Dr. Shin Seonhan: The Doctor Who Sees The Future [EN]: Chapter 181

#181 One Step Forward (4)

Seminar room.

Chairs were lined up in front, waiting for the interviewees.

A familiar face greeted me.

“Dr. Shinseonhan, long time no see?”

It was the head of the Education and Training Department.

“Hello.”

“You’re early. Could you wait in the hallway? The internal medicine interviews are almost finished.”

“Yes.”

I bowed and headed to the hallway.

The intern colleagues sitting on the chairs greeted me with nods.

Yeonseo was among them.

The interview right before thoracic surgery was internal medicine, and Yeonseo, who had applied for internal medicine, was also waiting for her interview.

In a solemn atmosphere, everyone was wearing a suit and taking deep breaths.

‘Yeonseo will do well, right?’

I had heard that this year’s internal medicine program had 19 applicants for 16 positions, making the competition fierce.

Two interns from outside hospitals were included, and there was a rumor that one of them was the daughter of an internal medicine professor.

At least three of the people sitting here would face the bitter taste of failure.

‘Yeonseo has good grades from her undergraduate years and good intern scores, so she’ll definitely get in. I should worry about myself.’

Then, someone tapped me on the shoulder.

“Hyung [older brother/male friend], you’re early?”

That’s right.

One of the four thoracic surgery applicants was Ryu Myungin.

The guy with neat hair and a suit looked like a model new employee.

You could call it a ‘面接 프리패스 상 [myunjeop preepaesu sang – a face that guarantees passing an interview],’ right?

“So it’s true that you applied for thoracic surgery.”

Ryu Myungin smiled instead of answering my question.

Ryu Myungin’s decision had been a hot topic for a while.

No one knew the exact reason.

Whether it was because of admiration for Teacher Song Yoozoo, or because of rivalry with me…….

I didn’t know what led Ryu Myungin, but I vaguely thought.

It wouldn’t be strange if Ryu Myungin made this choice.

“Hyung, aren’t you going to ask why I applied for thoracic surgery?”

“Why should I ask? You must have had your own reasons.”

I simply dismissed it.

You shouldn’t give attention to the self-conscious Ryu Myungin.

Then Ryu Myungin chuckled with a mysterious expression.

“To be honest, I also had a fantasy about thoracic surgery. If I become a professor at Yeonguk University Hospital, I want to become a thoracic surgery professor who performs heart surgery.”

“Becoming a professor is a given, and what else?”

“Of course. Shouldn’t I become the hospital director too?”

I snorted.

Well, he graduated from high school at an accelerated pace, quickly entered university, and never missed the top spot.

He probably thinks he can do anything he wants.

I even found him cute, like a dreamy elementary school student who is number one in the class.

‘Ha… but if I get accepted into thoracic surgery, do I have to live with this guy for four years?’

As I was thinking that, a new face appeared.

“Everyone’s here early?”

Another intern from our hospital, Shin Sangmi.

I knew her face, but it was the first time I actually talked to her.

Ryu Myungin seemed to know her already.

“Noona [term used by males to address older females], hello.”

“Wow, Myungin, hello!”

“How have you been?”

“I should treat our cute Myungin to a meal, but I’ve been too busy lately.”

I haven’t had many conversations with her, so I don’t know what kind of person she is.

Anyway, I could tell that she had a flirtatious tone.

“Dr. Seonhan, hello?”

“Yes, hello.”

I greeted her simply.

I think she’s a bit of a 부담스러운 타입 [budamseureoun taib – a burdensome type]…….

As I was thinking that, a man with a face I had never seen before approached.

‘Is this the person who applied from outside the hospital?’

A sharp impression with hair styled up in a pomade.

His agile and light-looking body was an impression that you wouldn’t forget once you saw it.

As soon as he came, he shook hands with each of us and said.

“Hello. I’m Wang Jeongryeol.”

The greeting was short and impactful.

Is he a soldier?

It was such a disciplined greeting that I thought so.

The four of us, after exchanging simple greetings, sat side by side in front of the seminar room.

“Go in one by one, and the first person, Dr. Shinseonhan, should say your name first.”

The head of the Education and Training Department told us one by one what we should do when we entered the room.

“After saying your names, sit down. Then, the professors in front of you will probably ask questions one by one, so answer them….”

At that time, interns who had finished their internal medicine interviews walked out from inside the seminar room.

Yeonseo has a relieved expression.

It seems that the interview results were good.

She cheered me on with her lips and passed by with light steps.

“Thoracic surgery applicants, please come in a little later.”

“Yes!”

We waited for a while.

After a while, the four thoracic surgery applicants entered the seminar room.

When I entered the room, I saw Professor Heo Junim and Professor Han Sangki, along with a few others, sitting there.

“Hello!”

We entered the interview room with energetic greetings.

“Let’s each introduce ourselves briefly and talk about our motivations for applying to thoracic surgery.”

The interview began.

The first question was ordinary.

While introducing ourselves in turn, the intern from another university left a deep impression.

“I’m Wang Jeongryeol!”

“That’s a cool name.”

“Yes. If you flip my name backwards, it’s 열정왕 [yeoljeongwang – King of Passion]. I will work hard.”

It was an unexpected comment.

A light laughter spread among the professors.

Unlike his stern impression, he seemed to have quite a bit of 센스 [sense – wit/sense of humor].

And when it was my turn, I unleashed the prepared comment.

“Hello, I’m intern Shinseonhan. I have been nurturing the dream of becoming a 서전 (surgeon, 외과의) [seojeon (surgeon, oegwa-ui) – surgeon] since I was a high school student, watching Professor Baek Euishin.”

Then, the atmosphere becomes strange for a moment.

Why is that?

As someone who is just taking his first steps into thoracic surgery, I couldn’t understand.

Except for Professor Heo Junim, the other professors just smiled ambiguously and looked at each other.

“Oh, really… you’re an ambitious friend. By the way, you must have done well as an intern. Your grades are excellent?”

“Didn’t Dr. Shinseonhan also appear in the news this year?”

“Oh, that’s right.”

Soon, a sharp question was thrown among the professors who were talking.

“Dr. Shinseonhan. Do you remember performing pericardiocentesis (심낭천자) [simnangcheonja – pericardiocentesis] at Gangnam Station this year?”

This is one of the questions I expected.

I felt a chill for a moment, but I answered calmly.

“Yes, I remember.”

“If that situation happens again, what will you do? Will you make the same decision?”

“…….”

This is a test.

I heard that there were quite a few professors who were unhappy with my actions.

Other interns, including Ryu Myungin, glanced at me as if curious about my answer.

I slowly took out the prepared answer.

“…If it were now, I think I would use the ultrasound machine in the ambulance to perform the procedure more safely.”

“So you’re going to do it anyway?”

“I will act in the best way to save the patient.”

I answered calmly.

That day of the accident.

I saw the future. The worst future where the patient dies.

So, I don’t regret what I did then.

The bear-like face of the high school student patient who smiled and said thank you for saving him is still vivid in my eyes.

“Hmm…….”

The professors’ expressions become strange.

Among them, the oldest professor with a head full of white hair dropped his pen on the paper and said.

“Thoracic surgery is the department closest to life and death. A resident’s reckless actions can make a patient’s life go back and forth. You must always be careful and responsible for each decision!”

“Yes, I will keep that in mind.”

I answered calmly and examined his impression.

‘That’s Professor Ahn Youngwook of the pediatric cardiology department. I heard he was a 까다로운 분 [kkadaroun bun – picky/difficult person]…….’

After the question time continued in turn, Professor Han Sangki said to the four of us last.

“Don’t be complacent because there is no competition rate. We don’t just accept anyone who applies.”

That’s how the interview ended.

That was the end of the questions about me.

Leaving the interview room, I tilted my head.

Did I fail?

I failed, right?

I usually heard that if you feel this alienated after an interview, you’ve failed…….

“Hyung Seonhan, it was fun while it lasted. Please be happy in another hospital.”

After leaving the interview room, Ryu Myungin said that and smiled 히죽 [hijeuk – smirking] and disappeared.

* * *

The director’s interview the next day passed without any major events.

There were formal questions and comments from the director, and Vice President Professor Ham Gyeongil warmly welcomed us.

“Thoracic surgery is a very difficult department, so thank you for applying like this. I hope you will work hard for our Yeonguk University Hospital in the future.”

Four positions in thoracic surgery and four applicants.

If it were normal, all four of them could have passed.

But I wasn’t sure about the previous interview results.

They might have kicked me out, saying .

‘I’m dying to know…… The future doesn’t usually show up at times like this.’

Subtly nerve-wracking days continued.

But the announcement of successful candidates was fast.

Two days after the interview.

I was able to find a welcome line by accessing the site.

[Congratulations. Dr. Shinseonhan has been accepted into thoracic surgery.]

“Nice!”

I clenched my fist.

.

A place where Professor Baek Euishin once raised his name.

Still the best thoracic surgery in Korea!

I felt like I was finally getting closer to the place I was aiming for, step by step.

‘I did it……!’

Thump, thump.

My heart is beating.

When I passed the intern, I wondered if I could survive in this hospital.

Maybe my life at this hospital could have ended in just one year.

The moments I had passed for the few lines of acceptance notices written in front of me now flashed by.

My 모습 [moseup – appearance/figure] in March, internal medicine, critical care medicine, emergency medicine, thoracic surgery, neurosurgery, dispatch, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics…….

None of them were easy months.

At this moment, I felt like I was being rewarded for all the efforts of that process.

‘The first person I want to tell this news to is…….’

I immediately called home.

“Father, I passed.”

“I told you I applied for thoracic surgery. The acceptance announcement came out, and I passed with dignity.”

Soon, relay calls from my father and sisters followed.

Of course, not everyone was like me.

In a competitive society, someone laughs and someone cries.

―Ah…… comfort me ㅠㅠ I failed plastic surgery.

―Cheer up.

―I’m a 떨턴 [tteolteon – failed intern]!

―I’m also a 떨턴, so I’m going to take a year off and travel abroad!

―Men can’t rest for a year even if they want to ㅠ They have to be dragged into the army.

―Don’t worry ㅋㅋㅋ Is 떨턴 a big deal? A 형 [hyung – older brother/male friend] I know went to the army and 오히려 [oh히려 – rather/instead] did well 레지던트 [rejideonteu – resident].

After the announcement of successful candidates, interns who fail occur.

These people evolve once again from <말턴 [malteon - end-of-internship intern]> and become 떨어진 [tteoreojin – fallen/failed] interns.

In other words, <떨턴 [tteolteon - failed intern]>.

It was the final evolutionary form of the intern world.

There are several options for them.

First, aim for additional recruitment in January.

Second, take a year off and apply again next year.

But taking a break was not an option for men.

Men who have not completed their military service had to go straight to the training center at the end of February.

[Seonhan] What happened to everyone?

[Yeonseo] I passed internal medicine

[Geunwook] I passed pediatrics!

[Joongwon] Hello, I’m anesthesiologist Oh Joongwon

[Sodam] I passed radiology

[Yeonseo] Wow, congratulations Sodam unni [term used by females to address older females]!!

Fortunately, most of the interns close to me settled in the department they wanted.

I heard that Ryu Myungin also passed thoracic surgery.

[Miseon] I failed rehabilitation medicine…….

[Yeonseo] 으앙 [euang – crying sound] ㅠㅠㅠ

[Joongwon] Miseon ajumma [term used to address married women]ㅠㅠ It might be a good thing! If you leave Yeonguk University Hospital, you’ll live much happier!!

[Miseon] That’s right! While raising children, I should aim for next year or think about it slowly!

[Seonhan] Let’s all have a drink together

[Miseon] Thank you Seonhana ㅎㅎ

Not everyone gets the department they want, but they went through the process of accepting their own paths.

However, according to rumors, Jo Jinki insisted on dermatology until the end and failed.

And I heard that he showed up at the interns’ drinking party and made a scene.

Joongwon hyung, who was at the scene at the time, summarized his evaluation of Jo Jinki in one word.

“Ugh, that bastard is not even worth cursing at; I’m afraid he’ll live a long life if he gets cursed at.”

Before long, Jo Jinki had become someone everyone around him avoided.

And in the coming February, his future was scheduled.

That’s how Jo Jinki made a fool of himself until the end and was forgotten in our memories.

* * *

Around mid-December.

I received a text message.

“Year-end party?”

.

It is an annual event held every year, held in the Emerald Hall of the Seoul Grand Hotel to match the class of Yeonguk University Hospital.

‘They do things like this……!’

Receiving the text message made me realize that I was now officially part of a family.

But I didn’t know it until this time.

That I would meet someone unexpected here.