Chapter 14 Announcement? (1)

Tae-hwa Year-End Case Discussion.

"Wow... This... This is huge."

Since hearing from Director Lee Hyun-jong that he had to present a case discussion, Seohyuk had been stuck in a state of repeating similar words over and over.

[Are you crazy?]

Baruda's concern for Seohyuk's mental health, as well as his physical health, continued.

'Are you crazy? No, man... Don't you know what this means?'

[I honestly have no idea.]

'You wouldn't know. Idiot.'

Seohyuk shook his head and thought of the large auditorium in the basement.

Just imagining himself standing on the podium made his hands tremble.

It might seem excessive, but in fact, this was quite a calm reaction.

'This is my debut stage...'

The Tae-hwa Medical Center, one of the top hospitals in the country and aspiring to be a world-class institution, holds internal medicine case presentations.

The cases presented there are published every two years in a book called the "Tae-hwa Medical Center Case Collection."

Each edition prints over a thousand copies, all of which sell out.

This presentation is a nationally trusted event.

'It might even be bigger than the spring conference...'

Of course, the audience would be smaller.

He would have to handle a presentation lasting over an hour in that large auditorium all by himself.

'I can't just let this be.'

[Where are you going? You said you'd rest when there were no patients.]

Baruda called out to Seohyuk, who suddenly jumped out of the on-call room bed.

Seohyuk, forgetting that Baruda was only visible to him, waved his hand.

'Study. I'm going to study.'

[Oh.]

'You told me not to do that.'

[I can't help it. Seohyuk's current behavior is very abnormal.]

'Well...'

Seohyuk recalled his behavior since meeting Baruda.

He had been complaining about not wanting to study or see patients.

Of course, he had followed well, and Baruda had caught the points he missed.

Still, it was somewhat pitiful.

'Be quiet. I'm going to study. I'll know everything about leptospirosis and go to the presentation.'

[That's a good attitude. I support you, Seohyuk.]

'So, gather the data. It will help a lot.'

[I understand.]

Baruda looked very pleased.

It was a bit strange to see emotions from an AI, but...

Seohyuk knew nothing about complex topics like the relationship between the five senses and AI.

He had no interest in it either.

『Harrison's 20th Edition』

Right now, his mind was filled only with thoughts about leptospirosis.

So, he picked up Harrison's Internal Medicine, which was stuck in the residents' office.

This legendary textbook, now in its 20th edition, had become increasingly comprehensive with each revision.

What was once a thin volume in the 1950s is now two thick books that could almost kill a person.

This was a testament to the rapid development of medicine.

[In other words, just reading the textbook is not enough, Seohyuk.]

'Hmm... That's true.'

The fact that something is in the textbook means it's knowledge that has been around for a few years.

It's been a long time since it became a common story in academia.

Knowledge that is no longer controversial.

'Then what should I look at?'

[Research papers.]

'Research papers. Yeah, that sounds good.'

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

'That's good too.'

The CDC wouldn't spout nonsense.

After all, it's one of the world's top organizations.

While Seohyuk nodded in satisfaction, Baruda continued to speak.

[You should also look at case reports in the NEJM.]

'Ah... There are case reports there?'

[Of course. It seems you haven't studied much.]

'Just finished my internship and became a first-year resident. When did I have time to read case reports?'

[The previous data inputters, Professor Shin Hyun-tae of Infectious Diseases and Professor Lee Hyun-jong of Cardiology, said they read case reports from their student days.]

'That... That...'

Seohyuk almost shouted, "They became professors at Tae-hwa Medical Center!"

But then he thought, weren't they his goals?

No, he should aim even higher than them.

He was dreaming of being the best in the world.

[Seohyuk, you must become a better internist than Lee Hyun-jong and Shin Hyun-tae.]

'Sigh.'

[You can do it. I'm here.]

'Well...'

[And if you do, wealth and fame will follow.]

'Right. Yeah. That's true.'

Seohyuk looked at his left leg.

He could walk with a cane, but he was still a cripple.

Being an orphan and now having a disability...

He might not even be able to get a job.

Even if he did, he would likely be mistreated.

So, he had to survive here.

If Baruda was there, it seemed possible.

'Got it. Just show me all the materials.'

[Good. That's a good attitude.]

Fortunately, Baruda hadn't lost all the data.

Most of the medical knowledge was gone, but he knew how to acquire and collect it.

Thanks to this, Seohyuk could easily explore and acquire knowledge about leptospirosis, a rare but not unheard-of bacterium.

* * *

"Did you prepare well?"

Professor Shin Hyun-tae, standing next to the podium, patted Seohyuk on the back as he took deep breaths.

Usually, people tremble before their first presentation, whether it's a case discussion or a conference.

But Seohyuk showed no signs of nervousness.

[It was a good idea to take the beta-blocker in advance.]

'Yeah. I really don't feel nervous.'

He wasn't significantly bolder than others.

It was just the medication, but Professor Shin Hyun-tae, who didn't know the inside story, saw him as impressive.

"Yes, Professor. It's perfect."

"Perfect, huh."

If another student had said this before a presentation, he might have scolded them.

But with Seohyuk, he had to admit it.

'This kid... He's really impressive.'

Not only was his diagnosis excellent, but his treatment was also quite remarkable.

Most students order tests without understanding the results.

Seohyuk always had a reason for ordering tests, and his interpretation of the results was perfect.

Thanks to this, Patient Park Gi-tae, who had developed aseptic meningitis due to leptospirosis, was able to be discharged without any issues.

"I believe you'll do well."

So, Professor Shin Hyun-tae patted Seohyuk on the shoulder and walked up to the podium.

He didn't sit in the main seat but moved to the chair designated for the session chair.

Sitting down, he tapped the microphone in front of him and looked around the auditorium.

No one dared to speak in front of Professor Shin Hyun-tae, the head of the Tae-hwa Medical Center's Internal Medicine Department.

"Let's begin the 121st Tae-hwa Internal Medicine Case Presentation. The presenter will be Dr. Seohyuk, a first-year resident in the Department of Internal Medicine. Please give him a warm welcome."

Although Director Lee Hyun-jong had already informed the hospitals, the auditorium buzzed with surprise.

University hospitals are so busy that important information often doesn't get passed on.

"First-year? A fellow?"

"A resident, they said?"

"Are you telling us to listen to a first-year's lecture?"

"Even for Tae-hwa Medical Center, this is a bit much, isn't it?"

Amid the complaints, Seohyuk slowly walked up to the podium.

Tap.

Tap.

Using his cane.

Surprised by his unexpected appearance, the auditorium fell silent again.

Seohyuk smiled wryly and bowed.

"Hello. I am Seohyuk, a first-year resident in the Department of Internal Medicine at Tae-hwa Medical Center, as introduced."

But he wasn't intimidated.

[Just do what you practiced. Your preparation is perfect.]

As Baruda said, he was perfect.

"Today, I will present a case of a 40-year-old male patient who came to the emergency room with a fever of unknown origin."

Seohyuk spoke calmly and flipped to the next slide.

"The next slide shows the blood test results at the time of admission. Although not mentioned at the time, the slight increase in bilirubin suggested early jaundice. There were no other significant findings except for signs of bacterial infection."

The slides continued, and so did Seohyuk's presentation.

How he made the diagnosis, how he treated it.

How he suspected meningitis and how he diagnosed it.

It was a smooth, fluid presentation without any hitches.

"Indeed, he's a genius, a genius."

Director Lee Hyun-jong, watching this, turned to Professor Shin Hyun-tae with a very satisfied look.

The professor had a similar expression but with a hint of worry.

"He has to do well. He treated the patient perfectly."

"But what's the problem?"

"There's a Q&A session."

"Oh... Is that guy, An Guk-tae, here?"

Director Lee Hyun-jong looked back with a worried expression.

Then Professor Shin Hyun-tae silently pointed to a corner.

Seeing where his finger pointed, Director Lee Hyun-jong's face twisted.

"Oh, that guy is here, that pervert."

Professor An Guk-tae, an infectious disease specialist at Chilseong Hospital, was of the same generation as Shin Hyun-tae and Lee Hyun-jong.

He wasn't a bad person, but he turned into a demon during resident presentations.

It was as if he wanted to hear the words "I don't know."

He was famous for asking questions until the resident broke a sweat.

"I couldn't inform Seohyuk in advance because he wasn't on the list."

"Hey, you need to handle things better..."

"What can we do? He just came. Should we ask him to leave?"

"Ah..."

Just as the two were shaking their heads in frustration, Seohyuk's presentation ended.

He looked very satisfied.

"Thank you. That concludes my case presentation. Are there any questions?"

He asked with a more confident voice than when he started.

Professor An Guk-tae raised his hand as if he had been waiting for this moment.

'A first-year's presentation can't end this smoothly.'

He thought Seohyuk had done well but needed to taste some hardship.

"Here."

"Ah, yes, Professor."

"I'm An Guk-tae from Chilseong Hospital."

He started with informal speech.

Residents usually get nervous when this happens.

[He's rude.]

'You crazy bastard, to a professor.'

[What's the relationship? Professor and manners.]

'Well...'

But it didn't matter to Seohyuk, who wasn't alone.

Slightly hurt by his seemingly normal appearance, Professor An Guk-tae tilted his head and continued.

"You treated the patient well. You diagnosed it well. But you're a resident under Professor Shin Hyun-tae, right? Did you just follow his prescription and present it? I have some questions about your knowledge of leptospirosis."

Professor Shin Hyun-tae put his hand to his forehead upon hearing this.

Asking about the disease rather than the case.

It felt like he was just trying to tear Seohyuk apart.

'I'll have to buy him a drink and console him later...'

On the other hand, Seohyuk and Baruda were excited.

His mind was filled with almost all the existing knowledge about leptospirosis.

'Come on.'