A Surgeon Who Uses Martial Arts [EN]: Chapter 119

Surgeon Who Uses Martial Arts – Chapter 119

Chapter 21: Bracelet (4)

In the neurosurgery ward’s on-call room, Jun-hoo gathered his surgical gown and put on his doctor’s coat.

Standing in front of the mirror, he looked more reliable than usual.

[Seo Jun-hoo, Department of Neurosurgery]

It must be because of the word ‘Neurosurgery’ written on the chest of his gown.

During his internship.

The word on Jun-hoo’s gown was simply ‘Doctor.’

After wandering through numerous departments, Jun-hoo had now found a new nest and a place to stay.

Step. Step.

While walking through the on-call room towards the duty room.

Jun-hoo exchanged eye contact with the patients and their families he happened to meet.

He also carefully observed the patients and their families in the hospital rooms.

Even before the rounds, the ward was slowly waking up.

The interns were busy with their duties.

The patients were leaning against the backrests of their beds, trying to shake off sleep.

The dim light of the bedside lamps had disappeared.

Bright lights illuminating the inside of the hospital room signaled the start of the day.

The neurosurgery ward had many patients over middle age.

It was a scene that perfectly matched the saying ‘birth, aging, sickness, and death.’

Aging humans could not avoid illness.

Young patients were usually trauma patients.

While observing the ward, Jun-hoo considered the direction he should take in neurosurgery.

There were three main branches of neurosurgery.

First, the brain section that deals with the brain itself.

The brain section was divided into two fields: brain tumor diseases and cerebrovascular diseases [diseases related to blood vessels in the brain].

Second, the spine section that deals with the spine and cervical spine, which is similar to orthopedics in some ways.

Third, there was the stereotactic neurosurgery clinic that deals with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), epilepsy (seizures), and Parkinson’s disease.

That wasn’t all.

After obtaining a specialist license, one could become a hand surgeon capable of performing replantation surgery [reattaching severed limbs or digits].

One could also transfer to a trauma surgeon who could work at a specialized trauma center.

The path of a neurosurgeon was, in a word, endless.

Usually, neurosurgeons specialized in one of these areas and delved deeply into it.

For example, it was like this.

A brain tumor specialist only performed brain tumor surgeries.

They did not perform cerebrovascular surgeries or other surgeries.

However, Jun-hoo was greedy.

He wanted to conquer all the divisions in neurosurgery.

The more he knew, the more patients he could save.

He would be unshakable in any crisis situation.

Jun-hoo set his standards high, believing that he should do at least that much if he had experienced the world of martial arts.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Creak.

Jun-hoo knocked and entered the duty room.

It was his first day working in neurosurgery as a resident.

* * *

“Jun-hoo, you’re here?”

Min-kyung, a second-year resident, saw Jun-hoo and waved her hand in welcome.

There was a face next to Min-kyung that he hadn’t seen before.

He seemed to be a colleague from another university who would be working in neurosurgery with Jun-hoo.

The colleague’s name, confirmed by his gown, was Kyung-soo.

This year, Jun-hoo and Kyung-soo were the only two applicants for neurosurgery.

Still, it was better than thoracic surgery or obstetrics and gynecology.

“Yes. Hello. Good morning.”

“Wow, the resident gown suits you well?”

“I know, it’s just that ‘Neurosurgery’ is attached to the front.”

Jun-hoo chuckled and sat across from Min-kyung.

His actions were as natural as flowing water.

As if he were walking around his living room.

Last month, during his last month of internship, Jun-hoo had a rotation in neurosurgery.

This was because when an intern chooses a major, they undergo their final training in that major to adapt to the department.

So, he and Min-kyung were not strangers.

They had spent a month together.

“Oh, right. I almost forgot. This is Jun-hoo, your colleague Seo Kyung-soo. Kyung-soo, this is Jun-hoo. You’re the same age, so feel free to speak comfortably to each other.”

“Nice to meet you, Kyung-soo.”

“Nice to meet you.”

Jun-hoo and Kyung-soo exchanged greetings.

“I was telling Kyung-soo about the first-year duties. Think of it as a review and listen one more time.”

“A review is good.”

While Min-kyung was explaining the first-year duties.

Jun-hoo stared intently at Kyung-soo.

Kyung-soo had a sharp impression.

His jaw was sharp, his eyes were sharp, and his gaze was sharp.

While listening to Min-kyung’s explanation.

He nodded or repeated ‘yes,’ but his personality seemed aloof and cold.

“I think that’s all for the explanation. I’ll be out for a while. Have a good time, you two.”

Min-kyung smiled brightly and left the room.

As soon as Min-kyung left, the atmosphere in the duty room froze instantly.

Kyung-soo immediately sat down at his desk and started working.

“Why are you so busy? You don’t have any patients assigned to you yet, do you?”

“I’m trying to get used to the OCS [Order Communication System]. The interface is different from what I used to use.”

Kyung-soo’s gaze remained fixed on the monitor.

Jun-hoo was reminded that Kyung-soo came from another university.

“Can I ask where you’re from?”

“Baesung University.”

Baesung University Medical School was one of the top medical schools in the region.

“If you’re from Baesung University, you could have applied to Baesung University Hospital. Why did you apply to Shinwon University?”

“Shinwon University looked better.”

“Why did you choose neurosurgery?”

Jun-hoo continued to ask questions.

If he didn’t transfer hospitals.

Jun-hoo might end up spending his whole life with Kyung-soo.

One could call him a kind of partner.

That’s why he had so many questions about Kyung-soo.

“Do I have to report everything like that?”

Kyung-soo’s voice was tinged with annoyance.

“You don’t have to answer if you’re uncomfortable. I was just asking because I thought it would be good for us to get to know each other since we’re colleagues.”

“…….”

“Don’t you have any questions for me?”

“No… well, there is one.”

Kyung-soo looked at Jun-hoo with a contemptuous gaze.

To be precise, he was staring at the germanium bracelet on Jun-hoo’s wrist.

“Is a doctor like you believing in such pseudoscience? Honestly, it looks pathetic.”

“Ah. This bracelet?”

“Yes.”

“I’m not wearing it because of pseudoscience.”

“Then why?”

Kyung-soo scoffed.

“I received it as a gift from a close brother. It’s a memento.”

Stroking the bracelet with one hand.

Jun-hoo felt a surge of emotion.

When he said goodbye to Sung-ho, who had been declared brain dead.

Jun-hoo had vowed.

That he would take over Sung-ho’s dream of becoming a neurosurgeon, which he couldn’t even start.

The bracelet was a medium connecting Sung-ho and Jun-hoo.

It was also a symbol of Jun-hoo’s vow to become the world’s best neurosurgeon.

“You seem to have some strange sentimentality. Will you be able to endure neurosurgery with such a soft mindset?”

“Even if it’s our first time meeting, watch your words a little, will you?”

There was a subtle anger in Jun-hoo’s voice.

“Why? Did I say something wrong?”

“Don’t judge other people’s stories or memories by your standards. Will you be able to endure neurosurgery with that kind of mindset?”

“…….”

“You seem to be coldly looking down on others and mistakenly thinking that you’re rational. If you’re like that, you won’t last long either.”

Kyung-soo remained silent at Jun-hoo’s criticism.

However, his face clearly showed his displeasure.

“It seems like it will be difficult to become friends with you.”

“Likewise.”

After that, Jun-hoo only talked to Kyung-soo about work-related matters.

They set the duty and day off for this month.

“Contact me if there’s any problem. I’ll go to the conference room for a bit.”

“Where are you thinking of going?”

“I’m going to help the interns prepare for the conference.”

“What a great man. A great man.”

Leaving Kyung-soo’s sarcasm behind, Jun-hoo headed to the conference room.

Having only one colleague and him being like that.

He didn’t feel very pleasant.

Why is Kyung-soo such a cynical person?

Why did he choose neurosurgery as his major?

He needed to know those two things.

Only then would he be able to properly understand the human being called Seo Kyung-soo.

And it seemed like it would take quite a lot of time until then.

* * *

“Senior, thank you. Thanks to you, the preparation was fast.”

Eun-ha, a neurosurgery intern, bowed her head towards Jun-hoo.

Eun-ha was from Shinwon University and was one year younger than Jun-hoo.

During her time in medical school.

They had often run into each other, so he remembered her name and face.

“You must have been busy with ward duties. You guys need to breathe too.”

“Senior, you’re the best!”

“Thank you, Senior.”

Eun-ha gave a thumbs up.

Sun-ho, the intern next to Eun-ha, also thanked Jun-hoo once again.

“Have a cup of coffee in the lounge.”

“Is that okay? I’m afraid of being noticed…….”

“If anyone says anything, blame it on me. And what does it matter if you’ve done all your work?”

“Since Senior Jun-hoo is watching over us, let’s go. Squirrel.”

“Squirrel?”

Jun-hoo tilted his head at Sun-ho’s words.

“Ah. Eun-ha’s nickname is Squirrel. We call her Squirrel for short. Doesn’t she look like she’s good at picking acorns, even to you, Senior?”

“Hey! You can’t say anything in front of the senior?”

“If she’s a squirrel, what else should I call her?”

Jun-hoo chuckled as he watched Sun-ho and Eun-ha bickering.

The two had good chemistry.

And there was nothing more important than chemistry in doing medical work.

Because ward work.

Surgery can’t be done alone either.

In that sense, Jun-hoo was a little envious of the two.

Jun-hoo’s partner was Kyung-soo.

Who didn’t have even a fingernail’s worth of sociability.

As time passed, the conference proceeded.

Briefing on hospitalized patients.

Case study.

Organizing the schedule of surgical patients, etc.

After the conference, the members of the department all went on rounds together.

Only after the rounds did the neurosurgery work begin.

Returning to the duty room, Jun-hoo busily began entering charts.

He wrote down the orders and treatment directions that the professor had mentioned during the rounds.

Typing. Typing.

Typing. Typing.

Jun-hoo’s fingers were blazing.

His typing speed was so fast.

It was hard to see his fingers.

The continuous keyboard sound was like a machine gun.

Entering charts accounted for 80% of the work of a first-year resident.

This was because patients who needed to be cared for increased as they became attending physicians.

Ward patient management was mostly the responsibility of the first year.

ICU patients were the responsibility of the second year.

Third and fourth years focused on surgical assistance and performing surgeries.

“Oh, that incredible speed is still the same.”

Min-kyung, who had returned to the duty room after finishing her ICU rounds, said as she looked at Jun-hoo.

“Jun-hoo, what was your English typing speed again?”

“2,000.”

“2,000? Are you even human?”

“I’m human, but as Senior said, I’m a workaholic. A workaholic who enters orders.”

Jun-hoo smiled and continued typing.

Jun-hoo’s typing skills had improved even further than before. It was thanks to achieving the Yangsu Pumpkin Technique to the 9th level.

“Should I enter Senior’s too instead?”

Jun-hoo stopped his hands for once.

It wasn’t to take a break.

He had finished all the overdue charting in just 10 minutes.

It was something that would take other residents at least 1 to 2 hours.

“I’m okay. If you’re going to help, help Kyung-soo.”

At Min-kyung’s answer, Jun-hoo looked at Kyung-soo.

Kyung-soo was also looking at Jun-hoo, but his face was blank.

He had been shocked by Jun-hoo’s charting speed.

“Should we divide it up if you’re busy?”

“Ah…… No. I’ll take care of my own work.”

“If it’s hard, don’t feel pressured and tell me. If you suffer alone, you’ll get sick.”

Although he didn’t like Kyung-soo.

Jun-hoo didn’t feel any aversion to helping Kyung-soo.

It was because Kyung-soo’s condition had to be good.

So that the patients Kyung-soo was in charge of would also be comfortable.

In other words, helping Kyung-soo was for the sake of the patients.

After finishing the morning charting like lightning.

Jun-hoo began reading neurosurgery books.

Flipping.

Flipping.

The pages turned without hesitation.

Jun-hoo’s reading speed was also fast.

He devoured the textbooks as if he were looking at martial arts books with secret manuals and martial arts movements written on them.

He read while drawing the structure of the brain, cranial nerves, and cerebral blood vessels in his head.

It was three-dimensional reading, one of Jun-hoo’s special moves.

That wasn’t all.

Jun-hoo stimulated Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas, which control language, with acupressure.

As a result, he was able to absorb the contents of the book like a sponge.

Recently, Jun-hoo was engrossed in neuroanatomy, and neuroanatomy was a first-year learning textbook.

Jun-hoo was already reviewing it for the third time.

Faster work processing than anyone else and medical knowledge accumulated in the remaining time.

This was why other residents couldn’t dare to approach Jun-hoo.

Ring~ Ring~

The phone suddenly rang.

Jun-hoo, who had become a first-year resident, answered the phone without hesitation.

“Neurosurgery speaking.”

-…….

“Yes. I understand. I’ll check the chart now and go down.”

“A patient came to the emergency room?”

“Yes. I’ll go.”

Jun-hoo answered cheerfully to Min-kyung’s question.

Then, he entered the patient number that the emergency room had given him into the search bar and examined the patient’s chart.

The space between his eyebrows narrowed.

Wrinkles increased on his forehead.

There were no major problems on the test, but there were a few places that were unsettling.