Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia (2026) s01e03 Episode Script
Episode 3
(DOCTOR X: MAFIA IN WHITE)
[flames crackling]
[Dr. Bae] "However, the patient died
two months after surgery."
"The patient's cause of death
remains unknown."
"Upon being asked by a reporter"
whether they would file
a medical malpractice suit,
"the bereaved family declined to comment."
[grunts in pain]
[Dr. Bae] "The name of the surgeon
was never revealed."
"But the alias written on the chart was.
Doctor X."
DOCTOR X: MAFIA IN WHITE
Dr. Gye Su-jeong, are you all right?
Are you all right, Doctor?
[medical machines beeping]
EPISODE 3.
[Director Bu] So then…
What you're saying is
Dr. Gye Su-jeong is Doctor X?
Take a good look at the caption here.
- Hmm?
- "The surgical team."
There's one Asian person
in a white coat here.
Uh, man. Why is it so blurry?
Damn it!
Dr. Bae.
This is basically just a rumor.
You believe this?
Uh, so what we're saying is that
there's an issue
with that surgical technique.
If Dr. Gye followed this
surgical technique as a reference,
then our patient could end up like this
in a couple of months…
Then that's all the more reason
not to let her go.
If something goes wrong,
we need someone to take responsibility.
The primary surgeon here was…
Dr. Do Yun-sik, after all.
[sighs]
The contract doesn't
specify any department.
Oh, well maybe, um…
Let's get Dr. Gye Su-jeong in here.
Well, uh, the thing is…
she actually hasn't come in just yet.
[huffing] My goodness.
[friend] Good morning, Ms. Jang,
we're here.
- [friend 2 greeting in Spanish]
- [line ringing]
[friend 1 chuckles]
You're greeting her in Spanish?
- Come on!
- [friend 2 greeting in Japanese]
- Oh, look at you go, huh? Any more?
- [greeting in Italian]
I'm memorizing morning greetings from
around the world to help prevent dementia.
- I guess that makes sense.
- Move! Move!
- I need to go out.
- [friend 1] Huh? Why?
Apparently, our girl Su-jeong
chose to play hookayy today.
- And she's not picking up either.
- [friend 1] Huh?
Must be resting then.
She's always at work or here.
Ms. Jang would know.
We should go and help look.
Hold on a minute.
Where have you been all day?
What have you been doing?
I heard you're not at work yet?
Jo Won-jin? Who's Jo Won-jin?
Why are you?
Why do you have Su-jeong's… Oh, my God!
Dr. Jo Won-jin!
Oh, yeah. Yes, I know who you are.
You're the anesthes…
You're saying Dr. Gye is in the hospital?
So then she did go in to work.
[Dr. Jo] Thank goodness it wasn't worse.
Yeah, we were also able to give her
a transfusion right away.
[Dr. Park] Dr. Gye!
Dr. Gye are you
I'm sorry for intruding.
Did he not understand
what I said to him before or what?
What? Is that kid a doctor?
He's an intern, but honestly,
he seems more like the village idiot.
[Dr. Jo] Dr. Park Tae-gyeong.
Huh? Oh! Dr. Jo.
Please! Save Dr. Gye.
Please, Dr. Jo! Please!
Please save her. Please save her, Doctor.
Dr. Park, don't shake
I don't think you understood
what I told you over the phone earlier.
I get it completely.
I heard what you said.
I can give her a transfusion.
I've got healthy blood and I'm consenting.
You certainly misunderstood.
The future of Korean medicine
is right here.
Yeah, the doctor's in that bed.
She's just laying over there.
- For real?
- Yeah. Um…
Hey, hey. [Sighs]
[gasps] Dr. Gye.
Doctor, are you okay?
It's me, Tae-gyeong.
Oh! What do we do? Oh, God!
We need a blood transfusion, Dr. Kim.
You have to save her.
Dr. Kim, please, you have to. Please!
- You have to save Dr. Gye. You have to!
- Hey! Hey!
Hey! Hey! If anyone needs to be saved
it's me, you punk!
- [Dr. Park] Oh, no.
- Where's he working?
Not anesthesiology. So we get that solace.
You can't go now, don't go!
Get it together, you're acting insane.
Can you stop him, or he'll do CPR.
What are you doing, Doctor? Huh?
And how did you even
get this intern gig, honestly?
[nurse 1] Hello, Director.
Ugh, here we go again.
1 HOUR AGO.
Clear the way!
Is the blood ready yet?
Uh, not yet. We've been
short on blood recently.
- Blood type?
- AB.
Any match here? Oh, shit. Okay.
- Go find somebody with AB blood! Hurry up.
- I'm type AB.
I'll take her, Doctor.
[grunts] She has a couple of abrasions
and she cried herself to sleep
'cause she was scared.
- Okay, got it.
- Doctor, you're bleeding right now too.
Oh, this blood isn't mine.
All right, let's do it.
- Hurry, prepare for a transfusion.
- Yes, Doctor. On it.
Dr. Gye, wait. Have you eaten today?
Plenty.
What are you waiting on?
Right now, we're losing blood faster
than we're losing time here.
Uh, there's just no way that
she said something that cool.
Just by her face,
it really doesn't look like it.
- [Dr. Gye snoring]
- Hold on. Is she really snoring right now?
Or is it just me who's hearing that?
Sometimes, I think
[snoring continues]
Hmm…
When Dr. Gye talks normally,
I find it gives me this
sort of a strange vibe.
I know what you're saying, Doctor.
You picked up on it as well?
That's the same thing I noticed too.
What are you saying?
Just stay quiet.
Cut it out, all of you. Why are you
acting this way with a patient in the bed?
But "patient," you said?
She's down for a nap in the ER and
you're gonna refer to her as a patient?
Anyone lying in an ER bed is a patient,
and my responsibility.
And we also have other patients here, too.
She was on the scene of an accident,
assisted with the rescue,
and donated blood as well.
Yeah, so Dr. Gye is pretty amazing,
right, Dr, Jo?
It looks like her amazingness
is clearly exhausting.
What the heck. This is embarrassing.
I don't get why no one
is praising Dr. Gye.
She went above and beyond
to do her duty as a doctor.
You should all ponder that
as I head over to the operating room.
[sighs heavily] Duty equals money to her.
That's her only concern.
- I wonder what she'll charge us for this.
- Hmm.
Has the accident been resolved, Doctor?
Yes. And there were no fatalities either,
thank God.
With the person who got
the blood transfusion aside,
no one was seriously hurt,
even though the accident was pretty bad.
Well, good job handling it.
Director, we'd better go soon.
It's almost time for the conference.
Wait, you're already going?
Really, just like that?
Ah, so you came all this way
just to check on a member of your staff.
What are you saying?
It's just, it seems like a century
since you all last came by.
Now you're here with
the new hospital director at your side
to come and grace us with his presence.
I suppose I was hoping for something more,
but no, you're just gonna leave?
I'm sensing some sarcasm there,
Dr. Seong-jin.
I'm just a bit on edge
'cause I haven't slept in two days.
And yes, that was sarcasm.
You're far from the only one struggling.
I hardly got home last night as well.
Naturally, almost all cases
should get handled in Emergency.
Or is that not what
Emergency actually does here?
Ah!
I see, so the ER is here to treat
the patients that aren't worth your time.
That's how you see Emergency?
So that's why no one was around back then?
What are you talking about?
That's exactly what you're saying, Doctor.
That we couldn't handle
that case back then,
- and that's why Seo Jin-yeo
- Quiet.
- Let's take care of the ER's request now.
- Yes, Director.
This is a hospital,
we never have enough doctors.
But for your sake,
to give you a hand in the ER,
I'll send another doctor temporarily.
What? Just like that?
When are they starting?
She's right here as we speak.
What?
So that snoring lady
[quirky music plays]
Good luck, Doctor.
[mouthing] No. Go away.
What specialty are you?
None. I'm an intern.
But I was just been assigned
to accompany Dr. Gye for now.
Really?
At around 8:20 a.m. this morning
a school bus and a one-ton truck
look, the news is on.
…collided at Dodam Intersection
in Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do.
Five people were seriously injured,
but there were no fatalities.
Hey, so, Su-jeong isn't going to get
scolded again today, is she?
No, I doubt she'll get scolded.
- She only did what a doctor should.
- Now, our next story,
on Guseo University Medical Center,
and EMT Seo Jin-yeong,
who tragically died a year ago
as he worked his ER shift at the hospital.
The bereaved family has been
pursuing legal action
to hold the hospital accountable,
and the court issued its ruling today.
In the first trial, the court had ruled
GUMC's favor.
The hospital reiterated
it did everything possible
to save Mr. Seo Jin-yeong.
While the bereaved family feels that
the process was handled poorly,
the hospital emphasized this result
was due to Seo's medical condition,
and not the manner in which
the hospital responded.
Well, Director?
Look, the hospital won the case.
Isn't that what matters?
Seo Jin-yeong's side has just appealed it.
[Director Bu] Of course, they did.
Director, it's true that Kim Myeong-seop
was in charge when this happened.
We're seeing a downturn in public opinion
now that we've won this case.
- We need to find a way to handle
- [knocks on door]
[cleaner] Excuse me.
I didn't have a chance
to throw anything out today.
- I see.
- Um.
Ah, thank you.
Thank you so much, Director.
Even though all this is going on,
everyone's taking time to go
on business trips, or to seminars.
And now this med school quota
is in the conversation again…
Should people bring up
going on strike again, know this
I'll form a picket line first.
You see that we have a staffing issue,
yet you're all constantly
abandoning your duties.
Which is why we're not able
to fire Doctor Gye, all right?
Let's just stop this.
SUCCESS OR FAILURE…
Where did you even find someone like her?
The hospital's been in a tizzy
over the last few days.
And it's all because of her.
Uh, Dr. Kim.
Doctor Gye Su-jeong
really isn't as difficult
as all the rumors make her out to be.
And is she my superior or my subordinate?
What? Uh, I don't know.
The distinction matters.
Because I don't get it…
is she like a colleague, or like a pupil?
Uh, well I barely know about her either,
but from what I hear…
It sounds like she's kinda both.
Okay… so she's a troublemaker.
You have any food?
Dr. Gye, are you okay?
Here, I got your lab coat.
Hold on. How long
have you been awake?
- A while now.
- What? What'd you hear?
"Who's that? Is he a doctor too?"
"He's an intern, but honestly,
he seems more like the village idiot."
You've been awake the whole time.
- Hold on, were they talking about me?
- Why'd you just lay there?
- Do I seem like a village idiot?
- 'Cause I was still tired.
No, but why?
"Village idiot. Smiling Bitch."
Those goddamn surgeons.
Dr. Jo Won-jin is "Smiling Bitch"?
Tell me more.
Will you tell me which wing
you'll be on for your next rotation?
But why, Doctor Kim?
Oh
Uh, I'm not so sure
the ER is right for me.
You'll be happier. I think you'll
find your strengths lie elsewhere.
It may be possible
to wake someone who's actually asleep,
but it's difficult to wake someone
who's just pretending to be asleep.
And it's even harder to teach someone
who pretends to know everything.
In that case, the ideal student
would be someone with an empty head,
like the one on that guy.
She's passing you off,
why'd she have to make a parable?
I didn't believe all the rumors initially,
but they seem…
The rumors are all true.
You have a knack for whispering
loud enough for everyone to hear.
Loud whispers are good, you
lower blood pressure that way.
You mean it? I'll have
to let the patients know.
From what I've heard today,
you should give whispering a shot.
Always yelling at people
is bad for your health.
It's a pleasure. Kim Seong-jin.
My name's Gye Su-jeong.
Park Tae-gyeong is my name.
on Guseo University Medical Center,
and EMT Seo Jin-yeong,
- who tragically died…
- Hello, Dr. Bae.
- People.
- Hello, Dr. Bae.
All right, you guys, don't sweat it,
you can keep watching.
No need to act all super-secret.
C'mon, you can put it on.
With the allegations,
and the investigation…
You've really been going through a lot,
but you've made it through one hurdle.
Well that, I don't know…
They'll appeal it soon.
Dr. Kim Seong-jin really hasn't
changed at all, has he?
You don't think he'll side against us
in the case, do you?
I don't see any reason he would.
I mean, just being caught
in-between like he is,
in his perspective, I'm sure it's
totally been gnawing away at the guy.
[knocks on door]
Hey, why aren't you checking
your texts? What's going on?
Hey. This isn't gonna do.
I can't open up an OR right now.
Why not? We have to
get the surgery done now.
I can't, no way. Let's
reevaluate the patient.
- Hello.
- Hey.
Oh, hey, uh…
sorry about earlier this morning.
And thank you for calling me, too.
Why are you alone?
Dr. Gye Su-jeong's working
in the emergency room right now.
What? On whose orders?
Is stationing just a joke to you?
What the hell is going on?
Director Bu sent her there temporarily,
because the ER needed a hand.
How is a surgeon in the ER
good for General Surgery?
Let's see, our wondrous new intern.
You came to get your stuff, right?
Here. Why don't we get going?
Have a nice day, Dr. Jo.
Even kids get punished when they
bully someone. What're you thinking?
Why're you trying to meddle
all of a sudden?
Go back and get me in that OR.
Who's accountable
if they die on the table, huh?
I don't allow high-risk operations,
you know that.
Find someone else.
Then how else can I get an OR?
I'm a busy man,
but for the future of Korean medicine,
I'll give you two minutes
of one-on-one time.
Dr. Kim Seong-jin talked about
an EMT named Seo this morning.
Is he the person on the news
who died of a subarachnoid hemorrhage
while working at the hospital last year?
Mm-hmm. What else?
I heard the doctors who could do
a craniotomy weren't here,
so is that why he died?
You're partially right, but mostly wrong.
Then, would Dr. Kim Seong-jin or Dr. Bae…
As they're the ones who did
the coil embolization, be
ENDOVASCULAR COILING: A TREATMEN
THAT DOESN'T REQUIRE CRANIOTOMY.
No. They both did all that they could.
In fact, Dr. Kim Seong-jin wasn't even
on call that day.
On his way out, after an all-nighter,
he found EMT Seo Jin-yeong unconscious.
He was slumped over the ER desk,
- so everyone thought he was sleeping.
- EMT Seo?
The ER was slammed earlier that morning
because of a major car accident.
Over here! I need help over here!
Seo! Seo, wake up, buddy! Can you hear me?
- Hurry up. Keep moving!
- Come on.
Dr. Bae, let's get going.
This man needs your help,
or are we gonna let him die
while the both of us just stand here?
This place has ten neurosurgeons,
are you saying none of 'em
can treat a brain hemorrhage?
He has an excessive amount
of intracranial pressure.
And with the location of the aneurysm,
clipping is the answer,
- though by now…
- Then let's page somebody right now.
The doctors who can do
the procedure aren't here.
How are they both not
Forget those two, Dr. Bae Heung-gon…
You and I should do
a coil emboilization first.
We have no time to lose.
I'll find a place to transfer him.
- I get it, but…
- Hey, Bae Heung-gon!
Listen, I'm begging, do the right thing.
EMT Seo has worked here for ten years.
He's here at this hospital every day,
he least we can do is try our best
I think that is the
least we can do, isn't it?
ANGIOGRAPHY SUITE 3
There's no way. It's too far in there.
A coil embolization wouldn't do anything.
- Call the attendings one more
- One is in Naju for a funeral,
the other's in Germany for training.
Then I'll transfer him as fast as I can.
Dr. Nam said they'd be able to treat him
at Junggyeong. Thanks.
His intracranial pressure is too high!
There's nothing we can do!
They transferred him to Junggyeong
University Hospital, but he died anyway.
His intracranial pressure was too high,
so even if they had tried the procedure,
the chances of it succeeding
weren't high at all.
That's the one part you got wrong,
and the crux of the lawsuit.
Now, I gotta head in there.
When you say the chances were
low that the surgery would work…
What's your rationale?
That he was destined to die
no matter what they tried on him?
Basically, it's the patient's fault?
Is that it?
That isn't the type of
thing a doctor should be saying.
Then, what am I supposed to say?
"Sorry, I couldn't save the patient.
"Please, haul me to prison,
so sorry about that." That what you want?
Doctors have our limits, we're only human.
Had there been one other doctor
who could do a craniotomy clipping,
I would've taken every chance
on that possibility
Hippocrates really got to you, huh?
Years ago, if a doctor did that surgery,
people would go,
"wow, he's got God's hands, doesn't he?"
Going four hours at least, bent over,
staring through a tiny little microscope,
and poking around a patient's bloody brain.
Fine, let's say you muscle through it all,
and the surgery is a success
Know what the shitty part really is?
That clip could slip off at any time.
If the aneurysm ruptures,
the patient's either dead,
or disabled for life. Who takes the blame?
Do you know how many medical lawsuits
come from this surgery?
And those clips are pricy to get.
You know the reimbursement rate
on a six person surgery
barely covers the overhead. Get it?
The next time you wanna tell me
what a doctor's supposed to say,
learn how to do a craniotomy first.
You do those.
I'm going to learn coiling from Dr. Bae.
It comes with lower risk, takes less staff
because it's non-surgical,
and there's actual money in doing it.
That's where I draw my line.
Stick to what I know I can handle.
So, am I not a doctor because of that?
What do you think?
Huh? Huh?
Mister Eung-go said if you hit someone,
and you aim for that pressure point,
like I just did,
then they'll either die,
or end up disabled for life.
"When cerebral aneurysms rupture.
One patient out of three
will die instantly.
One in three will die
on the way to the hospital.
Only that remaining one in three patients
"can actually get to a hospital
in time for a surgery."
You had a patient who was lucky enough
to have been in that last one-third,
and beyond that,
he was in the hospital already.
That chance doesn't factor into
how you see it?
I guess you don't care
if a patient dies on the table
'cause you threw 'em into surgery
based on that chance.
Dr. Ma, what are you doing here?
Get ready and get inside.
Didn't you wanna get certified
in GS and NS like Dr. Bae?
Do you expect another residency like this?
[Dr. Gye]
To be frank, at your skill level…
You'd probably get sued
even just doing non-surgical things.
Better go in and get
some more practice in.
Get in there, resident.
Dr. Gye Su-jeong.
I feel like I'm forever putting out fires
that you've started.
But please correct me if I'm wrong here.
No, that's certainly true. However,
I didn't start this particular fire.
Uh, I actually started it. This is on me.
I crossed the line
and spoke out of turn with Dr. Ma.
I sincerely apologize.
Don't annoy anyone going into my OR
within 30 minutes before the operation.
It's distracting.
- We're 31 minutes and 20 seconds out.
- God, I swear…
Dr. Gye, don't.
It's bad enough, let's just stay quiet.
They shouldn't let you two
work together, seriously. Ugh.
You could've observed the surgery,
but because of me…
You weren't the reason I didn't.
Someone called me and
asked to get together.
When someone calls to meet up suddenly,
you actually do? That's surprising.
I brought you this.
They give you these when you donate blood.
Wish I could donate every morning.
Don't you dare do it every day,
don't you dare!
What, do you wanna let 'em take
your spinal fluid while you're at it, too?
Wait, what are you doing? Who are you?
That's Ms. Jang.
The Ms. Jang?
Wait, you mean that lady?
- The one who has you doing free work?
- What are you saying?
I donated blood, I worked all day long…
I'm brutally exhausted.
So, Miss Jang, cook me
something good when we get home.
If you could just mind your business,
they would handle it.
I've been telling you
to lay low, haven't I?
Hey, Dr. Gye was
incredible in surgery today.
But she shouldn't be incredible, she
You should feel things out more,
do a big surgery, then another,
and focus on making money.
Why are you working
down in Emergency? Huh?
Then you can't do more surgeries.
I can't make money.
Just lay low until you get back
to the GS depar…
Oh, my goodness!
Oh, Doctor… I'm so sorry! I can't believe
I was so rude in front of you, Doctor.
- Oh, I'm so sorry, my goodness!
- Oh, don't worry, it's fine.
I'm just an intern, ma'am.
My name is Park Tae-gyeong.
Oh, okay… Ah, well then, hello!
Now, where were we?
I'm Director of the first
doctor-for-hire agency in Korea.
Jang Hui-suk, nice to meet you.
You might say that I'm essentially
Dr. Gye Su-jeong's agent.
Since you might be a client or employee
that may come to work with us one day,
please take this, Dr. Park Tae-gyeong.
DIRECTOR JANG HUI-SUK
That sounds great, but right now,
I'm just an intern, not a doctor.
Oh no, enough with that
Of course you are!
With all you've studied,
and the devotion you've put into it.
Ah, I'm horribly thirsty.
Here, can you grab some drinks, Su-jeong?
One for the doctor, and one for me.
- Oh no, I can go do that, allow me.
- Oh, no, no, no way.
Sit down, Doctor. Su-jeong.
Just by looking at your face, Doctor,
I can tell
that there are other great doctors
in your family, aren't there?
Oh, how did you know?
Hello, Miss. Excuse me, Miss.
Oh, you need something?
Yes, sorry, uh… I was
wondering if you have an extra tissue?
Yes, sure, I have a moist wipe,
not for sticky stuff though,
it'll make a mess. Here, use this.
There you go.
Whoa… you're right. Thank you very much.
I don't believe you and I met.
Which wing are you?
I work here and there.
I'm more like a contractor.
In that category.
I also work on contract, as a cleaner.
So, I also work all over.
Oh… That'd make you my senior.
Ah, gosh, no, I'm no senior.
Have a good one.
[groans]
Miss, are you doing alright?
Ah, I'm sorry.
Just a headache, that's all.
Is this the first time it's bothered you?
You know how it can be.
It's true there's a different pain
every day when you're old.
Ah, no. Don't [chuckles]
Okay, well… thank you for
the drink, have a good day.
I think a part of Dr. Kim Seong-jin
believes the whole thing was his fault,
which is why he's taking it so hard.
When it got out,
the security footage caused quite a stir.
EMT Seo there, slumped over that desk
in the ER, just laying there all alone.
I saw that too. It really makes you think,
Is there anyone in this place
that would notice it at all
if I were the one laying there,
slumped over?
- That's why everyone was so upset.
- Yes.
How does a video like that
get released to the public?
Uhm… well, I think
someone leaked the video.
Oh, wow…
And so, the hospital administrators
called in all the nurses and EMTs
to come and answer questions
about what happened,
and they never really figured out
who the leak was.
Ahh… except, the doctors
weren't interviewed?
Well, they never found out
who really did it,
but protests were organized
by the Union of Korean Health
and Medical Workers.
Goodness, that must
have traumatized everyone.
Oh, my. I can't believe I'm using
such a fancy word
in front of you, Doctor, I'm sorry.
Come on…
Are you gonna drink that or not?
Remember the words of the son
of a great director who started with
a plastic surgery clinic in Busan,
and grew it into
the biggest medical center of the region.
Her grip slipped off both objects,
the can and the wet wipe…
I gotta say,
I really like this time of day.
We quietly collect everything
that happened on our shifts,
writing up a document,
letting our coworkers know about it,
and then we get ready to go.
- Who's going?
- Dr. Gye.
If you've got any big questions,
right now'd be the moment to ask.
It's nearly time.
So, how did you know
that her chest pain was really just
acid reflux caused by GERD?
Ms. Ha Mi-ju, 61 years old.
Now, I see here that she's complaining
of severe chest pain,
however her test results
are completely normal.
You presented with the same symptoms
once before, in the early morning?
She wakes from the pain.
It's especially bad at night.
I see, then Miss Ha, let me
have another listen to your chest.
I've got a question for you.
Have you eaten anything today?
No.
Miss Ha, forgive me,
but do you regularly drink coffee,
and eat foods with a lot of grease?
Yes.
I'm gonna press your abdomen for a moment.
Slowly. Okay, and
- Does that hurt here?
- Yes, it hurts.
The ambiguous placement of her hand,
and the area where she swept her hand
when she gestured as well.
What an amazing description.
Could I put that in the chart, you think?
Yeah, you can write as you'd like.
I spent years in a place
where I didn't know the language,
so I had no choice but to focus
on the patient's attitude and behavior.
But why did the patient choose
that way to describe it to you?
That's how it goes
with patients sometimes.
That's why doctors need
to ask the right questions.
Like today, my head was all over
the place, so I missed a few things.
It's extremely rare
that a patient is in pain
and capable of articulating it.
You're right on that.
I'm used to doctors saying don't interfere
with care or I didn't ask for criticism
and reacting all offended.
Well, I got to say your self-awareness
is really refreshing.
Okay, on that note, why don't we all grab
some late-night snacks together.
Have a good night.
Wait, you're going home?
Seriously, Dr. Park, is she seriously
going back home now this early?
Yeah.
Uh, lock in Tae-gyeong.
Oh gross. Now it's all lukewarm.
Dr. Gye, are you okay?
Here, I've got your lab coat.
Hold on. How long have you been awake?
Her name was all smudged.
Uh.
I ought to make her a new one.
Just judging by what I've seen of Dr. Gye.
The day she gets a lab coat
with her name embroidered
Okay, well, I should give her
some extras just in case.
You skipped dinner again, didn't you?
Thank you.
So I've been listening to the EMTs that
are in charge of getting patients here.
They're always saying to each other,
on the first floor at Guseo in Kyungi,
no one gets turned away.
They put a good doctor there
who cares a whole lot.
I guess I'm saying stop getting angry
and saying you'll quit soon.
You'll be all right. Just hang in there.
So that my kid can come visit her dad
at work, meet a good doctor like you,
and say she wants to be a doctor too.
Go on, eat, it'll get mushy.
Hello ma'am, how are you doing?
Seo Jin-yeong and I
used to work at the same hospital.
We're seeing the same thing, right?
We're not just both imagining it?
Yep, and we're looking
at the same thing we saw yesterday.
Hi, uh, Dr. Gye.
Dr. Gye Su-jeong, are you pretending to be
asleep again, or are you actually asleep?
No, I think she's really asleep.
Wait, why is she sleeping here,
not the on-call room like the rest of us?
I don't get it.
Didn't she leave right at 6 yesterday?
Yeah.
Dr. Gye, come on. Dr. Gye, Dr. Gye.
Good morning. Did you sleep all right?
Oh, man,
these firm hospital beds are perfect.
I slept like a rock.
Are you actually being serious right now?
Do we need this bed for anything?
This is for patients
to receive treatment or to wait
until we can tend to their care.
Okay?
Just be glad we didn't have a rush,
an emergency.
So no patients are here who need it.
No, but that wasn't my
Did you not go home yesterday?
Yeah, and then today I came in early. Oh.
What are you waiting on someone?
Ah, so I still don't have to clock in yet.
Well then I suppose
What
Oh, hello, Dr. Jo.
You pull an all-nighter. Pick something.
Uh, no thanks, I'm all right,
not really too hungry.
Shopping for groceries.
Oh well, I'm more awake now.
Been talking at all to Dr. Ma recently?
Nope, not at all.
Did the surgery that day go all right?
Well, Bae's a good teacher,
so he just did as he said.
Oh, I'm glad.
I was scared he might have struggled
keeping focus because of me.
Well, his temper's not the greatest,
but he does his job.
So out of the interns,
you're the outsider.
Outsider?
No, no, I'm not an outsider.
I've got friends.
Oh yeah, who?
Well, I went to high school with them.
Oh, you know what it's like.
The interns are pretty busy here.
Well, actually,
the interns in our department
go to social gatherings and eat together.
Oh, that's good for them.
I just want to focus
on studying for a specialty.
[coughing]
That's what happens when you lie.
That why you're worried about Dr. Gye,
because she's also an outsider?
What? No, I don't think either one of us
are really outsiders.
You can't do a surgery single-handed.
You need others to rely on.
You need to know how to work
and get along with others.
There's a time to pause your emotions
and smile despite how pissed you are.
Mm, I know that technique,
a smiling bitch.
How'd you know I had hypotension, huh?
You have a way
of raising stress levels, intern.
This tastes great, Dr. Jo.
Here, you should have a little bit.
The reason I bought it was because I
pitied you village idiot.
For real? Well, I had no idea.
Oh, actually, um,
there's a question I'd like to ask you.
In this hospital we have 10 doctors
working in neurosurgery, and if they
say they can't do a craniotomy,
well, we have no shortage of beds here.
Why not hire more doctors who can do one?
It's all about the money.
Do you think there are more patients with
appendicitis or with brain hemorrhages?
Both are cheap to handle,
so why do the harder surgery then?
The more they do, the more they lose.
They focus on the surgeries
that make money.
There are hospitals nearby
who have less than 1000 beds to go around,
but they've got more doctors
capable of treating a brain.
Kindly too, I mean,
you can't help but compare them.
I get it now.
So then that's why you said that.
Of course a solely moneymaking hospital
like the one they're running is bound
to have some major structural issues.
In fact, I'm incredibly good
at sniffing out things.
Oh right, then, if you're so good
at sniffing out things,
then why couldn't you sniff out
this flat tire before we all got stuck?
Because these flat tires smell like shit.
It's terrible.
What are you looking at?
How many doctors can do
a craniotomy clipping in Korea?
Right now, barely over 130 in total, and
most of them in their sixties by now too.
To that end, there aren't many people who
teach it and few people who want to learn.
It's on the verge of going extinct.
All right, but there are cases
where a craniotomy clipping is the only
technique that can resolve the issue.
So what do we do then?
Are you all right?
Hello, miss, are you okay?
Can you get up for me a moment, ma'am?
Just a moment.
Are you okay?
EMT Seo, are you okay? EMT Seo!
In that situation,
you hope one of those 130 brain surgeons
is at the hospital that day.
Hey, over here, over here. Quick,
over here, I need help with this patient.
Could Dr. Hwang get here fast?
It'd take him 40 to 50 minutes.
He's in his hole at the KMA
and the highway's backed up.
And Jang,
his conference ended yesterday, correct?
Uh, he's preoccupied. He's sightseeing.
He took his whole family to Ulsan.
He'll be back as quick as he can.
Family man, Dr. Jang.
Well, isn't that just great?
What the hell, right? This is bad.
It's an SAH caused by an aneurysm rupture.
Why not coiling? It'd be hard.
And even if we did, we'd have to wait.
She's conscious right now.
She's in pain and suffering through
seizures, but she is still conscious.
Well, let's move her.
Under no circumstance.
We have to treat the patient here.
That's the only option.
You've seen yourself, Ms. Lee.
There's nobody here who can operate.
Then we'll hold out
for Drs. Hwang and Jang.
What? Why would we do that?
Another Guseo employee
collapsed this year, and we did nothing.
If she ends up dying in our hospital,
we won't be able to control the situation.
If she waits it out, she'll die too.
I don't know much about medicine,
but I do know that the closest location
that can handle this procedure
that's trained in clipping
and could take on this operation
would be Daeseok Hospital,
50 minutes away.
Wait, what are you saying?
Dr. Nam's at Joonggyeong University,
20 minutes east.
Dr. Nam has opened his own practice.
He quit because things got too tough.
Shit.
Considering the heavy morning traffic,
it'll take an hour to get there,
even in an ambulance.
If she stays or gets sent out,
it'll be the same.
We're running out of time.
We need to get ready to transfer now.
Let Daeseok know
we can't handle this here.
There's a doctor
who can handle the operation.
And who is that?
I would call on Director Bu Seung-gwon.
I've studied a lot of material
about your great skills
and about your past operations.
Please, I beg of you.
I wouldn't throw this on Director Bu.
He's not ready to go into surgery.
Since when do doctors need to get ready
to save someone from dying?
It's just that it's been such a long
while now since I last operated.
Allow me to assist you, please.
You've completed
over 300 craniotomies to date.
Well, first, I'll need to look at the
materials, we don't have any other option.
You're the only one who can do this
within a 30 minute radius of this place
with the skill this operation will take.
Listen up, people.
This patient is going to be transferred.
Get an ambulance ready
and call Daeseok Hospital now.
We can't do that. There's no time.
The surgery has begun.
We told Dr. Jo Won-jin in anesthesiology,
and she opened an OR to begin.
Who the hell's performing
that surgery, Tae-gyeong?
Dr. Gye Su-jeong is operating.
What? What?
Cranniotomy, an aneurysm neck clipping.
We'll now begin surgery.
Based on the information we pulled,
Director,
Dr. Gye Su-jeong's not
board certified in NS.
Dr. X.
Dr. Do, we absolutely cannot allow this.
We need to stop the surgery
right now, Director.
It's not right. They can't shit.
Vitals are stable, Doctor.
Lidocaine.
Blade.
Dandy clip.
Sorry, I'm only calling
to ask you for a favor.
Look, you're gonna have to send
that email out ASAP.
I know I should have something ready.
Well, you know how it is.
Some people just won't buy it, even when
it's right there staring them in the face.
Oh great, I owe you big.
Who gave that woman permission
to perform surgery?
Do you people have no empathy?
Saving sick patients
is what a doctor does.
You're sure she can perform the surgery?
Does she know what she's doing?
Director, is she,
is she doing this correctly?
Yes, and actually
she's executing this perfectly.
Good God.
This is driving me insane.
What the hell? Is she crazy for surgeries?
She doesn't even have
an NS board certification.
Dr. Do, you can't stop the surgery.
The operation has begun.
Hey, what the hell are you doing?
Dr. Gye said before she knows
how to perform this procedure,
she can do this operation.
And how would you know that?
Come on, it's clear as day.
Even I know she can.
So how can none of you?
You've seen her in action already, and now
you're watching her do it right there.
Oh, you little shit, get.
Listen. Whether we transfer her or wait,
it'll be too late for a treatment.
If we face that risk no matter what,
Shouldn't we try our best with a doctor
capable of performing the surgery?
Have you all gone insane?
Do you really think a doctor
who's not NS certified can do this?
Hey, Gye Su
What th hey! Test, test. Hello
What? What's wrong with this shitty thing.
I'm sorry, doctor.
Hey, I'm sorry, give me that, you little.
I'll talk to Dr. Gye myself.
Oh goodness, Director Bu, good morning.
This shows Dr. Gye is NS board
certified as per your standards?
What the
[Dr. Ma] What? Seriously?
[Dr. Do] Director,
you still can't let her do this.
Periosteal elevator.
- [Dr. Do] Reconnect that right now!
- [Dr. Park] I'm sorry, I can't.
- Give it to me! I said give it to me.
- [Dr. Park] Please, I'm sorry.
Doctor Gye needs to focus!
- [Dr. Park] Let Doctor Gye work, damn it!
- [Dr. Do] I'll reconnect it myself!
- [mic screeches]
- Let go, you little nerd. Let go!
[Dr. Bae] What the hell
do you think you're doing?
- Park Tae-gyeong, you're fired.
- What?
We need to be able to talk to the OR.
[clamoring]
[Dr. Do]
We need to stop this surgery, now!
[clamoring continues]
[Dr. Gye] I'll fix it in place.
The fissure, please.
[sighs]
[clamoring stops]
If we don't succeed,
this patient will die in the place she
worked hard to keep clean every day.
There isn't a single place
in this hospital she hasn't touched,
so with that, let's see this through.
Yes, doctor.
I'll now be doing
a burr hole trephination.
I think that Dr. Su-jeong
already knew in advance.
She knew the patient would collapse. Huh?
What are you saying?
She'd been sleeping
in that ER bed since dawn.
I think she was waiting for that patient.
Director,
I don't buy that board certification.
Let's just go down there.
Dr. Park Tae-gyeong, your actions are
gonna massively haunt your career.
Is that understood?
Yes, I was thinking that at first too,
but after seeing the monitor.
I understand what they meant now.
Who is this woman exactly
and why did she come here?
Clip.
- She found the neck that quick, my God.
- That speed.
[chuckles]
Clipping now.
The clipping is successful, doctor.
Bipolar.
Doctor! Dr. Gye Su-jeong!
Doctor.
Is this on?
Hey Dr. Gye, they're making galbijjim
in the cafeteria for lunch today.
I'll save a seat for you, Doctor.
You did an incredible job.
- Good job, everyone.
- [staff] Good job good job, everyone.
[touching music plays]
Could the aneurysm re-rupture
or cause another issue?
The surgery was performed beautifully.
It's truly been years
since I've seen work like this.
Then I suppose as it relates to the
hospital, I would say this is good news.
Yes.
I certainly will agree with that.
Let's head outside and have a talk.
SUGAR SYRUP
I had a KMA meeting.
You should have rushed here
from your conference.
- You were sightseeing.
- I took the day off to rest.
Is that a crime?
You're the one who rushed
to the KMA on a whim.
It was an emergency.
Should I have skipped a meeting?
They're trying to destroy us right now.
- I had to be at that meeting.
- Gentlemen, I'd rather you quiet down.
Is this really
why you asked for this meeting?
Dr. Jo.
I never would have guessed
you'd open an OR to anyone, huh?
Is this reverse discrimination
because she's a woman?
I wouldn't have opened
that OR for you if you were a woman,
she would have died.
- What's that?
- Dr. Jo.
No matter how pressing that surgery was,
we were in the middle of a conference,
What's the point of being at a conference
if patients die
- 'cause we're not here to operate?
- [scoffs]
Wow, I can see the discipline
around here has really gone to hell.
We are not your equals.
Some of us have decades more experience.
Director, what happened
was completely unacceptable.
- They should have waited.
- No, if we'd waited,
the patient would have died.
What?
You all should thank God she was at
a hospital, that she remained conscious,
and that there was an excellent doctor
here who was ready to go to work.
Had she gotten here a year earlier,
then maybe EMTs.
- Sir.
- [clears throat]
Don't play that card.
We've already gone through that.
It was you who posted it.
It was you who leaked
the video to the press.
- [scoffs]
- It makes sense when I look at it now.
You spent years together in the ER,
and by that point you were close comrades.
Deliberately, we let the doctors
out of our investigation.
EMTs and nurses know
there are bigger issues.
They could have leaked, and so we had
to be positive they wouldn't be heard.
- You're right, I was the whistleblower.
- Dr. Kim.
- [sighs]
- I didn't take you for a backstabber.
Do you see the hell
that I've been through?
- Everyone around me was going crazy.
- Director.
You must report Dr. Kim
to the ethics Committee for censure.
Our entire lives were completely
upended by him and his reckless stunt.
Perhaps you should explain.
EMT saw.
He had a one year old daughter
he left behind,
and now with him gone,
that poor girl doesn't have a dad.
Yes, I leaked it to the press.
I couldn't believe what I'd heard.
Doctors ducking accountability and putting
his death on him,
saying that it was just bad luck
or that it was his fate,
or he'd be dead whether or not they tried.
So who cares?
That made my blood run cold.
That's why I chose to upload it.
How dare you talk to Director Bu
with such insubordinance?
I had to upload it cause you
weren't listening,
which is exactly
what you're doing right now.
Because everyone knows coil embolization
won't work when intracranial pressure
is as high as it was.
Even if we performed a craniotomy
on the patient right then and there,
it would've been too late.
You're really saying
the hospital did everything right
and bears no responsibility?
There is no way I will sit here
and pretend that's true.
If we just chalk it up to EMT cell's fate,
nothing will change
and nothing will be learned.
Dr. Kim, are you accusing us
of malpractice?
Are you saying that we bear accountability
for this tragedy?
Are you with your patients
24 hours a day, every day of the year?
It would appear
that's what you're expecting.
Doctors are human too.
[yawning]
Oh.
[scoffs]
- Who called Dr. Gye?
- [Dr. Gye] I'm sleepy.
- Hey, Dr. Gye, we'll deal with you later.
- You should go.
Are you fellows the only humans?
Your patients are also human.
Fella? Did she just call me
Young lady,
you will refer to me as "Doctor".
Okay, so then you're a doctor
who has no real desire to be a doctor?
You're just like any other person
with any other job.
At what point exactly
does your work as a doctor begin?
Ah, only when you're on the clock,
when you're here at the hospital,
mornings, nights.
How dare you, stupid girl.
- You'll be gone in no time.
- Let's watch our language, people.
Dr. Gye, apologize to
these doctors right now!
Yeo Jeong-soon needs us.
She doesn't usually work today,
but she still chose to work.
She was helping another employee
on the cleaning crew
who unexpectedly went
home to deal with a sudden emergency.
She's someone who takes out your trash
while you're home with your families.
Well, it sounds like it was a good thing
she chose to work.
Imagine if she stayed home, huh?
Sounds like she got lucky.
I just can't believe the words I'm
hearing from you about a person, you know.
How about you show just a little concern?
She's lucky she collapsed here
where she can get care.
Wow, that's, so that's the reason
there's still garbage in the can.
She should have at least
asked someone to cover for her.
How irresponsible, Dr. Tom.
What?
What do you think you're doing?
Dr. Gye, are you gonna
keep behaving this way?
- We don't act like that.
- Hey.
You really think you're above the rules?
Medicine is a smaller community
than you think.
You'll be blacklisted
from every hospital in Korea.
Why did you hire this wretch, Ms. Lee?
Mark my words, that operation
was completed incorrectly.
When that rupture happens,
it'll be on your watch.
If not, then I'll hand
my white coat to you, huh?
Yeah, sure, I'll throw mine in too.
Let's hope he's wrong,
and I know he's not. You better be sure.
You're sure she performed
the operation correctly?
Are you willing to risk
a patient's life on it?
Are you sure?
What about a rupture of the aneurysm?
- Are you prepared for complications?
- Dr. Jo,
if we don't open an operating room,
another person will die.
I couldn't possibly open up an OR for
someone who isn't board certified in NS.
But I can be.
What'd you say?
I think you know, I know I can do this.
Dr. Jo, please, we're running out of time.
I'm reporting this to Director Bu.
You said it yourself, Dr. Jo.
In this situation, you would hope
that one of those 130 brain surgeons
is at the hospital that day.
Dr. Jo, one of those 130 doctors
is right here standing in front of us.
Please, Dr. Jo, come on, we're
talking about our hospital's custodian.
Everyone will miss her.
I bet she even cleaned the phone
you're holding this morning.
Park Tae-gyeong. Listen closely.
What's most important is that one
doctor must have properly trained
for the surgery
they're going to undertake.
Does this doctor understand it in theory,
or are they truly ready to handle
an operation that's life or death?
Min-go,
you threatening my career
doesn't scare me at all.
[scoffs]
Polish your resumes.
Wait a second.
Where the hell do you think you're going?
Bitching at me for staying,
bitching at me for leaving.
What does this dude want?
Bitching?
This girl's gone completely mental.
Director.
We need to fire her right now, okay?
Her actions could bring
down the entire hospital.
We need to make sure
she doesn't work in medicine ever again.
Stop.
Aren't you ashamed?
You love taking credit for simple cases,
but when you get a patient who's about to
die, you jump and running for the hills.
Unfettered cowardice. Spineless fools.
- You still haven't gone in?
- No, no.
Their conversation's
taking a while, I guess.
Sorry about earlier.
- Which thing earlier?
- Which thing?
Am I really that mean to you?
- Oh, earlier in the observation gallery.
- No, not that.
I was gonna say sorry about when I
got angry
and I poked you in the chest outside
the OR when we were talking earlier.
- Oh, that thing.
- You know
you got a knack
for getting people really mad.
And I was also in the wrong.
I was being rude, so I'm really sorry.
I just got ahead of myself
and I couldn't accept the fact
that the institution I chose could let
something so horrible slide like that.
Just forget all that.
I, um, Honestly,
I won't say I don't understand.
Uh, but as an intern I'd just
quietly finish a month with us
and then go on your way.
I really don't want to see any more
interns doing a rotation in surgery,
pretending to be doctors
with some great sense of duty
only to go to an
easier department somewhere.
You won't be a surgeon anyway.
Oh, there you are. Why are you alone?
Where's the
- Why are you by yourself?
- Then, what… What the hell am I gonna do?
What kind of doctor should I be?
Can I actually be a doctor?
Tell Park Tae-gyeong or
whatever to come in right now!
This is all because of that damn intern
in the observation gallery.
I guess there's no point in worrying.
I won't live to see it.
I would like to thank you all
for coming today.
It's much appreciated.
I am the new director to be serving
you all here at the GUMC,
Mister Bu Seung-gwon.
In lieu of traditional ceremony,
I decided to hold this press conference
because today marks one year
of the death of EMT So.,
who tragically died on duty
in our ER last year.
Although that tragic event happened a
while ago,
it recently came up that there
was another similar case at our hospital.
A contractor collapsed recently
from a brain aneurysm.
While she was on duty
here at our hospital.
In response, our medical staff did
their best to provide her with treatment.
I would like to propose
an opportunity to say what our
earlier director chose not to bring up.
The death of EMT Seo Jin-yeong
was an event that revealed problems
in our medical community.
Medical fees that are running us dry.
A chronic lack of personnel,
budget shortfalls.
Yes, you heard me right.
All these things are true, however,
those issues aren't the whole story.
Firstly, here we must uphold a certain
trust in each other and our system,
the belief that as long
as you're working at this hospital,
should you ever be injured or fall down,
that you will promptly receive
appropriate medical treatment
regardless of your title.
And after being treated, go back home.
This hospital
has failed to uphold that vow.
As a result of that,
for the very first time,
I would like to
offer a sincere apology to Seo's family,
the people of this country
who we've clearly greatly disappointed.
And our team here.
I will now take your questions.
How interesting.
How interesting. The video… Kim
Seong-jin didn't leak it online.
It was you who did it.
I guess his guilt got to him
where he thought he'd killed him.
I just thought
it was the right thing to do.
You were relentless.
You kept asking me to send you that video.
You swore things would change
when you leaked the truth.
Begged that I trust you.
Well, do you feel
like things are changing?
Ah Let's see how this progresses.
This is just the start.
The newly appointed director's actions
regarding the tragic death of EMT.
Seo Jin-yeong at Guseo University
Medical Center are unusual.
Director Wu Hong Guan bowed his head in
apology
for the mistakes of the previous
director,
stating that he would cooperate
with the bereaved family's appeal.
He also expressed his desire to
meet with Seo Jin-yeong's family.
According to hospital officials,
Director Bu chose to make this statement
in lieu of a ceremony commemorating
the start of his directorship.
All right, so this is the new contract
you've come up with.
Yes, by now, surely you're aware,
Dr. Gye Su-jeong is a highly
exceptional surgeon
as well as a talented
neurovascular specialist,
and she's recently filled a gap in care
at Guoo University Medical Center.
Ah, I've already sent you
a separate invoice for that.
Oh, so you're trying to get
a little extra money.
[chuckles] Now with this case,
didn't she already
prove she's worth the extra money?
- Then are the other terms the same?
- Actually, we have another one.
- What would that entail?
- I will not work in any wing
- that I do not want to be in.
- How dare you? You work on contract.
You work wherever we need you.
You've hit some roadblocks while
dealing with the current administration.
There have been rumblings
of another health workers' strike soon.
If a gap in medical services occurs
or if a major accident were to happen
[chuckles] Oh no, my heart just breaks
over the thought.
Then I wonder who would
be ready to fill that gap.
So, Dr. Gye Su-jeong
will rescue the hospital.
Uh, no, not quite.
Your money will rescue you.
No matter how precarious
this hospital situation is,
it's still a branch of a foundation
that profits billions of won a year.
You could loosen the purse
strings a little, am I right?
Now let me look over the rate
and the terms again.
So first, the terms of employment
in regards to working
- outside of work hours
- Just a moment.
We're ready. You can go ahead.
He's ready to come in.
Gentlemen, what is going on
at this critical juncture?
[knocks on door]
- It's been a while, Director.
- How have you been?
You look quite well. Take a seat.
Ah, why don't you two
introduce yourselves?
- This is
- My name's Na Dae-il
I'll be joining the hospital
as a general surgeon as of today.
Pleasure to meet you.
The contract is on hold for now.
So thoughts on Dr. Na.
He's good, isn't he?
Straighten your
shoulders. You're Gye Su-jeong.
- Call the OR.
- Why would you march into
someone else's OR and cause trouble?
I heard something happened
with Dr. Na Dae-il.
That bastard's hands stink.
Okay, so what are you gonna do
about the surgery?
Wow, relationships are
scary sometimes, huh?
I gotta say, I'm rather curious
to know exactly what lies ahead.
Only looking ahead.
She seemed like a god or a monster.
[flames crackling]
[Dr. Bae] "However, the patient died
two months after surgery."
"The patient's cause of death
remains unknown."
"Upon being asked by a reporter"
whether they would file
a medical malpractice suit,
"the bereaved family declined to comment."
[grunts in pain]
[Dr. Bae] "The name of the surgeon
was never revealed."
"But the alias written on the chart was.
Doctor X."
DOCTOR X: MAFIA IN WHITE
Dr. Gye Su-jeong, are you all right?
Are you all right, Doctor?
[medical machines beeping]
EPISODE 3.
[Director Bu] So then…
What you're saying is
Dr. Gye Su-jeong is Doctor X?
Take a good look at the caption here.
- Hmm?
- "The surgical team."
There's one Asian person
in a white coat here.
Uh, man. Why is it so blurry?
Damn it!
Dr. Bae.
This is basically just a rumor.
You believe this?
Uh, so what we're saying is that
there's an issue
with that surgical technique.
If Dr. Gye followed this
surgical technique as a reference,
then our patient could end up like this
in a couple of months…
Then that's all the more reason
not to let her go.
If something goes wrong,
we need someone to take responsibility.
The primary surgeon here was…
Dr. Do Yun-sik, after all.
[sighs]
The contract doesn't
specify any department.
Oh, well maybe, um…
Let's get Dr. Gye Su-jeong in here.
Well, uh, the thing is…
she actually hasn't come in just yet.
[huffing] My goodness.
[friend] Good morning, Ms. Jang,
we're here.
- [friend 2 greeting in Spanish]
- [line ringing]
[friend 1 chuckles]
You're greeting her in Spanish?
- Come on!
- [friend 2 greeting in Japanese]
- Oh, look at you go, huh? Any more?
- [greeting in Italian]
I'm memorizing morning greetings from
around the world to help prevent dementia.
- I guess that makes sense.
- Move! Move!
- I need to go out.
- [friend 1] Huh? Why?
Apparently, our girl Su-jeong
chose to play hookayy today.
- And she's not picking up either.
- [friend 1] Huh?
Must be resting then.
She's always at work or here.
Ms. Jang would know.
We should go and help look.
Hold on a minute.
Where have you been all day?
What have you been doing?
I heard you're not at work yet?
Jo Won-jin? Who's Jo Won-jin?
Why are you?
Why do you have Su-jeong's… Oh, my God!
Dr. Jo Won-jin!
Oh, yeah. Yes, I know who you are.
You're the anesthes…
You're saying Dr. Gye is in the hospital?
So then she did go in to work.
[Dr. Jo] Thank goodness it wasn't worse.
Yeah, we were also able to give her
a transfusion right away.
[Dr. Park] Dr. Gye!
Dr. Gye are you
I'm sorry for intruding.
Did he not understand
what I said to him before or what?
What? Is that kid a doctor?
He's an intern, but honestly,
he seems more like the village idiot.
[Dr. Jo] Dr. Park Tae-gyeong.
Huh? Oh! Dr. Jo.
Please! Save Dr. Gye.
Please, Dr. Jo! Please!
Please save her. Please save her, Doctor.
Dr. Park, don't shake
I don't think you understood
what I told you over the phone earlier.
I get it completely.
I heard what you said.
I can give her a transfusion.
I've got healthy blood and I'm consenting.
You certainly misunderstood.
The future of Korean medicine
is right here.
Yeah, the doctor's in that bed.
She's just laying over there.
- For real?
- Yeah. Um…
Hey, hey. [Sighs]
[gasps] Dr. Gye.
Doctor, are you okay?
It's me, Tae-gyeong.
Oh! What do we do? Oh, God!
We need a blood transfusion, Dr. Kim.
You have to save her.
Dr. Kim, please, you have to. Please!
- You have to save Dr. Gye. You have to!
- Hey! Hey!
Hey! Hey! If anyone needs to be saved
it's me, you punk!
- [Dr. Park] Oh, no.
- Where's he working?
Not anesthesiology. So we get that solace.
You can't go now, don't go!
Get it together, you're acting insane.
Can you stop him, or he'll do CPR.
What are you doing, Doctor? Huh?
And how did you even
get this intern gig, honestly?
[nurse 1] Hello, Director.
Ugh, here we go again.
1 HOUR AGO.
Clear the way!
Is the blood ready yet?
Uh, not yet. We've been
short on blood recently.
- Blood type?
- AB.
Any match here? Oh, shit. Okay.
- Go find somebody with AB blood! Hurry up.
- I'm type AB.
I'll take her, Doctor.
[grunts] She has a couple of abrasions
and she cried herself to sleep
'cause she was scared.
- Okay, got it.
- Doctor, you're bleeding right now too.
Oh, this blood isn't mine.
All right, let's do it.
- Hurry, prepare for a transfusion.
- Yes, Doctor. On it.
Dr. Gye, wait. Have you eaten today?
Plenty.
What are you waiting on?
Right now, we're losing blood faster
than we're losing time here.
Uh, there's just no way that
she said something that cool.
Just by her face,
it really doesn't look like it.
- [Dr. Gye snoring]
- Hold on. Is she really snoring right now?
Or is it just me who's hearing that?
Sometimes, I think
[snoring continues]
Hmm…
When Dr. Gye talks normally,
I find it gives me this
sort of a strange vibe.
I know what you're saying, Doctor.
You picked up on it as well?
That's the same thing I noticed too.
What are you saying?
Just stay quiet.
Cut it out, all of you. Why are you
acting this way with a patient in the bed?
But "patient," you said?
She's down for a nap in the ER and
you're gonna refer to her as a patient?
Anyone lying in an ER bed is a patient,
and my responsibility.
And we also have other patients here, too.
She was on the scene of an accident,
assisted with the rescue,
and donated blood as well.
Yeah, so Dr. Gye is pretty amazing,
right, Dr, Jo?
It looks like her amazingness
is clearly exhausting.
What the heck. This is embarrassing.
I don't get why no one
is praising Dr. Gye.
She went above and beyond
to do her duty as a doctor.
You should all ponder that
as I head over to the operating room.
[sighs heavily] Duty equals money to her.
That's her only concern.
- I wonder what she'll charge us for this.
- Hmm.
Has the accident been resolved, Doctor?
Yes. And there were no fatalities either,
thank God.
With the person who got
the blood transfusion aside,
no one was seriously hurt,
even though the accident was pretty bad.
Well, good job handling it.
Director, we'd better go soon.
It's almost time for the conference.
Wait, you're already going?
Really, just like that?
Ah, so you came all this way
just to check on a member of your staff.
What are you saying?
It's just, it seems like a century
since you all last came by.
Now you're here with
the new hospital director at your side
to come and grace us with his presence.
I suppose I was hoping for something more,
but no, you're just gonna leave?
I'm sensing some sarcasm there,
Dr. Seong-jin.
I'm just a bit on edge
'cause I haven't slept in two days.
And yes, that was sarcasm.
You're far from the only one struggling.
I hardly got home last night as well.
Naturally, almost all cases
should get handled in Emergency.
Or is that not what
Emergency actually does here?
Ah!
I see, so the ER is here to treat
the patients that aren't worth your time.
That's how you see Emergency?
So that's why no one was around back then?
What are you talking about?
That's exactly what you're saying, Doctor.
That we couldn't handle
that case back then,
- and that's why Seo Jin-yeo
- Quiet.
- Let's take care of the ER's request now.
- Yes, Director.
This is a hospital,
we never have enough doctors.
But for your sake,
to give you a hand in the ER,
I'll send another doctor temporarily.
What? Just like that?
When are they starting?
She's right here as we speak.
What?
So that snoring lady
[quirky music plays]
Good luck, Doctor.
[mouthing] No. Go away.
What specialty are you?
None. I'm an intern.
But I was just been assigned
to accompany Dr. Gye for now.
Really?
At around 8:20 a.m. this morning
a school bus and a one-ton truck
look, the news is on.
…collided at Dodam Intersection
in Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do.
Five people were seriously injured,
but there were no fatalities.
Hey, so, Su-jeong isn't going to get
scolded again today, is she?
No, I doubt she'll get scolded.
- She only did what a doctor should.
- Now, our next story,
on Guseo University Medical Center,
and EMT Seo Jin-yeong,
who tragically died a year ago
as he worked his ER shift at the hospital.
The bereaved family has been
pursuing legal action
to hold the hospital accountable,
and the court issued its ruling today.
In the first trial, the court had ruled
GUMC's favor.
The hospital reiterated
it did everything possible
to save Mr. Seo Jin-yeong.
While the bereaved family feels that
the process was handled poorly,
the hospital emphasized this result
was due to Seo's medical condition,
and not the manner in which
the hospital responded.
Well, Director?
Look, the hospital won the case.
Isn't that what matters?
Seo Jin-yeong's side has just appealed it.
[Director Bu] Of course, they did.
Director, it's true that Kim Myeong-seop
was in charge when this happened.
We're seeing a downturn in public opinion
now that we've won this case.
- We need to find a way to handle
- [knocks on door]
[cleaner] Excuse me.
I didn't have a chance
to throw anything out today.
- I see.
- Um.
Ah, thank you.
Thank you so much, Director.
Even though all this is going on,
everyone's taking time to go
on business trips, or to seminars.
And now this med school quota
is in the conversation again…
Should people bring up
going on strike again, know this
I'll form a picket line first.
You see that we have a staffing issue,
yet you're all constantly
abandoning your duties.
Which is why we're not able
to fire Doctor Gye, all right?
Let's just stop this.
SUCCESS OR FAILURE…
Where did you even find someone like her?
The hospital's been in a tizzy
over the last few days.
And it's all because of her.
Uh, Dr. Kim.
Doctor Gye Su-jeong
really isn't as difficult
as all the rumors make her out to be.
And is she my superior or my subordinate?
What? Uh, I don't know.
The distinction matters.
Because I don't get it…
is she like a colleague, or like a pupil?
Uh, well I barely know about her either,
but from what I hear…
It sounds like she's kinda both.
Okay… so she's a troublemaker.
You have any food?
Dr. Gye, are you okay?
Here, I got your lab coat.
Hold on. How long
have you been awake?
- A while now.
- What? What'd you hear?
"Who's that? Is he a doctor too?"
"He's an intern, but honestly,
he seems more like the village idiot."
You've been awake the whole time.
- Hold on, were they talking about me?
- Why'd you just lay there?
- Do I seem like a village idiot?
- 'Cause I was still tired.
No, but why?
"Village idiot. Smiling Bitch."
Those goddamn surgeons.
Dr. Jo Won-jin is "Smiling Bitch"?
Tell me more.
Will you tell me which wing
you'll be on for your next rotation?
But why, Doctor Kim?
Oh
Uh, I'm not so sure
the ER is right for me.
You'll be happier. I think you'll
find your strengths lie elsewhere.
It may be possible
to wake someone who's actually asleep,
but it's difficult to wake someone
who's just pretending to be asleep.
And it's even harder to teach someone
who pretends to know everything.
In that case, the ideal student
would be someone with an empty head,
like the one on that guy.
She's passing you off,
why'd she have to make a parable?
I didn't believe all the rumors initially,
but they seem…
The rumors are all true.
You have a knack for whispering
loud enough for everyone to hear.
Loud whispers are good, you
lower blood pressure that way.
You mean it? I'll have
to let the patients know.
From what I've heard today,
you should give whispering a shot.
Always yelling at people
is bad for your health.
It's a pleasure. Kim Seong-jin.
My name's Gye Su-jeong.
Park Tae-gyeong is my name.
on Guseo University Medical Center,
and EMT Seo Jin-yeong,
- who tragically died…
- Hello, Dr. Bae.
- People.
- Hello, Dr. Bae.
All right, you guys, don't sweat it,
you can keep watching.
No need to act all super-secret.
C'mon, you can put it on.
With the allegations,
and the investigation…
You've really been going through a lot,
but you've made it through one hurdle.
Well that, I don't know…
They'll appeal it soon.
Dr. Kim Seong-jin really hasn't
changed at all, has he?
You don't think he'll side against us
in the case, do you?
I don't see any reason he would.
I mean, just being caught
in-between like he is,
in his perspective, I'm sure it's
totally been gnawing away at the guy.
[knocks on door]
Hey, why aren't you checking
your texts? What's going on?
Hey. This isn't gonna do.
I can't open up an OR right now.
Why not? We have to
get the surgery done now.
I can't, no way. Let's
reevaluate the patient.
- Hello.
- Hey.
Oh, hey, uh…
sorry about earlier this morning.
And thank you for calling me, too.
Why are you alone?
Dr. Gye Su-jeong's working
in the emergency room right now.
What? On whose orders?
Is stationing just a joke to you?
What the hell is going on?
Director Bu sent her there temporarily,
because the ER needed a hand.
How is a surgeon in the ER
good for General Surgery?
Let's see, our wondrous new intern.
You came to get your stuff, right?
Here. Why don't we get going?
Have a nice day, Dr. Jo.
Even kids get punished when they
bully someone. What're you thinking?
Why're you trying to meddle
all of a sudden?
Go back and get me in that OR.
Who's accountable
if they die on the table, huh?
I don't allow high-risk operations,
you know that.
Find someone else.
Then how else can I get an OR?
I'm a busy man,
but for the future of Korean medicine,
I'll give you two minutes
of one-on-one time.
Dr. Kim Seong-jin talked about
an EMT named Seo this morning.
Is he the person on the news
who died of a subarachnoid hemorrhage
while working at the hospital last year?
Mm-hmm. What else?
I heard the doctors who could do
a craniotomy weren't here,
so is that why he died?
You're partially right, but mostly wrong.
Then, would Dr. Kim Seong-jin or Dr. Bae…
As they're the ones who did
the coil embolization, be
ENDOVASCULAR COILING: A TREATMEN
THAT DOESN'T REQUIRE CRANIOTOMY.
No. They both did all that they could.
In fact, Dr. Kim Seong-jin wasn't even
on call that day.
On his way out, after an all-nighter,
he found EMT Seo Jin-yeong unconscious.
He was slumped over the ER desk,
- so everyone thought he was sleeping.
- EMT Seo?
The ER was slammed earlier that morning
because of a major car accident.
Over here! I need help over here!
Seo! Seo, wake up, buddy! Can you hear me?
- Hurry up. Keep moving!
- Come on.
Dr. Bae, let's get going.
This man needs your help,
or are we gonna let him die
while the both of us just stand here?
This place has ten neurosurgeons,
are you saying none of 'em
can treat a brain hemorrhage?
He has an excessive amount
of intracranial pressure.
And with the location of the aneurysm,
clipping is the answer,
- though by now…
- Then let's page somebody right now.
The doctors who can do
the procedure aren't here.
How are they both not
Forget those two, Dr. Bae Heung-gon…
You and I should do
a coil emboilization first.
We have no time to lose.
I'll find a place to transfer him.
- I get it, but…
- Hey, Bae Heung-gon!
Listen, I'm begging, do the right thing.
EMT Seo has worked here for ten years.
He's here at this hospital every day,
he least we can do is try our best
I think that is the
least we can do, isn't it?
ANGIOGRAPHY SUITE 3
There's no way. It's too far in there.
A coil embolization wouldn't do anything.
- Call the attendings one more
- One is in Naju for a funeral,
the other's in Germany for training.
Then I'll transfer him as fast as I can.
Dr. Nam said they'd be able to treat him
at Junggyeong. Thanks.
His intracranial pressure is too high!
There's nothing we can do!
They transferred him to Junggyeong
University Hospital, but he died anyway.
His intracranial pressure was too high,
so even if they had tried the procedure,
the chances of it succeeding
weren't high at all.
That's the one part you got wrong,
and the crux of the lawsuit.
Now, I gotta head in there.
When you say the chances were
low that the surgery would work…
What's your rationale?
That he was destined to die
no matter what they tried on him?
Basically, it's the patient's fault?
Is that it?
That isn't the type of
thing a doctor should be saying.
Then, what am I supposed to say?
"Sorry, I couldn't save the patient.
"Please, haul me to prison,
so sorry about that." That what you want?
Doctors have our limits, we're only human.
Had there been one other doctor
who could do a craniotomy clipping,
I would've taken every chance
on that possibility
Hippocrates really got to you, huh?
Years ago, if a doctor did that surgery,
people would go,
"wow, he's got God's hands, doesn't he?"
Going four hours at least, bent over,
staring through a tiny little microscope,
and poking around a patient's bloody brain.
Fine, let's say you muscle through it all,
and the surgery is a success
Know what the shitty part really is?
That clip could slip off at any time.
If the aneurysm ruptures,
the patient's either dead,
or disabled for life. Who takes the blame?
Do you know how many medical lawsuits
come from this surgery?
And those clips are pricy to get.
You know the reimbursement rate
on a six person surgery
barely covers the overhead. Get it?
The next time you wanna tell me
what a doctor's supposed to say,
learn how to do a craniotomy first.
You do those.
I'm going to learn coiling from Dr. Bae.
It comes with lower risk, takes less staff
because it's non-surgical,
and there's actual money in doing it.
That's where I draw my line.
Stick to what I know I can handle.
So, am I not a doctor because of that?
What do you think?
Huh? Huh?
Mister Eung-go said if you hit someone,
and you aim for that pressure point,
like I just did,
then they'll either die,
or end up disabled for life.
"When cerebral aneurysms rupture.
One patient out of three
will die instantly.
One in three will die
on the way to the hospital.
Only that remaining one in three patients
"can actually get to a hospital
in time for a surgery."
You had a patient who was lucky enough
to have been in that last one-third,
and beyond that,
he was in the hospital already.
That chance doesn't factor into
how you see it?
I guess you don't care
if a patient dies on the table
'cause you threw 'em into surgery
based on that chance.
Dr. Ma, what are you doing here?
Get ready and get inside.
Didn't you wanna get certified
in GS and NS like Dr. Bae?
Do you expect another residency like this?
[Dr. Gye]
To be frank, at your skill level…
You'd probably get sued
even just doing non-surgical things.
Better go in and get
some more practice in.
Get in there, resident.
Dr. Gye Su-jeong.
I feel like I'm forever putting out fires
that you've started.
But please correct me if I'm wrong here.
No, that's certainly true. However,
I didn't start this particular fire.
Uh, I actually started it. This is on me.
I crossed the line
and spoke out of turn with Dr. Ma.
I sincerely apologize.
Don't annoy anyone going into my OR
within 30 minutes before the operation.
It's distracting.
- We're 31 minutes and 20 seconds out.
- God, I swear…
Dr. Gye, don't.
It's bad enough, let's just stay quiet.
They shouldn't let you two
work together, seriously. Ugh.
You could've observed the surgery,
but because of me…
You weren't the reason I didn't.
Someone called me and
asked to get together.
When someone calls to meet up suddenly,
you actually do? That's surprising.
I brought you this.
They give you these when you donate blood.
Wish I could donate every morning.
Don't you dare do it every day,
don't you dare!
What, do you wanna let 'em take
your spinal fluid while you're at it, too?
Wait, what are you doing? Who are you?
That's Ms. Jang.
The Ms. Jang?
Wait, you mean that lady?
- The one who has you doing free work?
- What are you saying?
I donated blood, I worked all day long…
I'm brutally exhausted.
So, Miss Jang, cook me
something good when we get home.
If you could just mind your business,
they would handle it.
I've been telling you
to lay low, haven't I?
Hey, Dr. Gye was
incredible in surgery today.
But she shouldn't be incredible, she
You should feel things out more,
do a big surgery, then another,
and focus on making money.
Why are you working
down in Emergency? Huh?
Then you can't do more surgeries.
I can't make money.
Just lay low until you get back
to the GS depar…
Oh, my goodness!
Oh, Doctor… I'm so sorry! I can't believe
I was so rude in front of you, Doctor.
- Oh, I'm so sorry, my goodness!
- Oh, don't worry, it's fine.
I'm just an intern, ma'am.
My name is Park Tae-gyeong.
Oh, okay… Ah, well then, hello!
Now, where were we?
I'm Director of the first
doctor-for-hire agency in Korea.
Jang Hui-suk, nice to meet you.
You might say that I'm essentially
Dr. Gye Su-jeong's agent.
Since you might be a client or employee
that may come to work with us one day,
please take this, Dr. Park Tae-gyeong.
DIRECTOR JANG HUI-SUK
That sounds great, but right now,
I'm just an intern, not a doctor.
Oh no, enough with that
Of course you are!
With all you've studied,
and the devotion you've put into it.
Ah, I'm horribly thirsty.
Here, can you grab some drinks, Su-jeong?
One for the doctor, and one for me.
- Oh no, I can go do that, allow me.
- Oh, no, no, no way.
Sit down, Doctor. Su-jeong.
Just by looking at your face, Doctor,
I can tell
that there are other great doctors
in your family, aren't there?
Oh, how did you know?
Hello, Miss. Excuse me, Miss.
Oh, you need something?
Yes, sorry, uh… I was
wondering if you have an extra tissue?
Yes, sure, I have a moist wipe,
not for sticky stuff though,
it'll make a mess. Here, use this.
There you go.
Whoa… you're right. Thank you very much.
I don't believe you and I met.
Which wing are you?
I work here and there.
I'm more like a contractor.
In that category.
I also work on contract, as a cleaner.
So, I also work all over.
Oh… That'd make you my senior.
Ah, gosh, no, I'm no senior.
Have a good one.
[groans]
Miss, are you doing alright?
Ah, I'm sorry.
Just a headache, that's all.
Is this the first time it's bothered you?
You know how it can be.
It's true there's a different pain
every day when you're old.
Ah, no. Don't [chuckles]
Okay, well… thank you for
the drink, have a good day.
I think a part of Dr. Kim Seong-jin
believes the whole thing was his fault,
which is why he's taking it so hard.
When it got out,
the security footage caused quite a stir.
EMT Seo there, slumped over that desk
in the ER, just laying there all alone.
I saw that too. It really makes you think,
Is there anyone in this place
that would notice it at all
if I were the one laying there,
slumped over?
- That's why everyone was so upset.
- Yes.
How does a video like that
get released to the public?
Uhm… well, I think
someone leaked the video.
Oh, wow…
And so, the hospital administrators
called in all the nurses and EMTs
to come and answer questions
about what happened,
and they never really figured out
who the leak was.
Ahh… except, the doctors
weren't interviewed?
Well, they never found out
who really did it,
but protests were organized
by the Union of Korean Health
and Medical Workers.
Goodness, that must
have traumatized everyone.
Oh, my. I can't believe I'm using
such a fancy word
in front of you, Doctor, I'm sorry.
Come on…
Are you gonna drink that or not?
Remember the words of the son
of a great director who started with
a plastic surgery clinic in Busan,
and grew it into
the biggest medical center of the region.
Her grip slipped off both objects,
the can and the wet wipe…
I gotta say,
I really like this time of day.
We quietly collect everything
that happened on our shifts,
writing up a document,
letting our coworkers know about it,
and then we get ready to go.
- Who's going?
- Dr. Gye.
If you've got any big questions,
right now'd be the moment to ask.
It's nearly time.
So, how did you know
that her chest pain was really just
acid reflux caused by GERD?
Ms. Ha Mi-ju, 61 years old.
Now, I see here that she's complaining
of severe chest pain,
however her test results
are completely normal.
You presented with the same symptoms
once before, in the early morning?
She wakes from the pain.
It's especially bad at night.
I see, then Miss Ha, let me
have another listen to your chest.
I've got a question for you.
Have you eaten anything today?
No.
Miss Ha, forgive me,
but do you regularly drink coffee,
and eat foods with a lot of grease?
Yes.
I'm gonna press your abdomen for a moment.
Slowly. Okay, and
- Does that hurt here?
- Yes, it hurts.
The ambiguous placement of her hand,
and the area where she swept her hand
when she gestured as well.
What an amazing description.
Could I put that in the chart, you think?
Yeah, you can write as you'd like.
I spent years in a place
where I didn't know the language,
so I had no choice but to focus
on the patient's attitude and behavior.
But why did the patient choose
that way to describe it to you?
That's how it goes
with patients sometimes.
That's why doctors need
to ask the right questions.
Like today, my head was all over
the place, so I missed a few things.
It's extremely rare
that a patient is in pain
and capable of articulating it.
You're right on that.
I'm used to doctors saying don't interfere
with care or I didn't ask for criticism
and reacting all offended.
Well, I got to say your self-awareness
is really refreshing.
Okay, on that note, why don't we all grab
some late-night snacks together.
Have a good night.
Wait, you're going home?
Seriously, Dr. Park, is she seriously
going back home now this early?
Yeah.
Uh, lock in Tae-gyeong.
Oh gross. Now it's all lukewarm.
Dr. Gye, are you okay?
Here, I've got your lab coat.
Hold on. How long have you been awake?
Her name was all smudged.
Uh.
I ought to make her a new one.
Just judging by what I've seen of Dr. Gye.
The day she gets a lab coat
with her name embroidered
Okay, well, I should give her
some extras just in case.
You skipped dinner again, didn't you?
Thank you.
So I've been listening to the EMTs that
are in charge of getting patients here.
They're always saying to each other,
on the first floor at Guseo in Kyungi,
no one gets turned away.
They put a good doctor there
who cares a whole lot.
I guess I'm saying stop getting angry
and saying you'll quit soon.
You'll be all right. Just hang in there.
So that my kid can come visit her dad
at work, meet a good doctor like you,
and say she wants to be a doctor too.
Go on, eat, it'll get mushy.
Hello ma'am, how are you doing?
Seo Jin-yeong and I
used to work at the same hospital.
We're seeing the same thing, right?
We're not just both imagining it?
Yep, and we're looking
at the same thing we saw yesterday.
Hi, uh, Dr. Gye.
Dr. Gye Su-jeong, are you pretending to be
asleep again, or are you actually asleep?
No, I think she's really asleep.
Wait, why is she sleeping here,
not the on-call room like the rest of us?
I don't get it.
Didn't she leave right at 6 yesterday?
Yeah.
Dr. Gye, come on. Dr. Gye, Dr. Gye.
Good morning. Did you sleep all right?
Oh, man,
these firm hospital beds are perfect.
I slept like a rock.
Are you actually being serious right now?
Do we need this bed for anything?
This is for patients
to receive treatment or to wait
until we can tend to their care.
Okay?
Just be glad we didn't have a rush,
an emergency.
So no patients are here who need it.
No, but that wasn't my
Did you not go home yesterday?
Yeah, and then today I came in early. Oh.
What are you waiting on someone?
Ah, so I still don't have to clock in yet.
Well then I suppose
What
Oh, hello, Dr. Jo.
You pull an all-nighter. Pick something.
Uh, no thanks, I'm all right,
not really too hungry.
Shopping for groceries.
Oh well, I'm more awake now.
Been talking at all to Dr. Ma recently?
Nope, not at all.
Did the surgery that day go all right?
Well, Bae's a good teacher,
so he just did as he said.
Oh, I'm glad.
I was scared he might have struggled
keeping focus because of me.
Well, his temper's not the greatest,
but he does his job.
So out of the interns,
you're the outsider.
Outsider?
No, no, I'm not an outsider.
I've got friends.
Oh yeah, who?
Well, I went to high school with them.
Oh, you know what it's like.
The interns are pretty busy here.
Well, actually,
the interns in our department
go to social gatherings and eat together.
Oh, that's good for them.
I just want to focus
on studying for a specialty.
[coughing]
That's what happens when you lie.
That why you're worried about Dr. Gye,
because she's also an outsider?
What? No, I don't think either one of us
are really outsiders.
You can't do a surgery single-handed.
You need others to rely on.
You need to know how to work
and get along with others.
There's a time to pause your emotions
and smile despite how pissed you are.
Mm, I know that technique,
a smiling bitch.
How'd you know I had hypotension, huh?
You have a way
of raising stress levels, intern.
This tastes great, Dr. Jo.
Here, you should have a little bit.
The reason I bought it was because I
pitied you village idiot.
For real? Well, I had no idea.
Oh, actually, um,
there's a question I'd like to ask you.
In this hospital we have 10 doctors
working in neurosurgery, and if they
say they can't do a craniotomy,
well, we have no shortage of beds here.
Why not hire more doctors who can do one?
It's all about the money.
Do you think there are more patients with
appendicitis or with brain hemorrhages?
Both are cheap to handle,
so why do the harder surgery then?
The more they do, the more they lose.
They focus on the surgeries
that make money.
There are hospitals nearby
who have less than 1000 beds to go around,
but they've got more doctors
capable of treating a brain.
Kindly too, I mean,
you can't help but compare them.
I get it now.
So then that's why you said that.
Of course a solely moneymaking hospital
like the one they're running is bound
to have some major structural issues.
In fact, I'm incredibly good
at sniffing out things.
Oh right, then, if you're so good
at sniffing out things,
then why couldn't you sniff out
this flat tire before we all got stuck?
Because these flat tires smell like shit.
It's terrible.
What are you looking at?
How many doctors can do
a craniotomy clipping in Korea?
Right now, barely over 130 in total, and
most of them in their sixties by now too.
To that end, there aren't many people who
teach it and few people who want to learn.
It's on the verge of going extinct.
All right, but there are cases
where a craniotomy clipping is the only
technique that can resolve the issue.
So what do we do then?
Are you all right?
Hello, miss, are you okay?
Can you get up for me a moment, ma'am?
Just a moment.
Are you okay?
EMT Seo, are you okay? EMT Seo!
In that situation,
you hope one of those 130 brain surgeons
is at the hospital that day.
Hey, over here, over here. Quick,
over here, I need help with this patient.
Could Dr. Hwang get here fast?
It'd take him 40 to 50 minutes.
He's in his hole at the KMA
and the highway's backed up.
And Jang,
his conference ended yesterday, correct?
Uh, he's preoccupied. He's sightseeing.
He took his whole family to Ulsan.
He'll be back as quick as he can.
Family man, Dr. Jang.
Well, isn't that just great?
What the hell, right? This is bad.
It's an SAH caused by an aneurysm rupture.
Why not coiling? It'd be hard.
And even if we did, we'd have to wait.
She's conscious right now.
She's in pain and suffering through
seizures, but she is still conscious.
Well, let's move her.
Under no circumstance.
We have to treat the patient here.
That's the only option.
You've seen yourself, Ms. Lee.
There's nobody here who can operate.
Then we'll hold out
for Drs. Hwang and Jang.
What? Why would we do that?
Another Guseo employee
collapsed this year, and we did nothing.
If she ends up dying in our hospital,
we won't be able to control the situation.
If she waits it out, she'll die too.
I don't know much about medicine,
but I do know that the closest location
that can handle this procedure
that's trained in clipping
and could take on this operation
would be Daeseok Hospital,
50 minutes away.
Wait, what are you saying?
Dr. Nam's at Joonggyeong University,
20 minutes east.
Dr. Nam has opened his own practice.
He quit because things got too tough.
Shit.
Considering the heavy morning traffic,
it'll take an hour to get there,
even in an ambulance.
If she stays or gets sent out,
it'll be the same.
We're running out of time.
We need to get ready to transfer now.
Let Daeseok know
we can't handle this here.
There's a doctor
who can handle the operation.
And who is that?
I would call on Director Bu Seung-gwon.
I've studied a lot of material
about your great skills
and about your past operations.
Please, I beg of you.
I wouldn't throw this on Director Bu.
He's not ready to go into surgery.
Since when do doctors need to get ready
to save someone from dying?
It's just that it's been such a long
while now since I last operated.
Allow me to assist you, please.
You've completed
over 300 craniotomies to date.
Well, first, I'll need to look at the
materials, we don't have any other option.
You're the only one who can do this
within a 30 minute radius of this place
with the skill this operation will take.
Listen up, people.
This patient is going to be transferred.
Get an ambulance ready
and call Daeseok Hospital now.
We can't do that. There's no time.
The surgery has begun.
We told Dr. Jo Won-jin in anesthesiology,
and she opened an OR to begin.
Who the hell's performing
that surgery, Tae-gyeong?
Dr. Gye Su-jeong is operating.
What? What?
Cranniotomy, an aneurysm neck clipping.
We'll now begin surgery.
Based on the information we pulled,
Director,
Dr. Gye Su-jeong's not
board certified in NS.
Dr. X.
Dr. Do, we absolutely cannot allow this.
We need to stop the surgery
right now, Director.
It's not right. They can't shit.
Vitals are stable, Doctor.
Lidocaine.
Blade.
Dandy clip.
Sorry, I'm only calling
to ask you for a favor.
Look, you're gonna have to send
that email out ASAP.
I know I should have something ready.
Well, you know how it is.
Some people just won't buy it, even when
it's right there staring them in the face.
Oh great, I owe you big.
Who gave that woman permission
to perform surgery?
Do you people have no empathy?
Saving sick patients
is what a doctor does.
You're sure she can perform the surgery?
Does she know what she's doing?
Director, is she,
is she doing this correctly?
Yes, and actually
she's executing this perfectly.
Good God.
This is driving me insane.
What the hell? Is she crazy for surgeries?
She doesn't even have
an NS board certification.
Dr. Do, you can't stop the surgery.
The operation has begun.
Hey, what the hell are you doing?
Dr. Gye said before she knows
how to perform this procedure,
she can do this operation.
And how would you know that?
Come on, it's clear as day.
Even I know she can.
So how can none of you?
You've seen her in action already, and now
you're watching her do it right there.
Oh, you little shit, get.
Listen. Whether we transfer her or wait,
it'll be too late for a treatment.
If we face that risk no matter what,
Shouldn't we try our best with a doctor
capable of performing the surgery?
Have you all gone insane?
Do you really think a doctor
who's not NS certified can do this?
Hey, Gye Su
What th hey! Test, test. Hello
What? What's wrong with this shitty thing.
I'm sorry, doctor.
Hey, I'm sorry, give me that, you little.
I'll talk to Dr. Gye myself.
Oh goodness, Director Bu, good morning.
This shows Dr. Gye is NS board
certified as per your standards?
What the
[Dr. Ma] What? Seriously?
[Dr. Do] Director,
you still can't let her do this.
Periosteal elevator.
- [Dr. Do] Reconnect that right now!
- [Dr. Park] I'm sorry, I can't.
- Give it to me! I said give it to me.
- [Dr. Park] Please, I'm sorry.
Doctor Gye needs to focus!
- [Dr. Park] Let Doctor Gye work, damn it!
- [Dr. Do] I'll reconnect it myself!
- [mic screeches]
- Let go, you little nerd. Let go!
[Dr. Bae] What the hell
do you think you're doing?
- Park Tae-gyeong, you're fired.
- What?
We need to be able to talk to the OR.
[clamoring]
[Dr. Do]
We need to stop this surgery, now!
[clamoring continues]
[Dr. Gye] I'll fix it in place.
The fissure, please.
[sighs]
[clamoring stops]
If we don't succeed,
this patient will die in the place she
worked hard to keep clean every day.
There isn't a single place
in this hospital she hasn't touched,
so with that, let's see this through.
Yes, doctor.
I'll now be doing
a burr hole trephination.
I think that Dr. Su-jeong
already knew in advance.
She knew the patient would collapse. Huh?
What are you saying?
She'd been sleeping
in that ER bed since dawn.
I think she was waiting for that patient.
Director,
I don't buy that board certification.
Let's just go down there.
Dr. Park Tae-gyeong, your actions are
gonna massively haunt your career.
Is that understood?
Yes, I was thinking that at first too,
but after seeing the monitor.
I understand what they meant now.
Who is this woman exactly
and why did she come here?
Clip.
- She found the neck that quick, my God.
- That speed.
[chuckles]
Clipping now.
The clipping is successful, doctor.
Bipolar.
Doctor! Dr. Gye Su-jeong!
Doctor.
Is this on?
Hey Dr. Gye, they're making galbijjim
in the cafeteria for lunch today.
I'll save a seat for you, Doctor.
You did an incredible job.
- Good job, everyone.
- [staff] Good job good job, everyone.
[touching music plays]
Could the aneurysm re-rupture
or cause another issue?
The surgery was performed beautifully.
It's truly been years
since I've seen work like this.
Then I suppose as it relates to the
hospital, I would say this is good news.
Yes.
I certainly will agree with that.
Let's head outside and have a talk.
SUGAR SYRUP
I had a KMA meeting.
You should have rushed here
from your conference.
- You were sightseeing.
- I took the day off to rest.
Is that a crime?
You're the one who rushed
to the KMA on a whim.
It was an emergency.
Should I have skipped a meeting?
They're trying to destroy us right now.
- I had to be at that meeting.
- Gentlemen, I'd rather you quiet down.
Is this really
why you asked for this meeting?
Dr. Jo.
I never would have guessed
you'd open an OR to anyone, huh?
Is this reverse discrimination
because she's a woman?
I wouldn't have opened
that OR for you if you were a woman,
she would have died.
- What's that?
- Dr. Jo.
No matter how pressing that surgery was,
we were in the middle of a conference,
What's the point of being at a conference
if patients die
- 'cause we're not here to operate?
- [scoffs]
Wow, I can see the discipline
around here has really gone to hell.
We are not your equals.
Some of us have decades more experience.
Director, what happened
was completely unacceptable.
- They should have waited.
- No, if we'd waited,
the patient would have died.
What?
You all should thank God she was at
a hospital, that she remained conscious,
and that there was an excellent doctor
here who was ready to go to work.
Had she gotten here a year earlier,
then maybe EMTs.
- Sir.
- [clears throat]
Don't play that card.
We've already gone through that.
It was you who posted it.
It was you who leaked
the video to the press.
- [scoffs]
- It makes sense when I look at it now.
You spent years together in the ER,
and by that point you were close comrades.
Deliberately, we let the doctors
out of our investigation.
EMTs and nurses know
there are bigger issues.
They could have leaked, and so we had
to be positive they wouldn't be heard.
- You're right, I was the whistleblower.
- Dr. Kim.
- [sighs]
- I didn't take you for a backstabber.
Do you see the hell
that I've been through?
- Everyone around me was going crazy.
- Director.
You must report Dr. Kim
to the ethics Committee for censure.
Our entire lives were completely
upended by him and his reckless stunt.
Perhaps you should explain.
EMT saw.
He had a one year old daughter
he left behind,
and now with him gone,
that poor girl doesn't have a dad.
Yes, I leaked it to the press.
I couldn't believe what I'd heard.
Doctors ducking accountability and putting
his death on him,
saying that it was just bad luck
or that it was his fate,
or he'd be dead whether or not they tried.
So who cares?
That made my blood run cold.
That's why I chose to upload it.
How dare you talk to Director Bu
with such insubordinance?
I had to upload it cause you
weren't listening,
which is exactly
what you're doing right now.
Because everyone knows coil embolization
won't work when intracranial pressure
is as high as it was.
Even if we performed a craniotomy
on the patient right then and there,
it would've been too late.
You're really saying
the hospital did everything right
and bears no responsibility?
There is no way I will sit here
and pretend that's true.
If we just chalk it up to EMT cell's fate,
nothing will change
and nothing will be learned.
Dr. Kim, are you accusing us
of malpractice?
Are you saying that we bear accountability
for this tragedy?
Are you with your patients
24 hours a day, every day of the year?
It would appear
that's what you're expecting.
Doctors are human too.
[yawning]
Oh.
[scoffs]
- Who called Dr. Gye?
- [Dr. Gye] I'm sleepy.
- Hey, Dr. Gye, we'll deal with you later.
- You should go.
Are you fellows the only humans?
Your patients are also human.
Fella? Did she just call me
Young lady,
you will refer to me as "Doctor".
Okay, so then you're a doctor
who has no real desire to be a doctor?
You're just like any other person
with any other job.
At what point exactly
does your work as a doctor begin?
Ah, only when you're on the clock,
when you're here at the hospital,
mornings, nights.
How dare you, stupid girl.
- You'll be gone in no time.
- Let's watch our language, people.
Dr. Gye, apologize to
these doctors right now!
Yeo Jeong-soon needs us.
She doesn't usually work today,
but she still chose to work.
She was helping another employee
on the cleaning crew
who unexpectedly went
home to deal with a sudden emergency.
She's someone who takes out your trash
while you're home with your families.
Well, it sounds like it was a good thing
she chose to work.
Imagine if she stayed home, huh?
Sounds like she got lucky.
I just can't believe the words I'm
hearing from you about a person, you know.
How about you show just a little concern?
She's lucky she collapsed here
where she can get care.
Wow, that's, so that's the reason
there's still garbage in the can.
She should have at least
asked someone to cover for her.
How irresponsible, Dr. Tom.
What?
What do you think you're doing?
Dr. Gye, are you gonna
keep behaving this way?
- We don't act like that.
- Hey.
You really think you're above the rules?
Medicine is a smaller community
than you think.
You'll be blacklisted
from every hospital in Korea.
Why did you hire this wretch, Ms. Lee?
Mark my words, that operation
was completed incorrectly.
When that rupture happens,
it'll be on your watch.
If not, then I'll hand
my white coat to you, huh?
Yeah, sure, I'll throw mine in too.
Let's hope he's wrong,
and I know he's not. You better be sure.
You're sure she performed
the operation correctly?
Are you willing to risk
a patient's life on it?
Are you sure?
What about a rupture of the aneurysm?
- Are you prepared for complications?
- Dr. Jo,
if we don't open an operating room,
another person will die.
I couldn't possibly open up an OR for
someone who isn't board certified in NS.
But I can be.
What'd you say?
I think you know, I know I can do this.
Dr. Jo, please, we're running out of time.
I'm reporting this to Director Bu.
You said it yourself, Dr. Jo.
In this situation, you would hope
that one of those 130 brain surgeons
is at the hospital that day.
Dr. Jo, one of those 130 doctors
is right here standing in front of us.
Please, Dr. Jo, come on, we're
talking about our hospital's custodian.
Everyone will miss her.
I bet she even cleaned the phone
you're holding this morning.
Park Tae-gyeong. Listen closely.
What's most important is that one
doctor must have properly trained
for the surgery
they're going to undertake.
Does this doctor understand it in theory,
or are they truly ready to handle
an operation that's life or death?
Min-go,
you threatening my career
doesn't scare me at all.
[scoffs]
Polish your resumes.
Wait a second.
Where the hell do you think you're going?
Bitching at me for staying,
bitching at me for leaving.
What does this dude want?
Bitching?
This girl's gone completely mental.
Director.
We need to fire her right now, okay?
Her actions could bring
down the entire hospital.
We need to make sure
she doesn't work in medicine ever again.
Stop.
Aren't you ashamed?
You love taking credit for simple cases,
but when you get a patient who's about to
die, you jump and running for the hills.
Unfettered cowardice. Spineless fools.
- You still haven't gone in?
- No, no.
Their conversation's
taking a while, I guess.
Sorry about earlier.
- Which thing earlier?
- Which thing?
Am I really that mean to you?
- Oh, earlier in the observation gallery.
- No, not that.
I was gonna say sorry about when I
got angry
and I poked you in the chest outside
the OR when we were talking earlier.
- Oh, that thing.
- You know
you got a knack
for getting people really mad.
And I was also in the wrong.
I was being rude, so I'm really sorry.
I just got ahead of myself
and I couldn't accept the fact
that the institution I chose could let
something so horrible slide like that.
Just forget all that.
I, um, Honestly,
I won't say I don't understand.
Uh, but as an intern I'd just
quietly finish a month with us
and then go on your way.
I really don't want to see any more
interns doing a rotation in surgery,
pretending to be doctors
with some great sense of duty
only to go to an
easier department somewhere.
You won't be a surgeon anyway.
Oh, there you are. Why are you alone?
Where's the
- Why are you by yourself?
- Then, what… What the hell am I gonna do?
What kind of doctor should I be?
Can I actually be a doctor?
Tell Park Tae-gyeong or
whatever to come in right now!
This is all because of that damn intern
in the observation gallery.
I guess there's no point in worrying.
I won't live to see it.
I would like to thank you all
for coming today.
It's much appreciated.
I am the new director to be serving
you all here at the GUMC,
Mister Bu Seung-gwon.
In lieu of traditional ceremony,
I decided to hold this press conference
because today marks one year
of the death of EMT So.,
who tragically died on duty
in our ER last year.
Although that tragic event happened a
while ago,
it recently came up that there
was another similar case at our hospital.
A contractor collapsed recently
from a brain aneurysm.
While she was on duty
here at our hospital.
In response, our medical staff did
their best to provide her with treatment.
I would like to propose
an opportunity to say what our
earlier director chose not to bring up.
The death of EMT Seo Jin-yeong
was an event that revealed problems
in our medical community.
Medical fees that are running us dry.
A chronic lack of personnel,
budget shortfalls.
Yes, you heard me right.
All these things are true, however,
those issues aren't the whole story.
Firstly, here we must uphold a certain
trust in each other and our system,
the belief that as long
as you're working at this hospital,
should you ever be injured or fall down,
that you will promptly receive
appropriate medical treatment
regardless of your title.
And after being treated, go back home.
This hospital
has failed to uphold that vow.
As a result of that,
for the very first time,
I would like to
offer a sincere apology to Seo's family,
the people of this country
who we've clearly greatly disappointed.
And our team here.
I will now take your questions.
How interesting.
How interesting. The video… Kim
Seong-jin didn't leak it online.
It was you who did it.
I guess his guilt got to him
where he thought he'd killed him.
I just thought
it was the right thing to do.
You were relentless.
You kept asking me to send you that video.
You swore things would change
when you leaked the truth.
Begged that I trust you.
Well, do you feel
like things are changing?
Ah Let's see how this progresses.
This is just the start.
The newly appointed director's actions
regarding the tragic death of EMT.
Seo Jin-yeong at Guseo University
Medical Center are unusual.
Director Wu Hong Guan bowed his head in
apology
for the mistakes of the previous
director,
stating that he would cooperate
with the bereaved family's appeal.
He also expressed his desire to
meet with Seo Jin-yeong's family.
According to hospital officials,
Director Bu chose to make this statement
in lieu of a ceremony commemorating
the start of his directorship.
All right, so this is the new contract
you've come up with.
Yes, by now, surely you're aware,
Dr. Gye Su-jeong is a highly
exceptional surgeon
as well as a talented
neurovascular specialist,
and she's recently filled a gap in care
at Guoo University Medical Center.
Ah, I've already sent you
a separate invoice for that.
Oh, so you're trying to get
a little extra money.
[chuckles] Now with this case,
didn't she already
prove she's worth the extra money?
- Then are the other terms the same?
- Actually, we have another one.
- What would that entail?
- I will not work in any wing
- that I do not want to be in.
- How dare you? You work on contract.
You work wherever we need you.
You've hit some roadblocks while
dealing with the current administration.
There have been rumblings
of another health workers' strike soon.
If a gap in medical services occurs
or if a major accident were to happen
[chuckles] Oh no, my heart just breaks
over the thought.
Then I wonder who would
be ready to fill that gap.
So, Dr. Gye Su-jeong
will rescue the hospital.
Uh, no, not quite.
Your money will rescue you.
No matter how precarious
this hospital situation is,
it's still a branch of a foundation
that profits billions of won a year.
You could loosen the purse
strings a little, am I right?
Now let me look over the rate
and the terms again.
So first, the terms of employment
in regards to working
- outside of work hours
- Just a moment.
We're ready. You can go ahead.
He's ready to come in.
Gentlemen, what is going on
at this critical juncture?
[knocks on door]
- It's been a while, Director.
- How have you been?
You look quite well. Take a seat.
Ah, why don't you two
introduce yourselves?
- This is
- My name's Na Dae-il
I'll be joining the hospital
as a general surgeon as of today.
Pleasure to meet you.
The contract is on hold for now.
So thoughts on Dr. Na.
He's good, isn't he?
Straighten your
shoulders. You're Gye Su-jeong.
- Call the OR.
- Why would you march into
someone else's OR and cause trouble?
I heard something happened
with Dr. Na Dae-il.
That bastard's hands stink.
Okay, so what are you gonna do
about the surgery?
Wow, relationships are
scary sometimes, huh?
I gotta say, I'm rather curious
to know exactly what lies ahead.
Only looking ahead.
She seemed like a god or a monster.