia and Argentina. The goal of the program was for us students to test some of the technologies and softwares that will be used for the Biotech High School (to be launched soon in New York, USA).

The program ran for 6 months January 2021- June 2021. I received a tech kit that had an oculus Virtual Reality headset, Insta 360 camera, I-phone and other tech gadgets as part of the program. I got to participate in a lot of biology related online classes from established community science labs in New York, USA and used some of the coolest lab simulations all for FREE. I also formed lifelong friendships with all the beta participants. This has to be one of my proudest achievements that I could talk about all day.

ND: If anyone wants to enter your career field what are the requirements and where can they study?

RK: If you are an aspiring med student, studying math, biology, chemistry and/or physics at A level will definitely come a long way. In medicine, these 4 subjects intersect whether you like it or not! You also need to have a number of extracurricular activities that demonstrate community impact, and for medical programs you definitely need medical related experience (shadowing doctors, volunteering at a clinic etc). You can study anywhere in the world, but with the help of my mentor, Dr Jennifer Jones, I am applying to US universities. I would recommend the same because America is a land of opportunities!

ND: Interesting now that you mentioned your mentor, I know you are being mentored by some of the accomplished biotech scientist and how has the experience been so far?

RK: The experience has been incredible because they have helped me to unleash my full potential. It is humbling to have people who believe in you and your dreams because they want to see you become the best version of yourself by sharing opportunities, guidance, advice, recommendations etc. Sometimes I pinch myself when I am interacting with them! I am happy to have all my mentors on Team Tendoe!

ND: How has been the support from your family throughout this journey

RK: I am grateful to have my family’s unending support. They have been my pillar of strength since day one and honestly, I wouldn’t be where I am today without them ❤️❤️ a special shout out to my mom and sister for joining this session!

ND: What are the unique and different skills you have or had before embarking on this journey?

RK: I can reach out and interact with high profile individuals in my field of interest (which has helped me to land a lot of mentors and opportunities), I can easily adapt into new spaces and form networks with the people I meet. I also have excellent writing, communication, presentation, collaboration, leadership and problem skills. I can easily grasp complex concepts, which is a skill that came in handy during my premedical internship in Kenya which is designed for university students. All these summed up have made my journey into becoming a healthcare professional quite doable.

ND: What is your planning about the future?

RK: For the next 3 months I am focusing on my college applications to US universities and I am also hoping to launch my reading club(where volunteers spend some time at orphanages and children’s wards in the hospital reading for the children) with the guidance of one of my mentors, Dr Nyoni.

ND: Any Words of advice to anyone who want to embark on the same career as you or any career?

RK: Take a pause, look at the world around you to find your purpose, to find your place in the world and follow it. Now that you have found your purpose(why you are here), you can merge with your passion(something that you love). So at the end of the day you are making a difference in the world while doing something that you love.

You also need to build a whole network of supportive mentors to guide every step of your way. I have managed to do this by effectively using social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp to reach out!