Famous (5)
Operating room lounge.
Choi Ki-seok and Shin Ji-hoon sat on the sofa facing each other.
In the silence that seemed like a fight, Shin Ji-hoon was the first to open his mouth.
“I enjoyed watching TAVI. “It was so perfect that it was funny to me, who was skeptical about it.”
“thank you.”
“I should actually say thank you. Because I could see TAVI at our hospital without having to go far. By the way, is it okay for a thoracic surgeon to be good at cardiology procedures?”
“I had no intention of touching the field of internal medicine… but MHC would not leave me alone.”
Choi Ki-seok shrugged his shoulders.
Even now that I think about it, MHC was a special place.
Shouldn’t they teach all internal medicine procedures to thoracic surgeons? Shouldn’t they have a system to shorten the training period based on meritocracy? Shouldn’t they have them do team work starting from residency? etc.
If I could break through that asura, my skills would be guaranteed.
“Honestly, I don’t think I would have been able to get the triple board if I had continued training in Korea.”
“Why?”
Shin Ji-hoon showed curiosity at Choi Ki-seok’s honest words.
“First of all, I wouldn’t have even thought of the concept of a triple board. There are no people who have multiple majors in thoracic surgery. Also, if you get caught up in a factional fight, training becomes difficult because you have to worry about it.”
“I don’t really have anything to refute. “The reason why training is difficult is very different from Manager Choi’s.”
“Professor Assistant, do you think the reason is a lack of majors?”
“you’re right.”
Shin Ji-hoon’s head moved.
“If you are busy with chores due to lack of people, it is natural that you will not have enough time to study. That’s why I’m saying this, but I personally support the introduction of PA.”
PA (Physician Assistant) refers to a physician assistant.
Although they are not doctors, they are responsible for prescribing medicines for residents, managing patients, and sometimes even performing simple surgeries.
Most PAs were nurses, but sometimes medical technicians or emergency technicians worked.
“Can’t Chief Choi just cut it and object?”
“….”
Choi Ki-seok remained silent in response to Shin Ji-hoon’s answer.
As he said, the Thoracic Surgery Department at Sewon Hospital was also receiving help from PA personnel.
Or, to exaggerate a little, it is safe to say that there is no thoracic surgery department at general hospitals or university hospitals across the country that does not use PAs.
The places that need PAs the most are unpopular departments such as thoracic surgery and urology.
“I know there are a lot of problems with the PA. Especially when a medical accident occurs, determining negligence can be a pain in the ass. But…”
Shin Ji-hoon paused before continuing.
“I need a PA. We would like to take this opportunity to legalize PA and clearly define its scope and responsibilities. “What do you think, Manager Choi?”
“Of course, that would be one of the ways. “It would be better for the government to increase the number of doctors and increase their fees first.”
“That will never happen.”
Shin Ji-hoon changed the topic with a bitter smile.
“I know. “It also explains why Manager Choi came back to Korea and what he wants to do here.”
“….”
“I heard it from the residents. He is on duty twice a week on behalf of those guys. That’s not all. We brought doctors from MHC to Sewon Hospital and even appeared on TV not long ago. “I was honestly impressed by his passion for trying something even though he had only been at the hospital for a short time.”
“….”
“Believe it or not, I’m on Manager Choi’s side. I will no longer follow Associate Professor Kim Han-cheol. “I also wanted to see the hope that Manager Choi wanted to see.”
A strange heat gradually emanated from his voice.
His face was red and his fists on the table were tightly curled.
It wasn’t difficult for Choi Ki-seok to know that he was pouring out his sincerity. When a person expresses something deep inside, the behavior and tone of voice are different from usual.
“But I remember this. “Icarus lost his wings and fell while flying towards the sun.”
“….”
“Nothing has changed in the 23 years I have been working in thoracic surgery, and nothing much will change in the future. “You’d better keep that in mind.”
“Are you telling me to compromise with reality?”
“That’s the way for Manager Choi.”
Jiyiing.
The call phone I kept in my gown trembled.
While we were talking, the schedule for the next surgery had already arrived.
“I’m sorry, but I think you have to go back to the operating room. “I heard good stories.”
Choi Ki-seok said goodbye to Shin Ji-hoon and left the lounge.
For some reason, my steps felt heavy.
* * *
When I finished my schedule, it was 8pm.
Even though he completed three surgeries in the afternoon alone, Choi Ki-seok was still in good spirits. This was thanks to the physical strength recovery effect of the 10th level of strengthening, Hope the Patient.
Drurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
As I entered the medical office, I saw Yongjun Shim reading.
“Thank you for your hard work. Manager.”
“You had a hard time too. “What are you looking at?”
“You gave me new homework during the day. So I was reading a book about it.”
“Okay, just go to the dormitory. “I’m on duty today.”
“it’s okay. Today, especially, I will stand on duty in place of the manager. All you have to do is study at a medical school. what.”
Choi Ki-seok had a smile on his face as he looked at Shim Yong-jun, who stayed like a stone.
I liked him because he spoke beautifully.
“By the way, did you hear that story?”
“what?”
“While the manager was undergoing surgery, a documentary film team came to visit. We received permission to film and explained the filming process. “They say filming starts today?”
“The faster you film, the better. That way, it will air quickly.”
He nodded slightly.
In order to receive love from the public, it is better to keep appearing on TV. It is not for nothing that they say that if something is out of sight, it is also out of mind.
If a documentary following Schritel is aired, interest in thoracic surgery will increase further.
Choi Ki-seok believed that if he used that momentum to show medical results and raise issues, he would achieve some results.
“I heard the story well. Anyway, go quickly.”
“I will be on duty today….”
“I have received enough feelings. “Please sleep comfortably in the dormitory and work harder tomorrow.”
Ki-Seok Choi playfully sent Yong-Jun Shim, who was holding out, to the dormitory and stayed behind in Uiguk.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
While I was spending some time lost in thought, I heard a knock on the door.
“Come on in.”
As soon as the answer was finished, the documentary staff poured into the medical office. Perhaps because I experienced Schritel once, I wasn’t too embarrassed when the cameras came.
He helped the staff get into their seats and then sat back down in the chair.
“hello. Manager. “This is Kang Byeong-man, the lead producer of the documentary 7 Days Team.”
“This is Choi Ki-seok, the director of thoracic surgery.”
Kang Byeong-man and Choi Ki-seok shook hands.
“Did you hear about the filming? “I tried to visit you first, but I heard you were still undergoing surgery in the afternoon.”
“ha ha ha. I just heard about it. “The staff just came to visit.”
The atmosphere became more cheerful thanks to Choi Ki-seok’s jokes.
The two spent time discussing details about filming.
“I think I’ll start filming around this time. Are you okay?”
“of course. But…”
Choi Ki-seok hesitated before continuing.
“I’m hungry, so I’m thinking of reheating the pizza in the refrigerator. “That doesn’t matter, right?”
“It’s not that it doesn’t matter, it’s a highly recommended action. “In documentaries, everyday and natural appearances are important.”
When Kang Byeong-man sent a cue sign, the camera light came on and Choi Ki-seok warmed up the pizza in the microwave as usual.
“Chief. “I have one question.”
“Please speak.”
“Why are you on duty, Chief? “Isn’t night duty a resident’s job?”
Choi Ki-seok laughed bitterly at the VJ’s question.
“Residents can’t rest because there aren’t enough people. That’s why I’m on duty twice a week.”
“Does the manager also stand on duty?”
“Isn’t there any reason not to?”
The VJ seemed embarrassed by Choi Ki-seok’s counter-question and was speechless.
“I understand you went to the doctor and had surgery all day today. Are you tired?”
“Even if it’s hard for me, I’m satisfied as long as my patients can be comfortable.”
“In our country, thoracic surgery is not as popular as other departments. “What do you think is the reason?”
The VJ changed the topic.
“I don’t know if the comparison is correct, but it will be easier to understand if you think of firefighters.”
“A firefighter?”
“yes. Everyone knows that firefighters are having a hard time. But it is true that the treatment is not good, right? “If proper compensation is not given for hard work, few people will want to do it.”
“okay. Then why did you choose thoracic surgery, chief?”
“I had a heart transplant during medical school. From then on, I wanted to help people who were sick like me.”
After finishing his story, Ki-Seok Choi took a bite of a slice of pizza and stared at the TV.
At that moment, breaking news came out on the news.
[This afternoon, the Ministry of Health tested a suspected MERS patient and confirmed that the patient had MERS. Mr. Kim 00 is the first MERS patient in Korea…]
MERS.
The exact name is MERS coronavirus.
This is a virus that came from the Middle East and causes severe respiratory symptoms such as high fever, coughing, and difficulty breathing.
[Currently, the patient is being treated in isolation at Hospital 00, and the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is conducting an epidemiological investigation to determine the exact cause of MERS. According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there appear to be no additional infections, and they issued a statement asking people to refrain from spreading infections and strange rumors.]
His brow twitched as he watched the news.
It wasn’t a good feeling, it sent shivers down my spine.
“Chief. What do you think about MERS?”
“There is no vaccine and no specific treatment, so it is a disease that we must be careful about. “The most important thing is that the number of infected people does not increase.”
“We overcame the SARS outbreak well, so wouldn’t that be the case this time too?”
“I hope so….”
Tiririring!
His voice was obscured by the sudden ringing of the phone.
Choi Ki-seok cleared his throat and picked up the phone.
“This is Choi Ki-seok, a thoracic surgeon.”
[Chief. This is Ahn Yong-tae, an emergency medicine intern. A TA patient just arrived, but he is unconscious and his systolic blood pressure is 80 mmHg.]
“You mean systolic blood pressure is 80 mmHg?”
[yes! I just did an echocardiogram because my blood pressure didn’t go up even after taking vasopressors. As a result, it was confirmed that epicardial fluid was accumulating, and cardiac tamponade was also found…]
“It goes down right away.”
Choi Ki-seok hung up the phone and headed to the emergency room, followed by the documentary film crew like baby birds.
The patient was lying unconscious and as if dead.
Ki-Seok Choi approached the patient, passing through the guardian who was shaking with anxiety and the intern who was watching anxiously.
His eyes became heavy as he looked down at the patient.
