Chapter 38: This First-Year Resident is Different (2)

"What do you mean by 'absolutely not crossing over'?"

"Who was admitted over the weekend?"

Professor Seo Hyosuk, still half-asleep, asked with a drowsy face.

It seemed he had spent the previous night drinking.

For a university hospital professor to drink so much on a Sunday was quite something.

It wasn't surprising that people said he lacked common sense.

"Yang Jae-won was diagnosed with an insulinoma and admitted."

Suhyeok personally notified Seo Hyosuk, as Kim Jin-yong had been demoted from chief resident.

Of course, Seo Hyosuk, who had been fooling around all weekend, had no idea what had happened.

Even though Chief Shin Hyuntae had sent a text message, he still didn't know.

"Why are you telling me? Where did the chief go?"

"Ah..."

Suhyeok hesitated to speak, glancing at Kim Jin-yong.

For Kim Jin-yong, this was a moment of intense frustration.

If he let it out now, he would face a disciplinary committee.

'Chief, Director...'

If that happened, he might be kicked out of the hospital.

All the hard work he had put into his training could go to waste.

"I... over the weekend... I made a mistake with this patient, so the chief stripped me of my chief resident position."

He ended up saying something he found too embarrassing to admit.

Naturally, Professor Seo Hyosuk's eyes widened in surprise.

"The chief? The chief of endocrinology?"

"Yes."

"Why did only the chief know and not me?"

Of course, it was because Seo Hyosuk hadn't answered his phone.

He even ignored calls from the chief.

The moment he left the hospital, he turned off his phone, which everyone knew.

Given his behavior, it was no wonder he reacted so brazenly.

Even Kim Jin-yong, who was just as bad, found it ridiculous.

"Well, the notification went through Professor Kim Jin-shil of Radiology, so that's how it happened."

But he couldn't speak freely in front of the chief.

Moreover, Seo Hyosuk, despite causing such a mess, was someone no one dared to touch in the hospital.

"Kim Jin-shil? Who is that?"

"That..."

"No, never mind. I'll ask the chief directly."

Seo Hyosuk, as everyone knew, had become a professor through connections.

Naturally, he had a sense of inferiority, especially towards those who had achieved their positions through real merit.

People like him often couldn't let things go, often misinterpreting and distorting facts to suit their own narrative.

"Ah, Chief."

"Professor Seo? What's up? At this hour?"

"I heard that Dr. Kim Jin-yong was stripped of his chief resident position without my knowledge. What's going on?"

"Oh, that."

Shin Hyuntae stopped in his tracks during his rounds.

His face was quite stiff.

It was because a person he usually didn't even acknowledge had suddenly called to pick a fight.

But Shin Hyuntae was the head of the department.

So he decided to act maturely.

"The on-call resident diagnosed the patient with an insulinoma, but he didn't come to the hospital and dismissed the patient. He also lied to me. And... you know, Kim Jin-yong's reputation."

"I'm not saying the decision was wrong. I just want to know why I wasn't informed. I was the one using Kim Jin-yong as a chief resident."

"I didn't answer your calls."

"Do you not know my home phone number?"

"Should I, as a chief, have to contact a subordinate to that extent? And if you had your phone on, wouldn't the calls be caught by the call blocker? Did you block them yourself?"

It was a valid point.

So Seo Hyosuk got even angrier.

That's how small-minded people are.

"So, you're saying it's my fault?"

"Yes, it's your fault. What do you think a university hospital professor is? Why are you unreachable on weekends? You almost caused an accident... and other professors had to step in, you know?"

"That..."

"Anyway, that's how it happened."

"Hmm..."

"Don't take out your frustration on the residents. If you do this again, I won't let it slide."

He could overlook Kim Jin-yong or Hwang Seon-woo getting scolded.

They were the type who would get in trouble even without Seo Hyosuk.

But Suhyeok?

By a professor who didn't act like one?

That was unbearable.

Unfortunately, those words scratched Seo Hyosuk's pride once again.

This time, even Chief Shin Hyuntae got a bit heated.

Considering his seniority and expertise, it was a challenge from someone far below him.

"If you don't let it slide, it will be a disciplinary action. You don't have any papers, right? You'll fail the associate professor review again this year. Then, I'll have to wonder if I should keep my professorship, won't I?"

"Can you take responsibility for that now?"

"What?"

"My father... you know who he is, right?"

In the end, Seo Hyosuk played his dirtiest card.

A card that would make any hospital insider back off.

But his opponent was tough.

"I know. I saw him with your father-in-law last week."

"Hmm."

"He's retiring soon, right? Even as a board member, he's been there a long time. But then... who will back you up?"

"Such..."

"So, don't cause trouble. Behave well when I'm watching. Don't make me angry. I'm hanging up."

Shin Hyuntae hung up, and Seo Hyosuk looked at his phone.

'What a bastard?'

He couldn't think of anything he had done wrong.

He only felt the humiliation he had just endured.

But he couldn't retaliate right away.

His father-in-law was a senior executive at Taehwa Electronics, and his seniority was even higher.

In terms of expertise, there was no comparison.

"Who was the on-call resident yesterday?"

So, he decided to pick on someone easier.

[Is it over?]

Suhyeok, trying to suppress his anger, raised his hand.

"Yes, Professor. I'm Suhyeok, a first-year resident."

"Did you diagnose the insulinoma?"

"Yes, I did."

"Did you notify Kim Jin-yong?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't you come when you heard?"

There was no worse timing for a reprimand.

But Kim Jin-yong had to speak up, no matter what.

"I'm sorry."

"Why did I have to hear this from the chief?"

Technically, it was his fault.

Seo Hyosuk was demonstrating the power of authority.

[He's a bit pitiful.]

'Yeah, he's a bad guy, but...'

So, for the first time, Suhyeok felt sorry for Kim Jin-yong.

Of course, that didn't mean he wanted to help him.

"Understood? If this happens again, I won't let it slide."

"Yes, Professor."

Seo Hyosuk continued ranting for a while before ending with a glare at Kim Jin-yong.

He wanted to kick him in the shins, but the memory of Shin Hyuntae's warning held him back.

"Anyway, what's the plan for the insulinoma patient?"

After his rant, Seo Hyosuk finally asked about the patient.

Only then could Suhyeok share the plan he had prepared.

It was a bit strange.

[Why is the professor asking about the plan? He doesn't seem to know anything.]

'He lacks the expertise. He probably doesn't know much...'

[But he's a professor?]

'That's how the world works.'

After a brief internal dialogue, Suhyeok spoke.

"Currently, we're only using DiaZoxide to prevent hypoglycemia."

"DiaZoxide?"

Suhyeok barely hid his disdain at Seo Hyosuk's clueless expression.

"Yes, it's a medication to inhibit insulin secretion."

"Is that all?"

"Ah... I requested a consultation with general surgery. The tumor isn't that large, so the surgery shouldn't be too difficult."

"Surgery? So, we're transferring the patient to surgery?"

"What?"

Transferring the patient?

The patient had a typical endocrinology condition, insulinoma.

Even if surgery was needed, the follow-up care should be handled by the internal medicine department.

"Transfer the patient. After surgery, the surgical department will handle it."

"But the patient's hypoglycemia and insulin secretion control..."

"Shut up! You're Suhyeok, right? Act like a first-year resident. Don't act up just because the chief and director like you."

"Ah, yes. I'm sorry."

"No more excuses. Transfer the patient now."

Seo Hyosuk, shaking his head, left the station.

It was a surprising turn of events.

He hadn't even done his rounds yet.

"Professor, about the patient's face..."

When Suhyeok asked, the response was even more surprising.

"Why should I see the face of a patient from another department?"

With that, Seo Hyosuk disappeared.

As soon as he left, Kim Jin-yong and Hwang Seon-woo also vanished.

In terms of avoiding patient care, they were as bad as Seo Hyosuk.

In the end, Suhyeok was the only one left in the ward.

'I'm going crazy. Should I accept the transfer?'

[Analysis: Seo Hyosuk has significant power. Mentioning his name will be effective.]

'Patient management? The surgical department is mostly in the operating room... They can't provide the same level of care we do.'

Moreover, with the declining popularity of surgery, the department was struggling to meet its targets.

They couldn't afford to give the intensive care unit (ICU) patients the attention they needed.

[You can manage the blood sugar. This could be a good experience for you.]

'I'm not confident about ICU care yet...'

If the patient remained in the endocrinology department, Suhyeok could ask senior residents for advice.

Even Kim Jin-yong would be better at routine ICU prescriptions than Suhyeok.

But would they take good care of a patient who had been transferred to another department?

Suhyeok didn't think so.

[What are you worried about? I'm here.]

'Yeah... I have to trust you.'

[Me?]

'Anyway, I need to request the transfer.'

Ignoring the upset Baruda, Suhyeok called the surgical department.

They were understandably surprised but reluctantly accepted the transfer when he mentioned Seo Hyosuk's name.

Feeling a bit guilty, Suhyeok added:

"I'll manage the patient's blood sugar and internal medicine issues."

"Alright... That would be helpful. The operating room is ready, so please bring the patient down. Thanks to your initial treatment, we can proceed today."

"Understood."

Suhyeok immediately moved the patient to the third-floor operating room.

After handling some ward duties and studying for paper ideas, he headed to the third-floor surgical ICU when the patient was transferred there.

Of course, it was to check on Yang Jae-won.

But another patient caught his attention.

"Wife! My wife is cheating!"

A robust patient was tied to the bed, causing a commotion.

[Is it delirium?]

'Probably... Yes.'

[Should we check just in case?]

'Should I?'