Chapter 15 Announcement? (2)

"First, what diseases need to be differentiated from leptospirosis? Tell me all the symptoms."

The first question thrown by Ahn Guk-tae was quite heavy.

It wasn't the kind of question that could be answered with a simple, short answer.

Honestly, even a seasoned specialist would find it hard to answer if they hadn't been working in the field continuously.

Naturally, the faces of Professor Shin Hyun-tae, the chair, and President Lee Hyun-jong, who were sitting in the front, turned sour.

Although they couldn't see Seohyuk's face or expression from their position, they could guess how he was doing.

So, the president decided to offer some comforting words to Professor Shin in advance.

"Hey, give me some soju later. Let's console each other. I'll do the same."

"Got it... Damn, that guy... I can't even give a good presentation, yet he's like this."

So, the two of them started a deep discussion on how to console each other.

This continued until Seohyuk opened his mouth.

"Yes, Professor. For acute fever, we have malaria and dengue fever. However, both diseases do not show any geographical relevance to the patient, so they can be ruled out."

The audience was once stirred by his smooth and uninterrupted answer.

"Hmm?"

"Jaundice, renal failure, and bleeding tendencies need to be differentiated from hepatitis, typhoid fever, rickettsia, and Hantavirus. Hepatitis was negative in the initial blood test, so it can be ruled out. Typhoid fever can be ruled out due to the absence of gastrointestinal symptoms. Rickettsia can be ruled out as there were no tick bites, and Hantavirus can be ruled out due to the different epidemic season."

"Look at him, look at him."

It was a flawless answer.

President Lee Hyun-jong, forgetting that he was sitting in the chair, waved his finger at Seohyuk.

At least, it was fortunate that Professor Shin Hyun-tae was there.

Otherwise, he might have run out.

His face was one that said, "Oh, my child."

It was that shocking.

"Just calm down. Calm down. He's not a child, why is he like this?"

"Is that how he looks now? Didn't you hear his answer? How can he be so precise... It's like seeing myself when I was young."

So, the president decided to acknowledge his affection for Seohyuk.

"Did you say he's a second-year? He's good because he's like you. Where's your conscience?"

"He whispers to the air sometimes these days. That's why. But this... This is a genius. A genius!"

"Be quiet. I'm surprised too, honestly."

Seohyuk's answer was one that required a thorough understanding of the diseases he had just listed.

A first-year resident knowing so many diseases?

And being able to talk about them so smoothly in front of so many people?

Professor Shin thought Seohyuk might be even more outstanding than he had imagined.

Of course, it didn't sit well with Professor Ahn Guk-tae, who had asked the question.

No, it wasn't just that; it was annoying.

He should have pretended not to know, but his precise answers were not to his liking.

"Um, yeah. Hmm."

But he was equally surprised, so he couldn't immediately throw a more challenging question.

"Right, right. The question was too easy."

So, he bought some time with a poor excuse before asking another question.

In contrast, Seohyuk had a very calm and confident look on his face.

At least, he was confident that he could answer any questions about leptospirosis all day.

For him, who could store information as he read, it was not a difficult task at all.

Ahn Guk-tae, hoping that Seohyuk's confident face would finally falter, opened his mouth again.

"Just now... You said the patient had Weil's syndrome, right?"

"Yes, Professor."

"What are the characteristics of Weil's syndrome? Tell me."

"Weil's syndrome is also known as icteric leptospirosis. Therefore, jaundice is the most prominent feature."

Not only President Lee Hyun-jong and Professor Shin Hyun-tae, but also the other third-year residents and fellows who had been angry when Seohyuk was assigned to present the case discussion were surprised.

'They said he's a royal... Did he get private tutoring from Professor Shin? Otherwise, how could he be like this?'

Most of them were looking at Seohyuk with similar thoughts.

Some were even whispering.

"First-year? He's a real find."

"He must have devoured Harrison's."

"He knows everything."

Professor Ahn Guk-tae's face turned red, inadvertently giving Seohyuk a glowing review.

No one had ever asked him to "kill the first-year's spirit" or anything like that.

He was burning with his own frustration.

"Jaundice only?"

A somewhat angry voice was heard.

His expression and gestures clearly revealed his emotions.

But Seohyuk was not intimidated.

[He can't possibly not know the answer, right?]

'You don't know this?'

It was natural for him to know everything.

"No. Compared to general leptospirosis, bleeding tendencies are more prominent. Petechiae and nosebleeds are common. As I mentioned earlier, renal function decline can also occur, often leading to death."

"Hmm... So, is Weil's syndrome the most severe form?"

Professor Ahn Guk-tae now seemed to be praying for Seohyuk to make a mistake.

The whole auditorium could feel his desperate hope that Seohyuk would not know the answer.

In fact, Ahn Guk-tae was praying to any god that would listen.

But Seohyuk was unwavering.

"No. There is a severe pulmonary hemorrhage syndrome caused by leptospirosis. It is a very serious form of infection with a reported mortality rate of up to 50%."

"Ugh."

It was a rare and serious form of infection.

Maybe one case a year.

To know that much.

A vein popped on Professor Ahn Guk-tae's forehead.

Cold sweat trickled down, and his hands and feet turned cold and pale.

Professor Shin Hyun-tae clicked his tongue at the sight of Professor Ahn.

"Stop now. He looks pitiful."

"Right. What more can you do here?"

Professor Lee Hyun-jong had a similar expression.

Since Professor Ahn Guk-tae raised his hand to ask a question, it was the first time he had seen him in such a predicament.

Perhaps because of this, everyone who had ever been on the receiving end of Professor Ahn's questions was now smirking at him.

Feeling their mocking gazes, he swallowed hard and continued.

"Right. Then... Which group is leptospirosis classified under among infectious diseases?"

Since questions about the disease itself didn't work, he asked a policy-related question.

With a face that said, "You definitely don't know this."

Unfortunately, Seohyuk knew this as well.

"It is classified as a third-group infectious disease."

"Then, what about before?"

"Since 1987, it has been a designated infectious disease, since 1993, a second-class statutory infectious disease, and since 2001, a third-group infectious disease."

"Um..."

To think he would answer with specific years.

This was a fact that even Professor Ahn Guk-tae and Professor Shin Hyun-tae did not know.

"I'm so embarrassed. Why is he like this, really?"

Professor Shin muttered to himself, looking down at his hands.

He wondered if his hands were still there.

In contrast, President Lee Hyun-jong was chuckling.

"That kid went to Chilseong Hospital without even saying hello. Oh, he's acting so rudely, but he's smart."

"Will he stop now?"

"He should. What more... Oh, he's full of energy."

Professor Ahn Guk-tae was still holding the microphone.

He was sweating profusely, just as he had hoped.

At this point, Seohyuk felt a bit sorry.

'Should I not have mentioned the years?'

[You should say everything you know.]

'Well, that's true.'

[Isn't it a waste of your studies? Think about how you studied. How you prepared for this presentation.]

'Shit.'

It was a time when curses naturally came out.

Of course, it was an important opportunity that he couldn't miss.

But thinking about the sleepless nights and the hurried meals, he doubted he could do it again.

"Hmm?"

Coincidentally, Seohyuk's last statement was a very familiar mouth shape to everyone.

"Did he say 'bread'?"

"Ah... No way."

"No sound came out, but..."

"Professor Ahn is a real bastard, isn't he?"

"Ha ha."

Thanks to this, some of the residents started laughing as if they were enjoying it.

Especially the residents from Chilseong Hospital, which touched Professor Ahn's pride.

So, he couldn't put down the microphone and asked another question.

"We... Weil's syndrome. What is the origin of the name?"

It was not a question a medical professor, a scientist, should ask.

Because of this, Professor Shin Hyun-tae couldn't bear to look at Professor Ahn and had to bow his head.

"Disgraceful..."

"Do you really want to win this way? Why is he like this? That kid."

President Lee Hyun-jong couldn't laugh anymore.

For a case presentation that should have been a dignified forum for knowledge discussion, such a question was infuriating.

So, he waved his hand to end it, but Seohyuk opened his mouth.

"Dr. Weil named it to commemorate his discovery and classification."

There was no way to verify if this was the correct answer.

The origin of a disease name is something that would appear in a memoir, not in textbooks or papers.

Since the name itself did not indicate the characteristics of the disease, it had no medical significance.

"Hmm."

But it seemed to have an effect on Professor Ahn Guk-tae.

He sank into his chair as if he were drowning and, a moment later, was helped out of the auditorium by a resident, fleeing like a coward.

'He won't come for a while.'

Professor Shin chuckled and picked up the microphone again.

"Is there anyone else who wants to ask a question?"

His tone and expression were like, "Is there anyone else who wants to be humiliated?"

Naturally, no one raised their hand.

Even the notorious troublemaker Ahn Guk-tae, who appeared at every presentation, had been thoroughly defeated.

Who could dare to step up?

Moreover, it seemed there were no more questions to ask.

"Alright... Then, this concludes the 121st Taehwa Internal Medicine Case Presentation."

Professor Shin declared the end of the presentation after waiting for about five minutes.

Then, President Lee Hyun-jong, who was sitting next to him, stood up and started clapping.

'Oh, why is he doing this again?'

Professor Shin tried to secretly sit him down, but it was no use.

Clap, clap, clap, clap!

Fortunately, thunderous applause began to pour in from the audience as well.

Seohyuk bowed his head again, feeling as if all his hard work had been rewarded.

'It's done. It's done. This is a perfect debut.'