Dr. Shin Seonhan: The Doctor Who Sees The Future [EN]: Chapter 31

#31 Gangnam Station (10)

“Wow, isn’t our intern amazing? Has anyone here performed pericardiocentesis [a procedure to remove fluid from around the heart] outside the hospital?”

Professor Heo Jun-im said, looking around at the other professors.

Professor Shin Seung-woo cleared his throat.

“Ahem. Let’s hear the details from him later and take our seats. We need to start the meeting.”

“Oh, should we?”

Professor Heo Jun-im smiled and sat down.

She seemed to have a unique personality, not caring much about what others thought.

‘There are so many different types of professors.’

Soon, their gazes turned to me.

Disapproving gazes.

Intrigued gazes.

My disciplinary action would be decided here, in this place.

The first question came from Professor Shin Seung-woo.

“Is it true that you performed pericardiocentesis while under the influence of alcohol yesterday?”

“Yes!”

Damn it.

I answered confidently because I was too nervous.

Professor Shin Seung-woo frowned.

He looked as if he was asking how I could be so brazen when I had done something wrong.

“In the middle of a Gangnam alley… without explaining the possible complications… and seemingly without following the basic principle of maintaining aseptic conditions [sterile conditions] during the procedure?”

Tock, tock.

The professor tapped the table with his pen.

Each time, it felt as if my body was being poked.

“And above all, you performed the procedure using only your sense of touch?”

“Yes. Because it wasn’t a hospital, there was a lack of equipment, so I had no choice…”

“Even 119 ambulances have portable ultrasound devices. Didn’t you think of using that?”

“Ah.”

I was momentarily speechless.

There was ultrasound equipment in the ambulance?

If I had used that, I might have been able to perform the procedure more safely.

“I guess you didn’t know that?”

“No, I didn’t.”

…It felt like I was being stripped naked.

It’s only natural, but my knowledge is still at the level of a medical student.

My field experience is also absolutely lacking.

My medical expertise won’t even reach the toes of the professors here.

Soon, the professors began to talk among themselves.

“Professor Seo, how is the patient’s condition?”

“It seems there were no complications from the procedure. The patient is currently recovering without any major issues.”

“That’s a relief… but are there any legal problems?”

One of the professors spoke, and a legal team staff member checked their tablet PC and said,

“According to medical law, consent is not required in emergency situations.”

“So, there are no legal issues?”

“Yes.”

Then, Professor Shin Seung-woo frowned.

“This isn’t just a legal matter. If interns are performing procedures outside without proper training, who will take responsibility?”

At those words, the other professors nodded in agreement.

…It seems I don’t have many allies.

If I rashly object, it seems like it will backfire.

I sat there nervously, feeling cornered.

Then, Professor Heo Jun-im, who had been listening quietly, opened her mouth.

“Speaking of which, I have a question.”

“Yes.”

I became very tense.

The person in front of me was a professor of thoracic surgery who handles hearts every day.

What kind of question would she ask me?

“How did you know the patient had cardiac tamponade [compression of the heart caused by fluid accumulation]? That wouldn’t have been easy to determine, right?”

A pure academic’s eyes.

Professor Heo Jun-im gave off that kind of impression.

Rather than trying to reprimand me, she seemed more curious.

…Perhaps, she was giving me a chance.

I answered calmly.

“I made the determination based on Beck’s triad [a set of three medical signs associated with cardiac tamponade], which I learned as a student.”

She smiled with interest.

And nodded, as if telling me to continue.

“At the scene, I confirmed jugular vein distension [swelling of the neck veins] and hypotension [low blood pressure], and the patient’s consciousness was fading…”

“Wait a moment.”

Then, Professor Shin Seung-woo interrupted me again.

“The same symptoms can appear in tension pneumothorax [collapsed lung due to air pressure], can’t they?”

His words were sharply pointing out my weakness.

= ‘Blood filling around the heart.’

= ‘The chest cavity is filled with air.’

The causes are different, but the symptoms can be the same.

“The treatments for the two conditions are completely different, so you were going to stab the heart without certainty?”

I felt my mouth drying up at the professor’s words, which felt like an intense interview.

How should I explain this?

I couldn’t just tell the truth.

—Actually, I saw the future!

—Oh, really!

—Keuh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know you could see the future….

How great would it be if it could be resolved like this?

Just imagining it made me feel relieved.

Of course, in reality, if I said that, I would be treated like a madman!

I erased the delusion from my mind and answered calmly.

“The patient had bruises on his chest.”

“Bruises?”

“Yes. He was hit by a falling railing and had severe bruising on the anterior chest near the heart.”

“Hmm….”

“Of course, at first, I tried to have him transported to the hospital for treatment. However, cardiogenic shock [when the heart can’t pump enough blood] was progressing rapidly, so I had no choice but to take action on the spot.”

When I finished answering, the professors looked at each other with slightly surprised expressions.

Some of them were nodding.

“There’s some validity to that.”

“There were no other chest injuries that would cause pneumothorax, so he suspected cardiac tamponade first….”

“It doesn’t seem like it was a thoughtless action.”

Phew, that’s a relief.

Did my words have some effect?

The public opinion began to change.

Soon, they began to exchange opinions with each other.

The main division of opinion was between two people.

Professor Heo Jun-im vs. Professor Shin Seung-woo.

“I want to praise him. It was an intelligent action that’s hard to believe from an intern’s judgment. And he saved the patient as a result.”

That was Professor Heo Jun-im’s position.

On the other hand, Professor Shin Seung-woo’s opinion was different.

“He was lucky enough to succeed this time, but what if the patient had been harmed? I think internal disciplinary action is necessary to prevent subsequent cases.”

The opinions of both sides were evenly matched.

Should I call it a battle of pride?

The two professors’ opinions did not narrow.

I was waiting for the conclusion, hiding my anxiety in the meantime.

At that time.

Knock, knock—

The conference room door was knocked on, and unfamiliar faces entered.

‘Who are they?’

One was a doctor who appeared to be in his late 50s.

And the other one, judging from the attire, didn’t seem to be a medical professional….

“Vice President?”

“Even the head of the Public Relations and Cooperation Team? What’s going on?”

The professors were surprised and slightly rose from their seats.

I also reflexively stood up.

What’s going on?

“Ah, sorry to interrupt the meeting.”

The vice president raised his hand and asked for understanding.

He was smiling affably, but he had a determined look.

He was short and had a generally round physique.

“There’s an issue that needs to be addressed urgently. The Public Relations Strategy Team will explain the details.”

Then, the public relations team leader raised the digital camera he was holding and said.

“We need to create a press release to distribute to the media now, and we need this guy’s face.”

He said, pointing at me.

I widened my eyes.

Why suddenly my face?

The professors were also in a bewildered atmosphere.

“Are you going to put his face in a news article?”

“Yes.”

“Shouldn’t we protect personal information as much as possible? Since our hospital intern is being criticized…”

“Criticized?”

The public relations team leader tilted his head.

“No, it’s the opposite.”

“Yes?”

“It’s a situation where we need to strike while the iron is hot. I think you should check the real-time search rankings now.”

Suddenly, the atmosphere changed.

Everyone took out their smartphones with puzzled expressions.

Soon, everyone was looking at their phones, tapping the screen with their fingers.

‘What is it…?!’

I desperately wanted to open my phone and see.

But since it was a disciplinary committee opened because of me, I couldn’t take out my phone and was watching their reactions.

Then, the vice president said to me.

“You, the intern over there, check it out too.”

“…Yes.”

I slipped the smartphone I had put in my pocket and took it out.

And I doubted my eyes.

↑ Gangnam Station Intern

↑ Gangnam Station Fall Accident

↑ Gangnam Station Doctors

↑ Yeon Guk University Hospital Intern

Good heavens.

The real-time search chart was filled with what had happened last night.

Could it be….

I went to the news channel on the portal site.

In the press photos, I and Geun-uk were shown treating patients.

The blood-soaked clothes were clear even in the dark.

[Society] Hospital interns who risked their lives to save patients… ‘Miracle’ of saving critically ill patients on the spot Comments (2,554)

—Really cool

—As expected, the future of Korea, a medical powerhouse, is bright because of people like them!

—Ha… my future dream is to be a doctor from today!

—Which hospital is it? They are really amazing young people.

—Yeon Guk University Hospital?

—It seems like Yeon Guk University Hospital.

—That’s the true 모습 [true image] of doctors.

—Where did all the people who were cursing a while ago go? LOL

The reactions were 180 degrees different from the articles I saw in the morning.

Something was getting bigger.

As everyone made surprised expressions, the public relations team leader added an explanation.

“Until this morning, there were negative trends, but the public opinion changed as videos taken by citizens were reported to the media.”

“Ah, so…?”

“We need to create a response press release as quickly as possible. Before negative public opinion rises again.”

That’s what happened!

…Suddenly, I remembered the scene of the Gangnam Station accident yesterday.

I didn’t understand the people who were leisurely filming videos in the midst of the urgent situation.

But now, it was a blessing in disguise thanks to them.

Sorry for cursing!

Thank you!

I love you!

All sorts of emotions welled up inside me.

“With the current atmosphere, it seems like our intern will become a national sensation… If rumors spread that the hospital internally disciplined him, wouldn’t that look strange?”

The vice president said, looking around at the professors.

He still had a round and affable expression.

But in the meantime, should I call it experience?

The will to clearly express his opinion was clearly conveyed.

“Would that be okay?”

“Oh, well, if the vice president says so….”

Professor Shin Seung-woo changed his expression and bowed.

Seeing how quickly he changed his attitude at the words of the professor called the vice president….

I don’t know well, but the position of vice president seemed to be very powerful.

“Then let’s hurry. We need to deliver it to the media as soon as possible.”

“Yes.”

I felt the vice president’s gaze and stood up from my seat.

And before leaving the conference room.

I politely greeted the other professors and said.

“I’m sorry for causing concern.”

“Hmm.”

The professors nodded.

Some of them had reluctant expressions.

Professor Heo Jun-im, who had actively defended me, was smiling broadly.

…The situation is turning out interestingly.

Just as I was about to leave the door with the public relations team leader, the vice president opened his mouth.

“I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Yes?”

“They said you’re a diligent, responsible, and outstanding intern.”

I widened my eyes.

If it’s the vice president, isn’t he a distant existence in the sky?

Where did such a person hear about me, who is just an intern?

That can’t be.

Maybe it’s just a formality?

“Thank you.”

Thinking that, I bowed my head.

“…!”

Only then did I notice the name embroidered on the vice president’s white jacket.

Good heavens.

Why didn’t I notice it sooner?