Dr. Shin Seonhan: The Doctor Who Sees The Future [EN]: Chapter 173

#173 Where He’s Heading (4)

“I don’t think I’m cut out for seeing patients.”

“Huh?”

“You?”

Yeonseo and I asked simultaneously, puzzled.

It was the opposite of what we knew about Geun-wook.

“Geun-wook, you *used* to like seeing patients, didn’t you?”

Geun-wook shook his head at my question.

“After spending a day in pediatrics, I realized it’s not easy dealing with patients face-to-face. And the guardians are even worse.”

It was unexpected.

It wasn’t the Geun-wook we knew.

Clearly, he used to be…….

*I want to be a doctor like a hearty soup that patients can rely on!*

*How reassuring would it be for patients to be treated by a doctor with a great body like mine?*

*I’m strong, so I should go to a department that uses strength! Hahaha!*

……Kim Geun-wook always said things like that.

But it seems his values have changed recently.

“When I think about it, I don’t want to live stressed out and dealing with patients. It’s not like anyone praises me for it.”

Geun-wook muttered in a listless voice and left the lounge.

“Where are you going?”

“I have q4hr [every 4 hours] irrigation. It’s so annoying.”

Annoying?

This was also an uncharacteristic expression for Geun-wook.

Of course, the intern life is tough, but this was the first time I’d seen Geun-wook say it so openly.

Perhaps the aftereffects of his overwork last month still linger.

“……Is Geun-wook okay these days?”

Yeonseo yawned and replied to my worried words.

“He seems perfectly normal to me? It’s okay to feel annoyed with work sometimes.”

“It’s just that he seems to be going through some confusion.”

“Isn’t it unusual that you’re so consistent all the time? Workaholic Dr. Fresh!”

Yeonseo pokes my side with a pen, giving me a jab.

A workaholic.

I hear that often.

Yeonseo, leaning back on the sofa and stretching lazily, continued.

“Geun-wook *oppa* [older brother/male friend] has been floating in the air all this time. He was on YouTube with Seon-han *oppa*, and in the news…… It’s about time he snapped out of it. Ughyagyagyak!”

Yeonseo lay down with her arms outstretched, becoming one with the sofa.

Come to think of it, she’s changed a bit too.

She’s still diligent, but she no longer exudes the same sharp energy as she did in March.

I can feel the vibe of someone who’s been working for almost a year.

Distancing between work and me.

Work-life balance.

Preventing burnout.

Like most office workers, doctors also worry about such things.

“Yeonseo, what are you going to specialize in?”

“I still don’t know. But as I said, pediatrics is a pass!”

I also heard that Yeonseo had given up on pediatrics.

Last September.

Yeonseo was severely scolded by a guardian.

It was because she failed to find a vein on the first try during a pediatric blood culture.

It was a minor mistake that even an excellent intern could make.

But she couldn’t stop the guardian’s anger, and eventually, her personal information was even dug up.

“No, when I look at you, you’re busy pretending to be pretty and uploading videos on YouTube?! You’re a doctor, but you’re not working! That’s why you’re not skilled!”

Having such an experience shakes your mental state.

After being tormented for a while, Yeonseo eventually closed all her social media accounts.

“Well, it’s inevitable that there are sensitive guardians…… I have to protect my own mental health!”

Yeonseo is a thorough realist.

She coldly judges what she can’t handle.

The past month of pediatric experience was enough to change Yeonseo’s career path.

“And the atmosphere in pediatrics isn’t good these days, is it? That also played a part in my decision.”

“That’s true.”

Yeonseo is right.

Recently, pediatrics has been struggling with a low number of applicants.

This is because the population of children is decreasing exponentially.

In a capitalist society where the principles of supply and demand inevitably apply, this directly translates into changes in the application rate.

“These days, everyone is talking about the worst population cliff in Korean history. Doctors naturally have a lot to worry about.”

The popularity of pediatrics is declining day by day.

A reality where people avoid it unless they have a sense of duty or really like children.

So much so that when looking at the applicants, they think, ‘Does their father have a pediatric clinic to pass down?’

This reality was no exception at Yeonguk University Hospital.

Even though it was almost October, only 2-3 interns had declared that they would apply to pediatrics.

Considering that the quota was 10, it was a serious situation.

“By the way, how is Seon-han *oppa*? What are his impressions of experiencing pediatrics?”

Yeonseo, now completely one with the sofa, asked lazily.

My impressions?

I’m not sure yet.

First of all, there’s a bit more emotional exhaustion compared to other departments.

But all the departments I’ve experienced so far have had their own charms and rewards.

So, pediatrics will probably be the same.

“I’m still a bit overwhelmed, but if I get the hang of it after a few days, it’ll be fun.”

“See? He’s so consistent,” Yeonseo said, smiling languidly as if she knew I would say that.

* * *

The pediatric internship is largely divided into three areas.

―Ward

―Emergency Room

―Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)

The ward involves frequent contact with patients and guardians.

The emergency room has a variety of patients and guardians, but you don’t see them for long.

NICU is the most comfortable. There isn’t much for interns to do, and crucially, there’s no need to deal with guardians.

Among them, I was assigned to the ward, where I had to see patients for a long time.

‘I’m starting to get used to ward work now, aren’t I?’

Evening of the third day.

I walked leisurely down the hallway on my way home.

Was it because I had grown through various experiences?

Once I crossed the entry barrier, pediatrics didn’t feel difficult.

Above all, seeing cute children often is subtly healing.

As I was heading to the dormitory with light steps after finishing ward work, an alarm went off in the pediatrics group chat this month.

[Jun-hwa] Anyone in the ER (emergency room) who can help with a pediatric culture (blood culture)?! Urgent ㅠㅠㅠㅠ Jun-hwa is an intern colleague two years younger than me, with a cute face but slightly clumsy skills.

I bit into the energy bar I was buying from the convenience store and sent a reply.

[Seon-han] I’m on my way to the dorm now, should I stop by the ER?

[Jun-hwa] Seon-han *hyung* [older brother/male friend]!

[Geun-wook] Oh~ a hero appears!

[Da-sol] Shout out to God Seon-han!

[Kyung-min] God! Seon! Han!

……My reputation among the interns was being expressed a bit too exaggeratedly.

[Seon-han] What kind of patient is it?

[Jun-hwa] It’s a neutropenic fever patient, and 15 minutes have passed…… Already failed once! Can’t see the blood vessels ㅠㅠ

[Seon-han] So, you have to do the culture within 15 minutes to get the anti (antibiotics) in?

The time limit is tight.

I quickly sent a reply.

[Seon-han] Isn’t it better to call the IV team (specialist vein finding team)?

[Jun-hwa] The IV team is busy and can’t come right now ㅠㅠ

[Seon-han] I’m going now.

[Geun-wook] Ooh~

[Da-sol] As expected, God Seon-han!

[Jun-hwa] Skills competition first place Seon-han *hyung*, come and show off your skills!

At the desperate help request, I changed my steps from the dormitory to the emergency room.

Pediatric blood culture.

Called the ‘flower of the pediatric intern life,’ it was one of the most difficult skills among interns.

With children, finding blood vessels itself is difficult, but even if you find them, it’s not easy to pierce them with a needle.

This is because children who are afraid of needles never wait still like adults.

Crying is basic, and they move their arms and legs freely, struggling, so accurately inserting the needle is really too difficult.

You must ask the guardian/nurse to hold them tightly before proceeding with the procedure, but guardians with weak hearts may not be able to hold them firmly.

‘I’m finally doing the difficult pediatric culture!’

With half anticipation and half nervousness, I arrived at the emergency room.

Jun-hwa was waiting quietly with a 24G thin needle prepared.

His eyes were full of a desperate message for me.

*Hyung*, help me!

He was sending such a beam.

“Hello.”

“Yes, doctor. Our baby is crying so much…….”

“Waah!”

The mother was still soothing the struggling baby and looked flustered.

‘This won’t be easy…… Should I check the blood vessels in the arm first?’

In the case of infants, blood culture can be done with only 1cc of blood.

This means that as long as you pierce the blood vessel well, the blood filling the needle is enough.

When I grabbed the arm, the crying of the struggling baby grew louder.

“Baaaaa!”

As expected, infants start crying as soon as you touch them.

I was flustered on the first day, but not anymore.

Either way, kids cry. So it’s better to finish quickly.

I put gauze on the arm, tied it with a rubber band, and tapped the chubby back of the hand while examining it.

‘……I can’t find it here. There was a reason Jun-hwa had difficulty.’

Next, I looked at the crease of the arm, but I couldn’t find a suitable blood vessel here either.

‘Then…….’

I headed towards the top of the patient’s foot.

Similarly, after putting on gauze, I tied it with a rubber band and waited calmly.

Then, a bluish blood vessel with a certain length began to appear.

‘Here it is!’

Finding the small and thin blood vessels of children was like finding gold in a white sandy beach.

“Da-yun, just bear with it a little bit~”

“Baaaaa!”

“Yes, sorry~ While Mom is holding you, the doctor will draw it quickly~?”

I coaxed and soothed the child with gentle words.

Of course, there’s no way the infant could understand me.

But it works.

This is because you can form a rapport with the guardian next to you.

By saying this, the doctor and the guardian become on the same side.

In other words, guardians also participate in and cooperate with the treatment.

These are the know-hows I learned while watching Kang-hani *teacher* [term of respect] closely in pediatrics for a few days.

“Guardian, please hold Da-yun tightly.”

“Yes.”

With the help of the guardian, I entered as thinly as possible, as if filleting.

*Thump―*

The sensation felt at the tip of the needle is soft and tender.

It feels completely different from adult skin.

*Swoosh―*

Soon, I could see blood forming and rising along the line following the needle.

It’s not a large amount, but it’s enough to do the test.

“Good job, Da-yun!”

I finished the procedure while gently pinching the cheek of the baby, who was crying and covered in tears.

“But doctor, aren’t you famous? Your face looks familiar…….”

Only then did the guardian carefully examine my face.

There are many young guardians in pediatrics, so there were quite a few people who recognized my face.

“I hear I look like someone a lot.”

“Really?”

“I guess I have a common face, haha.”

I quickly bowed my head and winked at Jun-hwa.

*Chuk!*

Jun-hwa put a bandage on the baby’s foot and secretly gave me a thumbs up.

Thank you, Shin Seon-han!

Among the interns, I seemed to be regarded as a firefighter.

* * *

One week in.

I had completely adapted to pediatrics.

Is this what it’s like to be a veteran intern?

Every day flows smoothly.

Above all, the pediatric patients I meet in the ward every day are really angelic children.

“Dad?”

“Not Dad, doctor.”

“Dad!”

Some babies call me Dad because they are not good at using words.

“You have to say thank you to the doctor.”

“Tank yoo.”

There were also children who bowed and greeted me with a lisp.

Every time, my face was filled with a smile.

Is this what they call a ‘uncle smile’?

It’s so cute that I shudder.

“Oh my gosh! Can you take a picture with me?”

Occasionally, there were teenagers who recognized me and greeted me happily.

Those children were especially obedient to me.

So, my pediatrics life became more and more comfortable.

‘Besides, it’s rewarding too.’

If you treat pediatric patients well, you can change their future 80 years of life.

This means that even with the same treatment, you can exert a much greater influence than with adults.

Managing them at the starting point of their lives and helping them live well in the future.

I thought this was a happiness that only a pediatrician could get.

“Pediatrics is good?”

Evening after a week.

I revised my first impression of pediatrics.

This is why interns should have a variety of experiences.

On the other hand, Geun-wook was still in confusion mode.

“Heavenly Father, please designate my major.”

*Thud!*

The pencil falls.

Geun-wook was rolling a pencil on a piece of paper at the end of the lounge table, chanting an unidentified incantation.

“What’s he doing?”

“He’s deciding on his major.”

“Why is he deciding his future like that?”

“He’s divining where to go besides a department with a lot of patients.”

……It seems our Geun-wook has finally broken down.

How do I fix him?

I approached him.