It was May 27, and the scene was the chapel of Myungsung Medical College, located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in the eastern part of Africa. With their clinical internship approaching, when they will meet patients directly, the young medical students were dressed for the first time in their white coats. They read aloud the pledge in serious voices: “Now, having been granted permission to serve the medical profession, I solemnly pledge to glorify the Lord through my medical service. As I help the patients, I will respect and love them as beings created in the image of God.”
The white-robed students who made this pledge will carry out their internships at nearby Myungsung Christian Medical Center. Like Myungsung Medical College, this medical center was established for medical mission by Myungsung Church (Rev. Kim Sam-hwan), located in Gangdong-gu, Seoul, and opened its doors in 2004. It was the first general hospital to be established by the Korean church in Africa, just as Myungsung Medical College, opened in 2012, became Africa’s first medical college planted by the Korean church.
Article and photos by reporter Kwon Hye Sook (hskwon@kmib.co.kr), from Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), with Marion Kim (marionkkim@icloud.com)
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