Dr. Shin Seonhan: The Doctor Who Sees The Future [EN]: Chapter 165

#165 Rival Match (3)

Tadak—

I hurried my steps.

The time was 8:50 AM.

After a quick handover to Nurse Misun, I arrived at Hippocrates Hall, the venue for the competition.

‘There are already so many people.’

Buzzing, buzzing—

The entrance of the hall was crowded.

Resident doctors were gathered, holding cheering tools and banners to support their respective departments.

It wasn’t just a competition in name; it felt like a sports day was unfolding.

Arriving at the scene, I felt a subtle sense of tension.

“Dr. Shin-sun?”

Just then, someone approached me and asked.

“You’re the intern participating today, right?”

“Yes. I was on duty and late because of the handover, I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s okay. The competition hasn’t started yet.”

The hospital staff member with a STAFF badge on their chest said that and glanced at their watch.

“But there’s less than 10 minutes left before the competition… Are you okay? You’ll only have time to touch the equipment once?”

Originally, they were supposed to give us 30 minutes to practice from 8:30 to 9:00 AM.

It was a consideration from the organizers for the interns who were unfamiliar with laparoscopic/thoracoscopic surgery [minimally invasive surgery using small incisions and cameras].

But I had missed 20 minutes of that precious time.

It was a shame, but there was nothing I could do. I was busy with work.

“I’ll try to practice at least during the remaining time.”

“Okay, come quickly!”

He guided me inside the hall.

The PR team leader, who was the emcee, announced the time with a microphone.

Laparoscopic/thoracoscopic machines were placed in the middle of the hall.

And in front of them, several interns were busy fiddling with the laparoscopic machines.

There were about 10 participants.

I quickly scanned the members with a glance…

‘As expected, this guy stands out the most.’

Intern Ryu Myung-in.

An addiction to being number one.

He came early and was burning with enthusiasm.

He thinks he studies well, works well, and has good hands, so he must have come to prove it.

He could be said to be the most powerful candidate for winning today’s intern league.

And, over there is intern Son Ye-ri.

I’ve never spoken to her, but I know her reputation.

I’ve heard stories that people look for Ye-ri when doing blood cultures or various -centesis procedures [medical procedures involving needle insertion to draw fluid].

I heard she’s a master at finding blood vessels and making holes in the desired location to draw pleural fluid, ascites, and cerebrospinal fluid.

‘As expected, all formidable candidates.’

Besides them, all the interns gathered here were competitors interested in surgical departments, and there wasn’t a single easy opponent among them…

‘Wait a minute. Why are you here?’

Jo Jin-ki.

Why did he come?

He wants to go to dermatology no matter what, so he won’t have to touch a laparoscope.

He probably came because he wanted to somehow make up for his plummeting evaluation.

If he wins first place in the competition, his reputation among the residents will change a little.

“Ah, damn it… It’s freaking difficult.”

He muttered, mixing in curses in a small voice, and glanced at me.

“What are you looking at, you bastard? Do you think you’ll do well?”

I cleanly ignored him and stuck to one of the machines that happened to be empty and started practicing.

‘Now is not the time to worry about other people. I don’t have much time, so let’s focus on my practice.’

I grabbed a laparoscopic grasper (a surgical instrument with a clamp at the end of a long stick) in my hand.

What is a grasper?

Well, let’s think about it.

When it comes to surgical operations on the abdomen/chest, people usually think of opening the belly or chest wide open.

However, recent surgeries aren’t always like that.

Surgery is divided into two types:

(1) Surgery that cuts open widely.

(Open surgery)

(2) Surgery that cuts open small.

(Minimally invasive surgery) In ‘surgery that makes large incisions,’ you can feel the organs I’m touching with my fingertips while operating.

But in the case of ‘surgery that makes small incisions.’

First of all, my are replaced by a camera that goes into the abdominal/thoracic cavity.

And this grasper, which goes into the patient’s body through a small hole, replaces my .

What if I misadjust the force and puncture the lung or the intestines with this surgical instrument?

I don’t even want to imagine the results.

So, it’s natural to practice handling this instrument like it’s my own hand.

In other words, this grasper is like my second finger.

‘I have to look at the monitor with my eyes and be able to do incredibly delicate work quickly with this….’

The first round of today’s intern competition was predetermined.

.

It was a mission to move seeds from a small box to another box with two graspers in both hands.

Speed. And accuracy.

It’s a mission that requires both qualities.

It was important to accurately move them to another box, but in the end, since it was a time record, I had to move them quickly.

“Let’s do it first.”

The grasper, a surgical instrument I was touching for the first time.

As expected, this instrument was not easy to operate.

I had seen it a few times over the shoulder when assisting in obstetrics and gynecology surgery, but it was difficult to do it myself.

The clamp at the end of the long stick doesn’t move as I want it to.

The moment I fixed my eyes on the monitor and tried to gently grab and move the seed with the end of the clamp.

Piyong—

The seed that was hanging on the end of the clamp flew away far away as I failed to control my strength.

In an actual match, if I pick up the seed that I flew away like this and put it back on the box, time will pass quickly.

‘This won’t do. Wasting time in a competition with timeouts is a guaranteed loss.’

Everything is difficult at first.

Just like when you first ride a bicycle, it’s hard to even keep your balance.

But I have the pride of the youngest son of a sashimi restaurant in Garak Market [a large agricultural and fish market in Seoul], so I have no intention of just struggling like this.

‘I’m confident in anything I do with my hands.’

The problem is time.

It’s not easy to get used to this tool in just under 10 minutes.

While I was so focused, I heard a voice from the side.

“Hyung [older brother/male friend], can you move all the seeds in 3 minutes with that?”

Someone picked up the fallen seed and put it in my box.

It was Ryu Myung-in from the seat next to me.

He spoke in a fairly relaxed tone.

“Why did you come late? You should have practiced even 1 minute more.”

“Do you have time to talk to me?”

“I’ve already mastered it.”

He went to the machine next to me and grabbed the grasper in both hands as if to show off.

Then he started moving the seeds.

But, he was doing so well than I thought.

Even at a glance, it was hard to believe that he was touching a laparoscopic/thoracoscopic surgical instrument for the first time.

I could feel familiarity in the movements of handling the instruments.

“I’m rotating in surgery right now. I asked my seniors and practiced for a few hours. Because pre-learning is essential in this era.”

Wow, I didn’t know that.

Isn’t that cheating?

But I have no intention of blaming Ryu Myung-in.

There was no rule that said you shouldn’t practice in advance, so he must have prepared hard in his own way.

‘This won’t work.’

It was a moment that required special measures.

Seuk—

I suddenly stopped moving the seeds.

And, I boldly took the grasper out of the human body model.

“Hyung, what are you doing? Every minute and every second is precious right now. Are you giving up?”

I ignored his nagging and focused on the tool itself called the grasper.

First, clamp grabbing.

Second, 360-degree rotation.

The grasper was characterized by the ability to perform two actions by operating these two levers.

‘If I move the lever this much….’

I put one finger on the end of the clamp and focused on the sensation.

Kkadak, kkadak—

The clamp responded and moved delicately according to the movement of the lever.

Getting to know this tool is the first thing to do now.

How much signal I give, how much reaction this tool gives….

I thought it was first to acquire those senses.

Meanwhile, Ryu Myung-in was watching me with curious eyes.

The 10 minutes of practice time passed in a flash.

Our interns put down the graspers and returned to their seats in the right corner of the hall and sat down.

Sitting in my seat and looking around the hall, there were many people.

In 15 minutes, the seats were almost full, and as groups from each department who had finished their rounds entered the auditorium one by one, the auditorium became even more crowded.

Familiar faces were visible in the distance.

They were resident doctors from the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Urology, and Surgery.

Also, some fellow doctors and nurses who came to cheer were also visible.

Hippocrates Hall is not a small place, but it feels full.

The competition soon began with a speech by Professor Lee Joo-heung, head of the Education and Talent Development Department.

As soon as the opening remarks, which could be a bit boring, were over, the PR team leader, who was the emcee, shouted into the microphone.

Along with his shouting, the cheers of the medical staff from each department who participated in the competition and the people who gathered here to support them echoed throughout the auditorium.

A thrilling sports BGM was blasting from the speakers.

Our interns, who were sitting in the corner seats at the very end of the auditorium, were surprised by the unexpected heat.

Some of them even prepared cheering placards.

“Cheer up, Surgery! You can do it, Surgery!”

“The championship is going to the Department of Thoracic Surgery anyway!”

“Obstetrics and Gynecology Fighting!”

“Let’s do well when we laugh! Urology Fighting!”

Each department started to become lively with unique cheering messages.

“Wow… I didn’t know it was a competition that people participated in so enthusiastically.”

Ryu Myung-in muttered softly next to me as if he was excited.

The PR team leader explained the intern free competition section, which was scheduled as the opening match before the main competition.

The BGM changes.

A majestic music like a professional wrestler entering.

With the emcee’s call, we walked out one by one.

‘What is this tension?’

Walking to the center of the hall, it was a tension I had never felt before while working as an intern.

This was because not only the professors but also the resident doctors and many people were watching.

“Shin-sun Fighting!”

I heard the voice of Dr. Ahn Kyung-sik.

“Intern Fighting!”

I also heard the thick voice of Dr. Ma Dong-seop.

Listening to a few cheers from many people, we stood in front of the laparoscopic/thoracoscopic machines placed in the center of the hall.

Jo Jin-ki on the left, Ryu Myung-in on the right.

‘This is going to be fun.’

The tension is soon filled with a desire to win.

I started with a light heart at first, but now I’m serious.

Today, I definitely want to win in this place.

Sitting in the chair and grabbing the grasper with both hands, we waited for the emcee’s starting signal.

The PR team leader, who was the emcee, pressed the timer, and our first round of seed moving began.