A competent doctor can cure everything

“Thank you for your hard work today!”

The second treatment and filming session for pro gamer Seok-jin has concluded.

“Dr. Seon Joon, is today the last treatment?”

The publicity team leader asked me about the future treatment plan, specifically the patient’s prognosis.

He must be trying to decide whether to proceed with a third filming.

The patient was also looking at me curiously, waiting for my response.

This had been on my mind throughout the treatment as well.

Fortunately, there was only tenderness in the proximal part of the patient’s transverse carpal ligament.

Moreover, considering that there was no numbness in the hand throughout the day and no muscle atrophy,

‘It seems that the acupuncture treatment can end with this session.’

And crucially…

While treating him, I subtly glanced into the patient’s future for the next week.

Even with just this one treatment, a quite satisfactory effect was already showing.

I spoke to the patient rather than the publicity team leader.

“I don’t think you need to come anymore. However…”

“?”

“You need to reduce hand usage. That’s how you’ll heal faster.”

“But, Doctor…”

“I know. You have an important game coming up soon, right?”

The patient’s eyes widened.

“You knew? If I don’t practice, I feel anxious…”

“Even if you’re anxious, trust me and take a few days to completely rest your hands. Also, even if you don’t get acupuncture, it’s a good idea to continue with acupuncture treatment that relaxes the forearm muscles. You don’t need to come all the way here; you can go to a clinic closer to home.”

“…….”

The patient was silent for a moment before nodding.

“Yes, I understand. I’ll do that.”

Looking into the patient’s eyes, I felt a renewed sense of responsibility.

I recalled my father’s words that a doctor must always be proud.

He said I should be able to take pride in having done my best for the patient.

‘I pushed myself, but I’m glad I studied acupuncture diligently.’

I had to cope with a lack of sleep these past few days by taking herbal medicine.

However, I felt a sense of joy as my skills improved rapidly by balancing theory and practice.

What’s even more exciting is that there are still many more specialties ahead compared to those I’ve already completed.

Just the ones that come to mind include obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, psychiatry, cardiology, pulmonology, and so on…

Who would have thought I would look forward to my internship, while others are saying they are struggling and wishing for it to end quickly?

At that moment, the publicity team leader cheerfully clapped, breaking me out of my thoughts.

“Well then, the video shoot ends today.”

Seok-jin then asked the publicity team leader, “But is it okay to end like this? I mean, won’t there be any follow-up on the treatment? I watched the first video, and there wasn’t any scene where I mentioned I felt better.”

“Ah, because of medical laws. We can’t post treatment experiences in open internet spaces like YouTube. Any content that could violate medical regulations has been edited out and posted separately on the Hanbit University Hospital website.”

“I see. Then is it okay for me to post my own review?”

“Well, as long as it’s just a simple visit review, that’s fine. Thank you for your hard work, and I hope you recover quickly!”

After finishing his words, the publicity team leader went over to the busy team members to pack up the equipment.

The remaining patient hesitated for a moment before looking at me and speaking.

“Doctor. Thank you. To be honest, I didn’t mention it, but I was really struggling because of my wrist. My confidence had dropped significantly as well. However, thanks to your treatment, I feel more courageous now. I will do my best.”

“You will do well.”

The patient’s sincere words of gratitude touched my heart.

I, too, sent my heartfelt encouragement.

As I was watching the patient leave, Professor Yeon approached me.

“Where did you learn acupuncture?”

I couldn’t bring myself to say I learned it from you, so I made an excuse.

“I looked up specialized books, attended conference lectures, and I used it a lot during my time as a public health doctor.”

“Is that so? Your technique looked very proper. If someone saw you, they would think you had at least ten years of clinical experience.”

In terms of indirect experience, it was actually well over ten years.

I smiled vaguely, hiding the truth in front of the professor, who was laughing heartily.

Suddenly, the professor stopped laughing and asked seriously.

“What’s your dream?”

“My dream?”

“Yes! You must have a vision of what kind of doctor you want to be and what kind of life you want to live.”

A dream. I pondered the unexpected question and slowly chose my words.

Regaining my father’s hospital is more of a goal than a dream.

“I….”

What suddenly came to mind was, [I want to live treating patients freely].

It seems simple, but to achieve this, two prerequisites are needed.

One is my capability as a good healthcare provider.

The other is a stable environment to practice in.

So what I’m dreaming of is:

“I want to become a competent doctor. A doctor equipped with both the skills and the environment to treat patients well.”

“I see. You have a vision that is similar yet different from that of Teacher Shim in our department.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. I asked during the residency interview. Teacher Shim said he wanted to provide the best treatment as a doctor. He also mentioned that research was necessary to create such an environment.”

“Research?”

“He said that through research and presenting papers, we need to accumulate a lot of evidence. The world is increasingly moving towards evidence-based medicine.”

After pausing briefly, Professor Yeon closed his eyes and then opened them again.

I saw a bittersweet expression pass over his face.

“Don’t lose that dream, and keep striving.”

Professor Yeon patted my shoulder and then left.

“……?”

Everything I just heard felt dubious.

The future aspirations of Shim Ji-seop did not align with the actions and words I had observed.

What happened to Shim Ji-seop?

* * *

Monday afternoon.

All the residents of Hanbit University Korean Medicine Hospital gathered in the conference room for a “medical meeting.”

This was a time for each department to express their opinions on various matters within the Korean medicine department.

After about an hour, the head of the department looked around.

“…So, have we covered all the agenda items for today? Anyone else has something to say?”

At that moment, a first-year male resident from pediatrics raised his hand and jokingly said, “Isn’t there an ace among the interns named Lee Seon-Joon? Can we clone him and distribute him to all the departments?”

The senior pediatrics residents sitting beside him were taken aback and scolded him.

How could a first-year make a joke in a meeting where second- and third-year residents were present?

However, since he was known for his quirky personality, everyone took it in stride.

“I heard that Lee Seon-Joon is already in charge of a primary care patient? Ugh, our interns just need to get through the day without causing any trouble.”

“The nurses on the ward say they’re so comfortable working with Seon-Joon that they love it.”

There were testimonies from residents working on the ward.

The outpatient residents chimed in as well.

“The outpatient clinic is in chaos with patients asking for Seon-Joon. Just the other day, a patient named Park Young-jin was upset that he now had to convince someone else in the outpatient clinic to treat him instead of Seon -Joon for chuna therapy.”

“I think word got out that Mika received facial paralysis treatment from him, as several patients with facial paralysis specifically request Seon-Joon each day.”

“We have a patient recommended by the cafe owner on the first floor who keeps coming to us. It’s surprising how many patients are asking for Seon-Joon rather than Professor Ko.”

The topic naturally shifted to the hospital’s YouTube channel.

“Isn’t he currently an intern in the rehabilitation department? I saw the video posted on the hospital’s YouTube channel, and he’s funnier than I expected.”

“Yeah, I never thought I’d be watching the hospital’s YouTube channel with a smile.”

“Did you see the explosion of comments and views? People are saying, ‘That Korean doctor is cute and handsome.’”

“And Rocky performed incredibly well in the match last weekend. There are comments asking if it’s thanks to his treatment. The rehabilitation department will probably see more patients asking for Seon-Joon now.”

The atmosphere was generally positive, but there were some disapproving glances as well.

“Aren’t they all just pampering him too much? He’s still an intern; he might get a big head.”

“Ji-seop, what’s it like working with him? Is he arrogant or anything like that?”

Everyone was interested in Ji-seop’s response to the question.

He soon opened his mouth slowly.

“Well, I haven’t worked with him for long, so I can’t say for sure, but… I’m more worried he might feel discouraged.”

At his words, the first-year resident from the rehabilitation department nodded in agreement.

“That’s true. The patients in our department have difficult treatments. Even if we manage to heal athletes, they often get injured again. And we can’t even begin to talk about the aftereffects of accidents.”

“He’ll soon learn the reality of things.”

Ji-seop replied softly.

* * *

Once Seok-jin’s treatment was wrapped up, I had more room to focus on the hospitalized patient, Kim Jin-ah.

As a result of discussions with Professor Yeon Jae-wook, we decided to implement basic treatments for patients with quadriplegia.

So currently, we are administering “So-gyeong Hwalhyeol-tang” (a herbal medicine to promote blood circulation) and providing acupuncture and moxibustion treatments at the “Jungpung Chilcheo” points (seven acupoints commonly used for paralysis due to strokes), along with cupping therapy on the back and abdomen.

It would be nice if we could also do rehabilitation exercises in the physical therapy room, but the patient’s condition isn’t yet at a level suitable for active rehabilitation.

So-gyeong Hwalhyeol-tang is a traditional herbal medicine that helps with blood circulation and acts on muscles and joints.

Jungpung Chilcheo refers to the seven acupoints typically used for paralysis-related conditions like strokes.

But still, something felt lacking.

The treatments right now are preventing the condition from worsening, but…

‘To go beyond simply preventing deterioration and actually restore function, something is lacking.’

Is this the best I can do?

Feeling thirsty as I walked down the ward corridor, I ran into Jin-ah’s caregiver.

“Doctor! You were an intern when Eun-jung was here, but now you’re Jin-ah’s primary physician? Have you been promoted?”

“Haha. Becoming the primary physician comes with its own worries. I’m wondering what the best course of action is for the patient.”

“Oh come on, don’t worry too much. For patients like this, it’s pretty straightforward. Just make sure they eat well, breathe easily, and can go to the bathroom—that’s enough.”

It seemed like such a simple wish.

However, for patients who have been lying down for a long time due to a stroke or an accident, basic functions often fail.

They might struggle to breathe because of mucus stuck in their throat.

Some can’t swallow food and have to get fluids through a nasogastric tube or PEG (percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy).

Many patients suffer from severe constipation due to decreased bowel movement.

In that sense, the caregiver’s words hold some truth.

But that usually applies to unconscious patients whose guardians want those things.

Jin-ah is a different case.

“However, Jin-ah is fully conscious and quite young. She has a strong will for rehabilitation, so I’m struggling to figure out what I should do for her.”

“Ugh, that’s true. Jin-ah has such a bright and kind personality. Even though she must be feeling worse inside, she still asks me, ‘Are you okay, ma’am?’ and takes care of me. How did such a daughter come from that father?”

“Is the guardian very sensitive?”

At that, the caregiver frowned heavily.

“Sensitive? I’ve done my fair share of caregiving, but I’ve never encountered such a difficult guardian!”

Just as I was about to ask what she meant, I heard a loud argument in the distance.

The shouting was the voice of Jin-ah’s guardian.