NewsUpper School
Lee practices ‘service beyond self’
Aug 24, 2006 2:04 PM
By Tannika King - Faculty
A trip to Mongolia was not an ordinary family vacation for sophomore Chang-Sup Lee. From July 12 to 18, he and his father, a doctor at Samsung Medical Center in Korea, were part of a medical mission trip to help provide medical services to underprivileged Mongolians in Ulaanbaatar and Berth.
“My father was asked to go to Mongolia, so he and I went together,” said Lee. “I wanted to participate because he promised me it would be a great trip and I would learn a lot. He has served on several of these medical missionary teams.”
The Samsung Medical Team was comprised of approximately 30 people, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists and students like Lee. Each morning, Lee would wake up at 6 a.m. and go to the local church for a service. Medical services were then provided from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. During that time, Lee worked in the reception area, gave guidance to disabled persons and assisted doctors with medical laboratory exams.
“One of the patients had a serious problem ... One of his ears did not grow properly, so he could only hear out of one ear,” said Lee. “He got so depressed … So Samsung Medical Team decided to give him a surgery. Afterwards, his ear looked normal and he could hear a little bit. I was impressed after looking at the happy face of this patient.”
Lee said the entire experience has changed him. “Some say that you cannot be changed easily; however, I found that people can be changed by a little thing,” he said. “For example, the man [I was just talking about] recovered physically and mentally after one small surgery on his ear. Now I try to do my best to help others. That can change the whole life of someone.”
“My father was asked to go to Mongolia, so he and I went together,” said Lee. “I wanted to participate because he promised me it would be a great trip and I would learn a lot. He has served on several of these medical missionary teams.”
The Samsung Medical Team was comprised of approximately 30 people, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists and students like Lee. Each morning, Lee would wake up at 6 a.m. and go to the local church for a service. Medical services were then provided from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. During that time, Lee worked in the reception area, gave guidance to disabled persons and assisted doctors with medical laboratory exams.
“One of the patients had a serious problem ... One of his ears did not grow properly, so he could only hear out of one ear,” said Lee. “He got so depressed … So Samsung Medical Team decided to give him a surgery. Afterwards, his ear looked normal and he could hear a little bit. I was impressed after looking at the happy face of this patient.”
Lee said the entire experience has changed him. “Some say that you cannot be changed easily; however, I found that people can be changed by a little thing,” he said. “For example, the man [I was just talking about] recovered physically and mentally after one small surgery on his ear. Now I try to do my best to help others. That can change the whole life of someone.”
