By Jimmy Siyasa
When there is a discussion about training of professionals, one of the most deliberated issues is the curriculum. However, when one talks to Assoc. Prof. Charles Karamagi about training of doctors, he does not begin the conversation with the topics of curricula or accreditation standards. He begins with “people”.
“The biggest gap in how doctors are trained today is the diminishing contact among teachers, students and patients,” he says, with a vibrant voice that seems to overshadow his lean stature.
“And poor mentorship,” he further explains.
Karamagi’s view is a conviction forged over more than 50 years of service in Uganda’s health sector. Now, as the newly appointed Dean of the Uganda Christian University’s (UCU) School of Medicine, Karamagi intends to put that conviction into practice.
“It is an opportunity to crystallize and share my 50-plus years of experience in training, research and service,” he says.
He did not seek this role on his own. He believes it all started with an invitation years ago, by the Rev. Canon Dr. John Senyonyi, former Vice Chancellor of UCU, to mentor medical students and nurture research at the university. Looking back at how that invitation unfolded, Karamagi sees a hand larger than his own.
“I truly believe that I am here by the Grace of God,” he reflects, quoting Jeremiah 1:5: “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; before you were born, I set you apart.”
His diagnosis of what ails medical education in Uganda is unflinching. He points to a shift in values across society, where self-interest in career is no longer the norm. He also worries that over-reliance on medical technology is eroding the time-tested clinical skills of careful history-taking and physical examination, the art of listening to a patient before reaching for the internet.
A photo of a younger Charles Karamagi
As such, the kind of doctor Uganda most urgently needs, he argues, is not simply a technically proficient one. “A competent and committed doctor whose priority is service to the community,” he says, grounding this vision in Colossians 3:23. “Over the years, I have come to learn that when you serve the community faithfully, God always rewards you — and in ways that you could never have imagined.”
At UCU’s School of Medicine, faith shapes the rhythm of daily life. The school holds the customary UCU fellowship tradition through lunch hour community worship on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and service on Sundays. Staff at the school also gather for a dedicated Wednesday morning prayer hour. Asked what should distinguish a UCU medical graduate, Karamagi says: “In everything, God is first and God is last.”
Karamagi is widely known for mentoring younger academics, and he speaks about the practice with the passion of someone passing on a living inheritance. In 2022, he was honored by Makerere University for his “outstanding work in pediatrics and child health, as well as in epidemiology.”
Karamagi names legendary Makerere University Medical School teachers — Prof. Latimer Musoke, Prof. Richard Kanyerezi, Prof. Francis Mmiro, Dr. Edward Kigonya — whose influence he says shaped his own formation decades ago. “Whereas these great teachers have long passed on, 50 years later, I am able to pass on their values and teachings to the younger generation.”
Partnerships, including the long-standing relationship between UCU and UCU Partners, are vital to a young institution like the school. Karamagi points to the role UCU Partners play in staff and student training, sponsoring students in financial need, supporting research collaborations and providing essential medical equipment. “Partnerships also provide a platform for sharing best practices and exchange programmes,” he says.
Under his leadership, Karamagi seeks to build a culture defined by mutual respect, collaboration and integrity. “A culture of working together and building each other,” he says. “A culture of integrity, knowing that God is always watching us.”
He is fully aware of the challenges ahead — the pressure to expand enrolment without matching-infrastructure, and the difficulty of attracting quality staff — but resolved that the quality of UCU’s graduates will remain paramount.
By the end of his tenure, Karamagi envisions strengthened administration, professionally developed staff, established postgraduate programs and a vibrant research enterprise. His message to the next generation of doctors is: the world is changing rapidly, but clinical skills and the human touch will remain essential. “Medical doctors who are Christ-centred, competent and committed to serve the people will still have an edge,” he says.
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To support Uganda Christian University programs, students, activities and services, go to www.ugandapartners.org and click on the “donate” button, or contact UCU Partners Executive Director, Mark Bartels, at m.t.bartels@ugandapartners.org.
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