By Muduku Derrick Brian
(3rd of four May 2022 stories related to theology and medicine studies)

When I watched Mercy Bikala, 19, enthusiastically lead community worship at the School of Medicine of Uganda Christian University (UCU), I imagined she was a full-time musician. Her eloquent voice, delivered with confidence and enthusiasm, encouraged everybody, including me, to sing along to the hymns and praises.

Shortly after the service, I confirmed that Bikala does music as a part-time activity while passionately aspiring to become a doctor. She is a second-year student pursuing a Bachelors of Medicine and Bachelors in Surgery. She says spirituality, including that expressed through music, is vital to her today as she studies, and tomorrow as she works.

“I turn to God when my energy is low,” Bikala said. “My faith in Christ is what fuels me to study and it makes the whole process have meaning.”

Bikala adds that the Christian virtues of honesty, righteousness, sympathy, stewardship are pillars that make a doctor complete and wholesome. She saw that violated during Covid-19 with some medical practitioners increasing prices for already hard-pressed patients and benefitting from the excess funds.

Bikala says that she was excited to hear that she was accepted into UCU because of its reputation as a Christ-centered institution.

“Here, there is Community worship twice a week,” she said, referring to the medical school on the Mengo Hospital site. “I feel revitalized when I engage in this activity. I get the energy to continue with my endeavors of becoming a medical doctor.”

Scientists have often tried to create a clear distinction between Christianity and science. However, Bikala says that there are things in nature that even science has failed to explain.

“Science is attempting to explain things that God has done,” she said. “There is a limit because there are things scientists have failed to get answers to.”

She urges fellow medical students to become knowledgeable medical personnel who are sensitive and spiritually mature so as to engage in works that uphold the name and glory of Christ.

Bikala says that she ventured into medical school because she wants that value addition to the nation.

“I want to attain skills that will enable me save lives of our people in society,” she said. “For me, that is where I shall derive my happiness.”

UCU having a well stocked laboratory has made it easy for Bikala to explore more about aspects in her medical field. She says that she has been able to utilize the various equipment like the microscopes and slides to enrich her medical knowledge.

“The microscopes aid me in learning more about micro-organisms like bacteria and fungi, which I study under micro biology,” she said.

Given that she is still in her second year of study, Bikala says that she is eagerly looking forward to the clinical years (Year 3, 4 and 5) of her study, where the students are able to engage in even more practical aspects.

Bikala says that she wants some improvements made by the government to aid the work of medical practitioners in Uganda.

“More funds should be put into medical research,” she said. “Why import vaccines and yet we could have been able to make our own from within?”

When it comes to music, Bikala prefers the rap genre. Bikala’s other interests include reading and learning new languages; Spanish is her current focus.

She studied at Naalya Secondary School for her Ordinary level and later proceeded to Uganda Martyrs Secondary School in Namugongo for her Advanced level. She hails from Bududa District, which is located in the eastern region of Uganda.

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