Esther Park (physician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Esther Kim Pak
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Esther Kim Pak in academic regalia, from a memorial brochure published about 1910.
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| Born |
Kim, Jeom-dong
March 16, 1876 Seoul, Korea
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| Died | April 13, 1910 (aged 34) |
| Nationality | Korean |
| Other names | Kim, Cheom-dong, Ester Kim Pak |
| Occupation | medical doctor, missionary |
| Years active | 1895-1910 |
| Esther Park | |
| Hangul | |
|---|---|
| Revised Romanization | Eseudeo Bak |
| McCune–Reischauer | Esŭdŏ Pak |
| Birth name | |
| Hangul | |
| Hanja | |
| Revised Romanization | Kim Jeomdong |
| McCune–Reischauer | Kim Chŏmtong |
Esther Pak (Hangul: 에스더 박, born Kim Jeom-dong Hangul: 김점동; Hanja: 金點童; March 16, 1876 or 1877 — April 13, 1910) was an amazing Korean doctor. She was the very first Korean woman to practice Western medicine in her country. She helped many people and opened doors for other women in medicine.
Early Life and Big Dreams
Kim Jeom-dong was born on March 16, 1876, in Seoul, Korea. She was one of four daughters. Her father worked for an American missionary named Henry Appenzeller. In 1886, he sent Kim to study at the Ewha Girls' School. This school was started by Mary F. Scranton. Her parents had two rules for her studies: she could not go to the United States, and she had to finish school before getting married.
Kim was a very bright student, especially good at English. An American missionary doctor, Rosetta Sherwood Hall, visited the school. Kim was asked to be her interpreter. Dr. Hall performed a surgery to fix a cleft lip and cleft palate. Kim was so impressed by this that she started to dream of becoming a doctor herself. Dr. Hall believed that old Korean customs made it hard for people to get proper medical care.
Becoming a Doctor
Rosetta Sherwood Hall introduced Kim to Pak Yusan. He worked with Dr. Hall's husband. On May 24, 1893, Kim Jeom-dong and Pak Yusan got married. This was the first Western-style wedding between Koreans in Korea! After her wedding, she took the name Esther Pak. She added her husband's name to her baptismal name.
In 1894, Dr. Sherwood Hall went back to New York. She took Esther and Yusan with her. Esther Pak studied at a school in New York for one year. She learned Latin, physics, and mathematics. In 1900, Esther graduated from the Women's Medical College of Baltimore. She was the first Korean woman to get a medical degree in the United States. Her husband, Yusan, supported her medical studies. Sadly, he died from tuberculosis about six months before she graduated.
Helping People in Korea
After getting her degree, Esther Pak returned to Korea. She started working at Bogu-yogwan (Hangul: 보구 여관; Hanja: 普救女館). This was the first hospital for women in Korea, located in Seoul. In just ten months, Dr. Pak helped over 3,000 patients!
In 1901, she moved to Pyongyang. Dr. Hall had opened a new hospital there. Dr. Pak traveled all over Korea, even during a cholera outbreak. She helped patients for free, which was very kind. Besides her main work, she also taught and educated others. She helped train the first group of Korean female doctors. Dr. Pak gave public talks where she explained why health education was important. She also encouraged education for women and shared her Christian faith.
Esther Pak passed away from tuberculosis in April 1910. She was only 34 years old.
Honoring a Pioneer
Esther Pak was a true pioneer. On April 28, 1909, a special ceremony was held to celebrate her. Two other amazing Korean women were also honored: Ha Ran-sa, the first Korean woman to earn a literature degree from an American university, and Yun Jeong-won, the first Korean woman to graduate from Japan's Meiji University (for music). About 7,800 people attended this big event! Emperor Gojong even gave Pak a silver medal.
In 1933, Esther Pak was featured in a play called "A Cloud of Witnesses." This play was about important missionary figures.
In 2006, the Korean Academy of Sciences added Esther Park to the Korean Science and Technology Hall of Fame. This is a very high honor!
In 2008, the Ewha University Alumni Committee created the Esther Park Medal. This medal is given to women who graduated from the university and became doctors, recognizing their great achievements.
