A competent doctor can cure everything

The news of the consultation request delivered over the phone by Professor Ko was truly surprising.

Who would have thought that the medication given to Lee Hyun-seung’s fellow could cause such a butterfly effect?

“Professor, but I’m still just an intern….”

— Hmm, well, I guess you’re already overwhelmed, huh?

Professor Ko seemed to think I was reluctant to take on more work.

I quickly corrected him before the misunderstanding grew.

“No, that’s not it. I want to do it.”

— “You want to do it?”

“Yes. I’m curious about what kind of patient it will be this time. And even though I may be lacking, since they specifically asked for my care, I’d like to help.”

When I spoke honestly, Professor Ko, surprisingly, burst out laughing.

— Ha ha! This guy, really. Then why are you hesitating?

“Is it alright for me, as an intern, to take on this consultation?”

Honestly, I really wanted to do it.

But I could easily picture Kim Pyeong-hwa, who would surely disapprove of going beyond the regulations.

— Hmm, about that. Depending on the results of this consultation, we might consider expanding your scope of work.

“What do you mean by that…?”

— Yes, although it was originally planned for the second half of the year, you might advance to the next stage earlier than other interns.

“Does that mean I’ll start handling the responsibilities of an attending physician?”

A proposal is even more surprising than being asked to handle a dual consultation.

Without realizing it, I tightened my grip on the phone.

— That’s correct. However, your current intern duties will remain the same. You’ll just be adding the responsibilities of a resident on top of that. Naturally, it will be tough. If you’re not interested, you don’t have to do it.

I quickly responded, fearing that Professor Ko might change his mind.

“No, I want to do it. Thank you for giving me the opportunity.”

The professor calmly gave the next instructions, as if expecting my answer.

— Alright… In that case, head to the hematology ward now and examine the patient. I’ll want to hear about your findings and treatment plan.

“Yes, understood.”

Even after hanging up the phone, I stood in the hallway in a daze for a moment.

I realized I could hear the sound of my own heartbeat in my ears.

A transitional period where an intern starts taking on resident duties one by one.

So, they were asking me to start the so-called “indigent” phase first?

Of course, I’d still be doing intern tasks while adding resident duties on top of them.

I had heard that, in some ways, this “indigent” period is considered the most challenging time during the four years of residency training.

But instead, I felt excited.

“Just doing intern tasks was starting to get to me.”

This meant I would gain the authority to directly diagnose and treat patients, rather than just following the residents’ orders.

My heart was pounding.

And at the same time, Kang Eun-jung’s face came to mind.

“If I become an ‘indigent,’ then I could directly suggest to Professor Ko to change Kang Eun-jung’s treatment plan without it being awkward.”

Right now, as an intern, I can’t directly bring up an issue with the professor that a resident has already rejected.

It’s like a regular employee in a company can’t directly bring a matter to the manager when it has already been dismissed at the assistant manager level.

“This time, I’ll make sure to do the job well and advance to the ‘indigent’ stage.”

I hurriedly headed toward the hematology-oncology ward.

* * *

A short while later, I was wandering around, looking around the hematology-oncology ward.

The layout was identical to that of the Oriental Medicine ward.

It felt strange to be an outsider among people I didn’t know.

“She said her name was Na Ye-jin, right.”

Just as I was about to head to the station to ask which room Na Ye-jin was in, a familiar face caught my eye.

It was Lee Dal-nim, the stoic younger sister of the head intern.

Lee Dal-nim widened her eyes for a moment upon seeing me, then quickly returned to her usual expressionless look.

“Seeing you again? What brings you here?”

“I’m here for a consultation. Do you know which room Na Ye-jin is in?”

“Oh… ‘Na Ye-jin’? Follow me.”

Upon hearing the patient’s name, Lee Dal-nim clicked her tongue and gave me a pitying look.

Judging by the nickname “Sensitive” among the interns, it seemed like this patient had quite the personality.

“That’s not a good sign.”

I had to make sure this consultation went well, no matter what.

Feeling uneasy, I followed her footsteps.

Lee Dal-nim suddenly stopped in front of a certain room.

“Here it is. Try not to upset the patient.”

“Why?”

“Well… because she’s someone who pretty much controls the gossip flow in our hospital?”

I was slightly taken aback and questioned her after hearing Lee Dal-nim’s advice.

“Is she someone important at Hanbit University Hospital?”

“Something like that. She’s the wife of someone important that everyone in the hospital interacts with.”

“Which department?”

I held my breath, waiting for Lee Dal-nim’s response.

She looked me straight in the eyes and solemnly replied.

“The caffeine supply department. She’s the wife of the owner of the café on the first floor.”

…Wow.

I stared at Lee Dal-nim in disbelief, feeling deflated. She simply shrugged her shoulders.

“Well, it’s still an important place, right? And it’s true she’s the hospital’s gossip hub.”

“Well, thanks anyway.”

I quietly stepped into the five-person room.

Na Ye-jin’s bed was located at the very back of the room, by the window.

A thin, pale, sharp-featured middle-aged woman lay in the bed, looking at her phone.

“Na Ye-jin?”

“Oh my! You startled me.”

The patient jumped in surprise and quickly sat up. Then, fumbling beside her, she put on her red-rimmed glasses and looked at me.

With those red glasses, her impression seemed even sharper and more exacting.

Or maybe that’s just my bias…

‘It’s wrong to approach someone with a prejudice.’

As I was silently reflecting, the patient snapped at me in an irritated tone.

“Are you the doctor from the Oriental Medicine Department here for the consultation? You startled me.”

“…”

Anyone overhearing might think I had shouted in her ear.

‘Still, she’s a patient.’

Na Ye-jin had undergone a hysterectomy due to endometrial cancer and was currently undergoing chemotherapy.

I thought to myself that I should be kind, even if she seemed a bit sensitive, and gave her a smile.

“Yes, I’m Dr. Seon Joon from the Oriental Gastroenterology Department, here at your request for a consultation. I’m here to ask you a few questions about your treatment.”

I opened the chart I had brought and prepared to take her medical history.

But the patient interrupted me, crossing her arms with a displeased look.

“Doctor, hold on a second. I heard somewhere that taking herbal medicine makes cancer grow bigger. Is that true?”

“I doubt the person who said that is a medical professional.”

“…”

I replied with a smile, but she just twitched her eyebrows and didn’t respond.

“Think about how many types of herbal medicine there are. Just saying ‘herbal medicine makes cancer grow’? That’s a pretty flimsy assumption, don’t you think? The anti-cancer drug Taxol is actually derived from the yew tree, which is a traditional herbal ingredient. Additionally, there are other herbs like Achyranthes, Vaccaria, Motherwort, and Dragon’s Blood— all of which have been documented in international studies for their anti-cancer effects.”

“So, in short, it’s okay?”

“You can rest assured. What is your most uncomfortable symptom right now?”

After my confident response, the patient finally uncrossed her arms and began to speak.

“Sigh. I have indigestion, no appetite, can’t sleep at night…”

The patient’s complaints seemed endless, a stark contrast to her earlier attitude.

“Hold on a moment, ma’am. Did the indigestion and loss of appetite start after you began chemotherapy, or was it like this even before?”

I gently intervened, and the patient responded with a slight annoyance.

“Eh? Why are you asking such things?”

“It’s necessary for a more accurate diagnosis.”

I stopped writing and waited patiently as she hummed and tried to recall.

“If I had to say, I was kind of like that before, but it definitely got worse after starting the chemo.”

“Hmm… I see.”

A few minutes later, I checked the list written on the chart.

– Indigestion (worsened after chemotherapy)
– Loss of appetite (worsened after chemotherapy)
– Frequent headaches
– Insomnia
– Fatigue
– Palpitations (rapid heartbeat)
– Thin and slow pulse

Looking at the symptoms listed, a diagnosis that connected all of them suddenly came to mind.

“Ma’am, do you often get startled easily? You tend to worry a lot and get stressed easily too, right?”

“Oh my, how did you know? Even small noises make me jump out of my skin. And yes, I do worry quite a bit.”

As expected.

I felt my speculation turn into certainty as I nodded.

“That’s all for the questioning. The herbal medicine will be available starting this evening. From tomorrow, I’ll also come by to perform acupuncture.”

“Alright. You know I specifically requested you because I heard about your reputation, right? I have a lot of connections, not just in this hospital, but in the whole neighborhood. So, make sure to take good care of me.”

There were people like this from time to time, those who tried to put pressure on you in the hopes of receiving special treatment.

I could see right through her intentions, but I didn’t find them annoying or infuriating.

“This is actually quite endearing.”

How could I fault a patient for wanting more attention and better care?

All I could do was, as always, my best.

* * *

I was now in Professor Ko’s office to get confirmation on the consultation details.

But… why was this person, Kim Pyeong-hwa, sitting next to me?

Judging by her puzzled expression, she seemed to be as clueless as I was.

As if reading our thoughts, Professor Ko began to speak.

“I’m considering assigning attending physician duties to Dr. Seon Joon from now on. Since Dr. Kim is involved, I asked you to be here.”

“Professor, does that mean…?”

The second-year doctor furrowed her brow slightly and trailed off.

“Of course, this is only after evaluating Dr. Seon’s abilities through this consultation.”

“I understand.”

Kim Pyeong-hwa seemed like she had more to say but kept her mouth shut.

True to her rule-following nature, she appeared to accept the professor’s decision.

With the situation settled, the professor began to speak again.

“This collaborative patient will be difficult to care for. Do you know why?”

It seemed the professor didn’t particularly expect an answer, as he paused briefly before continuing.

“The patient’s trust level is inherently low. Dr. Seon, you must have felt that.”

I nodded, recalling my conversation with Na Ye-jin.

“In such cases, patients can easily refuse treatment midway. Building rapport can be challenging.”

Hearing this made my heart heavy.

“But managing such situations well is also a virtue of the primary care physician. Not all patients are cooperative.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

I distributed copies of the chart and briefly briefed on the patient’s condition.

“Hmm, the chief complaint is indigestion. Dr. Kim, what prescription comes to mind first?”

“Indigestion is a common side effect of chemotherapy. Chemotherapy not only targets cancer cells but also destroys other rapidly growing normal cells, such as the mucosal cells of the gastrointestinal tract.”

Professor Ko nodded in agreement. Seemingly encouraged by this, Kim Pyeong-hwa’s voice grew more confident.

“So, I would consider a prescription from the Sasim-tang series, which is good for mucosal damage and inflammation and can alleviate chemotherapy side effects, such as Banha Sasim-tang or Licorice Sasim-tang, as the primary options.”

“Hmm, that seems like it would address the chief complaint. What about the other symptoms?”

At Professor Ko’s question, Kim Pyeong-hwa seemed caught off guard and asked back.

“Pardon?”

“Other symptoms besides indigestion.”

“Oh, well… I would first address the chief complaint and then treat the other symptoms sequentially. It seems difficult to resolve all symptoms at once.”

Her tone of voice lost some of its earlier confidence.

Professor Ko turned to me.

“Dr. Seon, do you agree?”

I slowly began to speak.

“Could it be possible to address all the symptoms at once?”