Chapter 14: End-of-Year Discussion (1)

Taehwa’s end-of-year case discussion

“Wow… This is… This is amazing.”

After hearing about the announcement from Director Lee Hyunjong regarding the end-of-year case discussion, Suhyuk found himself repeating similar words continuously.

[Are you crazy?] Baruda continued to worry, concerned not only about Suhyuk’s physical health but also his mental well-being.

‘Am I crazy? No way… Do you understand what this means?’

[Honestly, I have no idea.]

‘Of course not. You’re clueless.’

Suhyuk shook his head and envisioned the large auditorium located on the basement floor. Just imagining standing at the podium made his hands tremble slightly. Some might think it excessive, but in reality, his reaction could be considered quite restrained.

‘This is my debut stage…’

It was the case presentation conference for Internal Medicine at Taehwa Medical Center, which aspired to be one of the top hospitals worldwide and currently ranked as the best hospital domestically. The cases presented here were published every two years in a book titled ‘Taehwa Medical Center Case Reports.’ Each edition printed more than a thousand copies, selling out immediately. This demonstrated how much trust this conference held nationwide.

‘It might even be bigger…than the spring academic conference.’

Of course, there would be fewer attendees compared to the previous event. However, Suhyuk had to manage a presentation lasting over an hour by himself in front of a large audience.

‘I can’t stay like this.’

“Where are you going? Didn’t you say you’ll rest when there are no patients?” Baruda suddenly called out as Suhyuk jumped off the bed in the on-call room.

Suhyuk waved his hand, momentarily forgetting that only he could see Baruda.

‘Study. I am going to study.’

[Ah…]

‘I told you not to do this.’

[I have no choice. Suhyuk’s current behavior is quite unusual.]

‘Well…’

He recalled how he had acted since meeting Baruda. All he did was whine about disliking studying and seeing patients. Of course, he managed to keep up reasonably well and even caught mistakes Baruda overlooked. Nonetheless, it wasn’t exactly commendable.

‘Stop nagging. I’m going to study. I’ll learn everything about leptospirosis before heading to the presentation.’

[That’s a great attitude. I support you, Suhyuk.]

‘Remember what I said earlier - gather data thoroughly; it helps significantly.’

[Understood.]

Baruda seemed extremely happy for some reason. It was strange to see emotions from artificial intelligence.

Suhyuk had no knowledge about complex topics such as ‘Changes in Perception and Artificial Intelligence’. He wasn’t particularly interested in them either.

‘Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine, 20th Edition’

Currently, his mind was filled with thoughts on leptospirosis. Thus, he opened Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine, which was lying next to him. This legendary textbook has been revised up to its 20th edition, becoming increasingly comprehensive with each revision. Originally a thin volume in the 1950s, it now consists of two hefty books thick enough to potentially kill someone if used as a weapon. This transformation reflects the rapid advancements in medical science over time.

[Basically, reading just the textbook is not sufficient, Suhyuk.]

‘Hmm… That makes sense.’

Being included in textbooks meant that the knowledge was already several years old. It had been common knowledge within academia for quite some time and wasn’t subject to much debate anymore.

‘Then what should I look at?’

[Research papers.]

‘Research papers. Yes, those sound good.’

[Additionally, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) updates guidelines on infectious diseases annually.]

‘Great suggestion.’

The CDC wouldn’t spout nonsense; it’s considered one of the top organizations worldwide in its field.

As Suhyuk nodded contentedly, Baruda continued without pause:

[I also recommend reviewing case reports from ‘The New England Journal of Medicine’.]

‘Oh… There are case reports there too?’

[Naturally. It seems you haven’t studied them extensively.]

‘He is just finishing his internship year, so when did he learn about case reports?!’

[The previous data inputters were Professor Shin Hyun-tae of Infectious Diseases and Professor Lee Hyunjong of Cardiology. They stated they started reading case reports from their student days.]

‘That… That…’ Suhyuk wanted to exclaim that these people had become professors at Taehwa Medical Center!

However, upon reflection, they were currently his goals. No, perhaps he should aim higher than them since he dreamed of becoming the best in the world.

[Suhyuk. You must become a superior internal medicine doctor compared to Lee Hyunjong and Shin Hyun-tae.]

‘Haa.’

[It is possible because I am with you.]

‘Well…’

[And once you achieve this, wealth and honor will follow.]

‘Yes. Right. True.’

Suhyuk looked down at his left leg. With the help of a cane, he could walk without any issues. However, regardless of how it happened, he had become lame. Already orphaned, and now with a disability… If he went out like this, there was a possibility he couldn’t find employment. Even if he found work, he would likely be constantly harassed.

Thus, Suhyuk needed to survive here. It seemed possible with Baruda’s assistance.

‘Okay. I’ll try all the places where information exists.’

[Good. This is a good attitude.]

Fortunately, Baruda hadn’t completely erased all the data. Most of the medical knowledge was gone, but Suhyuk roughly knew how it was acquired and collected. Thanks to this, he was able to easily explore and acquire knowledge about Leptospira, a rare bacterium.

“Are you well prepared?”

Manager Shin Hyun-tae stood next to Suhyuk, who was taking deep breaths before his presentation, and asked him. Usually, people were nervous before their first presentation at medical conferences or other academic gatherings. However, there was no sign of nerves in Suhyuk’s demeanor.

“It was good that I took beta-blockers beforehand.”

‘Indeed. I’m not feeling any anxiety.’

It wasn’t because he was inherently bolder than others; it was just the effect of the medication. Unaware of this, Manager Shin Hyun-tae found Suhyuk remarkably composed.

“Yes, Professor. It’s perfect.”

“Perfect, huh?”

If anyone else had said they were ‘perfect’ before a presentation, Hyun-tae might have given them a stern lecture. However, with Suhyuk, he couldn’t help but agree.

‘This guy… He’s truly amazing.’

Not only was he excellent at diagnosing but also his treatments were quite remarkable. Most doctors ordered tests without understanding their results fully. However, Suhyuk always had a reason for requesting a test, and his interpretation of the results was perfect.

Thanks to this, Park Ki-tae, who suffered from leptospira-induced bacterial meningitis, could be discharged without any complications.

“Yes, I believe you will do well.”

With that, Manager Shin Hyun-tae patted Suhyuk on the shoulder before ascending the podium. Instead of taking a seat with the panelists, he moved towards the moderator’s chair. Once seated, he tapped the microphone placed in front of him and briefly scanned the auditorium.

With Shin Hyun-tae, the Head of Internal Medicine at Taehwa Medical Center observing, no one dared to speak out.

“Alright, let’s begin the 121st Taehwa Internal Medicine Case Presentation Conference. The presenter is Dr. Lee Suhyuk, a first-year resident from the Department of Internal Medicine at Taehwa Medical Center. Please give him a round of applause.”

Although Director Lee Hyunjong had already informed various hospitals about this event, the auditorium was buzzing with excitement. Hospitals were extremely busy places, so important announcements often didn’t reach everyone promptly.

“A first-year? A fellow?”

“He’s just a resident?”

“So we’re supposed to listen to a lecture from a first-year now?”

“Even for Taehwa Medical Center, this is too much?”

Amidst the grumbling, Lee Suhyuk slowly climbed onto the podium.

Tap.

Tap.

He used his cane to navigate, and as it was somewhat unexpected, the auditorium quietened down again. With a bitter smile, Suhyuk bowed his head.

“Hello everyone. As introduced earlier, I am Dr. Lee Suhyuk from Taehwa Medical Center’s Internal Medicine Department, currently in my first year.”

However, he wasn’t intimidated.

“Just follow what you practiced. Your presentation preparation is perfect,” Baruda had reassured him, and indeed, Suhyuk executed flawlessly.

“The case I will present today involves a 40-year-old male patient who was admitted to the emergency room with an unknown fever.” Suhyuk calmly continued while advancing through his slides.

“The next slide shows the blood test results at the time of admission. At that moment, there was no special mention, but slightly elevated bilirubin levels indicated early-stage jaundice. Apart from suggesting bacterial infection, nothing else stood out.”

The slides continued to change as Lee Suhyuk proceeded with his presentation, detailing the diagnosis and treatment methods used. He also explained how they suspected meningitis midway through the patient’s illness and their subsequent diagnostic approach. His presentation flowed smoothly like water without any interruptions.

“Indeed, he is a genius,” Director Lee Hyunjong remarked with great satisfaction, turning to Manager Shin Hyun-tae. While Manager Shin shared similar sentiments, a hint of concern could be seen on his face.

“He’s delivering an excellent presentation. The actual treatment was indeed flawless.”

“What is the problem?”

“There will be a question time.”

“Oh… right. Is that bastard An Guk-tae here?” Director Lee Hyunjong looked worriedly behind him.

In response, Department Head Shin silently pointed to one corner of the room. Seeing where he was gesturing, Lee Hyunjong’s face wrinkled with displeasure.

“Ah, that bastard is here. That perverted guy.”

Professor An Guk-tae from Seven Star Hospital’s Infectious Diseases department was around the same age as Shin Hyun-tae and Lee Hyunjong. He wasn’t inherently bad but transformed into a devil during resident presentations. It was unclear whether he wanted residents to admit their ignorance or not. However, he was notorious for grilling presenters until they broke out in cold sweat.

“I couldn’t inform Suhyuk beforehand since his name wasn’t on the list.”

“Hey, you should handle things properly…”

“What else could I do? When he showed up, should I have told him to leave?”

“Ah…”

As they shook their heads with disappointment, Suhyuk finished his presentation. His expression was bright as if he was satisfied with it.

“Thank you. I have concluded my case report. Do any of you have questions?”

His voice sounded more confident than when he had started.

Professor An Guk-tae promptly raised his hand.

‘A first-year resident shouldn’t end so smoothly.’

Although Suhyuk performed well, Professor An believed he needed to teach him a lesson.

“Yes.”

“Ah, yes. Professor.”

“I am An Guk-tae from Seven Stars Hospital.”

He addressed Suhyuk informally right away. This approach usually intimidated residents.

“You’re quite cheeky.”

‘What a crazy guy, talking like that to a professor.’

“What’s the relationship between being a professor and cheekiness?”

However, this tactic was useless against Suhyuk, who wasn’t alone. Seeing Lee Suhyuk’s unflappable demeanor slightly hurt Professor An Guk-tae’s pride, and he hesitated before continuing.

“The treatment was well done. The diagnosis was also accurate. However, your mentor is Professor Shin Hyun-tae, right? Did you just present his prescription without any input of your own? That’s what I’m thinking. Let me ask you some questions about leptospirosis to see if you truly understand it.”

Upon hearing these words, Professor Shin Hyun-tae rubbed his forehead. Instead of focusing on the case presentation, Professor An intended to quiz him on the disease itself. It felt like a deliberate attempt to undermine Lee Suhyuk.

I’ll have to buy him a drink later to console him…

On the other hand, both Lee Suhyuk and Baruda were excited. Suhyuk had virtually all existing knowledge about leptospirosis stored in his mind.

Bring it on!