Toward a Higher Place (5)
Choi Ki-seok encountered his partner, Go Woo-hyuk, while walking down the ward hallway.
Go Woo-hyuk is this month’s partner and is a classmate from Uijin University.
“Are you finished with the treatment?”
“right now.”
Go Woo-hyuk answered helplessly.
His complexion was unusually dark.
The Go Woo-hyuk he knew always spoke first to people around him and often joked…
When I felt anxious, I used the Eye of Hippocrates.
Physical strength: 3/10
Main symptom: Depression
Painful area: Mental
Diagnosis: Depressive disorder
Current status: Non-emergency
Progress: Poor
History: None
‘It’s depression…’
Choi Ki-seok’s eyebrows twitched.
In the past, he also suffered greatly from depression during his time as an intern.
I didn’t become a doctor to be treated like this, especially when I’m giving an enema or inserting a urinal, so should I continue to be a doctor?
There were times when I had that kind of doubt.
In fact, there are quite a few interns who cannot endure such meetings and run out of the hospital during their internship period.
“Let’s finish preparing for the meeting quickly and rest.”
Ko Woo-hyuk nodded slightly at Choi Ki-seok’s words.
The two finished preparing for the meeting together and moved to the break room.
“Are you having a hard time these days?”
“I’m dying.”
Go Woo-hyuk shook his head as if telling him not to say anything.
“Every department I go to, I’m getting beaten up like a neighborhood drum. I’m going crazy because of Reggie’s nagging, the nurses’ bullying, and even looking at the patients.”
Choi Ki-seok didn’t say anything in response to Go Woo-hyuk’s screams.
I just take coffee from the vending machine and hand it to Go Woo-hyuk.
There is nothing more poisonous than clumsy consolation to someone who is having a hard time every day.
In the heavy silence, Go Woo-hyuk spoke first.
“Aren’t you tired?”
“Of course it’s hard for me too. But still….”
Choi Ki-seok paused before continuing.
“I have a goal of doing well in thoracic surgery, so it’s worth holding on. Do you have any majors in mind?”
“yet.”
Go Woo-hyuk bowed his head.
“Then I think this is the process of finding the department you want. Once you decide where you want to go, you will change too. I did the same.”
“Is that really true?”
“trust me.”
The two talked some more and then left the break room.
“Let’s do our best today too.”
Choi Ki-seok put his hand on Go Woo-hyuk’s shoulder and used encouragement.
[The encouragement skill was used.]
[The target’s confidence in immunity and regeneration ability increases significantly.]
A sigh of relief burst out.
If the encouragement hadn’t worked, Go Woo-hyuk’s condition would have gotten even worse.
Soon, the teachers showed their faces one by one.
“hello.”
Choi Ki-seok bowed to the teachers entering the conference room.
But along the way, an unfamiliar female doctor caught my eye.
The female doctor’s name is Yoon Ji-hye.
He was small in stature and had short hair. Her skin as white as jade and her expressionless expression are impressive.
“yes.”
Yoon Ji-hye nodded without replying to Choi Ki-seok’s greeting.
Other doctors and full-time doctors also seemed shaken by Jihye Yoon’s appearance.
“Are you a new teacher?”
Minjoohyuk bravely spoke up.
“yes.”
Min Joo-hyuk looked embarrassed at Yoon Ji-hye’s short answer.
Usually, in these cases, greetings such as “Please take good care of me” and “I will do well in the future” are followed, creating an atmosphere of natural conversation.
However, Jihye Yoon ended the topic with just one word.
The atmosphere changed again when a large middle-aged man entered the conference room.
The name Jang Hyuk-pil was engraved on the man’s gown.
“hello.”
“Choi Ki-seok, intern?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“I heard a lot from Manager Cho. I heard it was Fixton. Let’s do well from now on.”
Jang Hyuk-pil grinned and placed his hand on Choi Ki-seok’s shoulder.
“Ah yes.”
Even though I saw him for the first time today, I felt like I had known Jang Hyuk-pil for a long time.
He seemed to have the ability to make people feel comfortable.
The only catch is that he has already heard his story from Jo Ji-hwan.
“Good morning. Have you all eaten?”
Everyone’s attention was focused on Jang Hyuk-pil’s lively greeting.
“Are you by any chance the new assistant professor?”
“Yes. Nice to meet you all.”
Jang Hyuk-pil smiled brightly in response to Min-hyuk Min’s question.
Jang Hyuk-pil’s ranking is after Manager Jo Ji-hwan and Associate Professor Song Myeong-jin.
As he was the third-in-command in thoracic surgery, it was obvious that his actions would have a significant impact.
As time passed, all thoracic surgery staff gathered in the conference room.
“As everyone knows, a new member came to the thoracic surgery department today.”
Jo Ji-hwan smiled while looking at Jang Hyuk-pil and Yoon Ji-hye.
“Mr. Jang served as an assistant professor in the Department of Thoracic Surgery at Baekjin University and returned to Korea early this year after receiving two years of training at the Department of Thoracic Surgery at Caliit University in the United States. What is Mr. Jang?”
“Hello, this is Hyukpil Jang.”
Hyukpil Jang stood up and continued speaking.
“At the hospital I was at before, the staff said that Jang Hyuk was very angry. Is that what you think?”
Several staff members burst into laughter at Hyukpil Jang’s joke.
“Looking at you smiling, it seemed like it was a flattering remark. Of course, I knew that, too. I will work hard to help Manager Jo Ji-hwan from now on.”
match. match. match.
Applause poured in.
“Dr. Yoon was a full-time doctor at Baekjin University’s Department of Thoracic Surgery with Professor Jang, and came to our hospital as an adjunct professor. Dr. Yoon?”
“yes.”
Yoon Ji-hye stood up at Jo Ji-hwan’s shout.
Everyone’s attention was focused on her, the bright spot and only flower of the thoracic surgery department.
“This is Yoon Ji-hye. Please take care of me.”
Jihye Yoon finished the introduction and sat down.
The extremely short introduction created a desolate atmosphere in the conference room.
“Everyone please understand that Ms. Yoon is a cold city girl by nature.”
As soon as Jang Hyuk-pil said a word, the atmosphere revived.
“Before we get into the meeting in earnest, let’s look at our department’s statistics. Let’s take a look.”
Jo Ji-hwan looked at the document and looked at Song Myeong-jin.
“Professor Song. I need to work harder.”
“Excited?”
“Look at this. Isn’t Professor Song the worst?”
The document presented by Jo Ji-hwan contained various statistical figures of doctors.
How many patients were received in outpatient clinics.
How many tests and non-covered procedures were performed on the patient.
How quickly hospitalized patients are discharged, etc.
“There are not many patients who received treatment for a month, and there are not many non-covered treatments. There are also cases where patients who could have been discharged were kept in the hospital for a long time.”
“I didn’t do this for my own good. It was all for the benefit of the patient.”
“Stop caring for the patient and focus on the hospital.”
widely!
Jo Ji-hwan slammed the documents on the table.
“Making money is important, but it is also the hospital’s job to improve patients’ QOL (quality of life).”
“You still don’t know something. Or do you think you won’t know anything for the rest of your life?”
“······.”
“Patients are money, and that money is what runs the hospital.”
A breathtaking atmosphere ensued as Jo Ji-hwan and Song Myeong-jin engaged in a fierce battle.
“We’ll see. If it continues like this, Professor Song won’t be safe either.”
Jo Ji-hwan declared war on Song Myeong-jin. He then left, saying he had to attend the manager’s meeting.
In addition, Song Myeong-jin also stormed out of the conference room.
“Hmm… Then let’s move on to the patient briefing.”
In a chaotic atmosphere, the Chief cleared his throat and proceeded with the meeting.
After a while, the meeting ended and the rounding began.
Since Jo Ji-hwan and Song Myeong-jin were away, the doctors gathered around Hyuk-pil Jang.
Even though he saw the two pillars of thoracic surgery fighting, Jang Hyuk-pil showed no signs of being shaken at all.
It just leads the round with its unique bright atmosphere.
It’s hard to believe that he was the first person to come to work today.
After the round, the real work began.
* * *
“It’s finally surgery.”
Ki-Seok Choi muttered and headed to the operating room.
The first surgery of the day was coronary artery bypass surgery.
Commonly known as CABG (Coronary Artery Bypass Graft).
Coronary arteries are important blood vessels that supply blood to the heart. If stenosis or occlusion occurs here, blood is not properly supplied to the heart.
So, surgery is performed to create a replacement blood vessel for the coronary artery, which is called coronary artery bypass surgery.
CABG is quite difficult among thoracic surgeries.
‘Today is the day.’
Choi Ki-seok smiled.
The surgeon of CABG is Song Myeong-jin.
These are the best conditions for video shooting.
After finishing scrubbing, I went into the rosette.
While the patient was given a time-out, the staff, including Song Myeong-jin, took their seats.
[Use the dragon’s eye.]
[Secure the optimal field of view required for surgery.]
[Shoot in video mode.]
Notifications rang in my head continuously.
Choi Ki-seok was driven by the will to film every single surgery scene.
“CABG surgery will begin now.”
Song Myeong-jin’s low voice echoed in the operating room.
“Meth.”
Song Myeong-jin finished disinfecting his skin and grabbed the scalpel handed to him by the nurse.
Suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu
The patient’s skin was mercilessly split in half.
Skin incision was followed by median sternotomy.
Drumming. Drumming.
The first assistant took a saw and cut the patient’s sternum. The sound of the sternum cracking spread loudly.
When the sternum was cut and the lungs were lifted, the patient’s heart was revealed.
The red heart was beating vigorously, showing off its presence.
“Connect the cannula.”
“yes.”
The first and second assistants connected the cannula tube. The heart-lung machine started running with a rattling sound.
The curtain on CABG has risen.
Ki-Seok Choi used a retractor to secure the surgical field of view. And the surgery scene was vividly captured using the dragon’s eye.
“Bovi (electrocautery).”
“Suction (suction).”
Song Myung-jin continued the surgery without hesitation.
The skill with which he handled his assistants was as natural as water.
The procedure to dissect the internal thoracic artery required for CABG and connect a new blood vessel with it was also perfect.
A surgery that could be called a textbook example of surgery was in progress.
How much time has passed?
After the final anastomosis was completed, Song Myeong-jin began to close the surgical area.
‘As expected of you, Master.’
Choi Ki-seok was impressed again.
Song Myeong-jin completed CABG, which usually takes close to 6 hours, in 4 hours.
Would you say this is world class?
After the surgery was successful, Choi Ki-seok moved the patient to the intensive care unit.
Then I sat down in a quiet place and checked the video I had shot.
I was able to look at surgery from A to Z.
Song Myeong-jin’s surgery is recognized not only domestically but also overseas.
A laugh that couldn’t be hidden escaped from my mouth.
* * *
That evening.
Ki-Seok Choi received a call from Min-Hyuk Min and went to the duty office. As soon as I opened the door and entered, the smell of food hit my nose.
Chicken and pizza looked delicious on the table.
“Have you already set it up?”
“Our junior, you have to eat it, of course you have to.”
Minjoohyuk joked.
Ever since Choi Ki-seok decided on Fixton, Min-hyuk Min has been taking special care of him.
There was a strong will to escape as the youngest member, leaving Choi Ki-seok in the thoracic surgery department.
The vigilance shown in the beginning was gone.
“What about Woohyuk?”
“They said there’s still more to deal with. They said it would come when it’s over.”
Minjoohyuk took a bite of pizza and continued.
“Come quickly and eat. Cool down.”
Min Joo-hyuk offered a chicken leg to Choi Ki-seok, and Choi Ki-seok ate the chicken leg with a smile.
“Nothing is difficult these days, right? If something is difficult, say it out loud. If you keep it in your chest, it will explode later.”
“Yes. But better than me…”
Choi Ki-seok answered and changed the topic.
“Senior, can you please take care of Woohyuk?”
“Woohyuk? Why?”
“I think you’re having a hard time these days. I think you’ll be okay if your senior gives you some counseling.”
“Okay. I’ll call you later and talk about it.”
Minjoohyuk nodded as if he understood.
While I was preoccupied with eating, Minjoohyuk started crying.
“Hey, but isn’t Professor Jihye Yoon amazing?”
“What?”
“I think she’s the prettiest female doctor I’ve ever seen.”
Minjoohyuk smiled.
