NOVEL NEXT Chapter 85 - The Last Day of Sambok
“Phew.”
I let out a short breath and looked around the Korean medicine ward.
As usual, it was moderately bustling and moderately peaceful.
I had finished all the immediate tasks. As I had a moment of free time, yesterday’s events came to mind.
It was fortunate that the Purple Angel leader had a change of heart and came to the hospital.
Thanks to those Hwalin Korean Medicine Hospital bastards severely damaging her trust, we almost couldn’t even start treatment.
‘They probably prescribed
Gyejibongnyeong-hwan as the typical treatment for menstrual pain without properly examining the patient.’
I suspect it was that stupid son of the hospital director who did the examination.
I can’t stand idly by while they tarnish my father’s hospital’s name.
I need to build up my skills to reclaim the hospital as soon as possible.
Learn more, work harder.
‘By the way, I didn’t expect Professor Bu Yeo-jung to have me do outpatient consultations.’
It would be a lie to say I wasn’t nervous at all.
But I’ve already “possessed” Professor Bu and seen dozens of menstrual pain patients through her.
Doing consultations in front of the professor? No big deal.
Judging by the professor’s reaction after the treatment, she seemed quite satisfied.
‘Plus… it looks like I can look forward to a week from now.’
A week. It’s not that long of a time, but.
Still, if I can see it in advance, it’s quite a useful period.
It’s easier to set the treatment direction, and if the prediction is successful, it’s good for building rapport with patients.
‘In that sense, there’s one more future I know about.’
It’s what will happen this afternoon.
Ms. Jo Na-kyung will call for medical staff saying she has a small amount of bleeding.
And we’ll discuss it at tomorrow morning’s study session.
The evidence to support my treatment plan is well prepared.
I’ve been diligently collecting data since hearing Professor Bu’s words.
л~л
Just then, my phone rang in my gown pocket.
I adjusted my glasses quizzically after checking the caller’s name.
That’s because the name of a first-year resident in Korean Pediatrics was on the screen.
‘Why would Dr. Heo Son-hwi call me?”
It is Pediatrics starting next month, but there’s still quite some time until then?
For now, I put aside my personal questions and quickly answered the phone.
“Hello, this is Intern Seon-Joon…”
“A-yo-. Mr. Seon?”
“…Pardon?”
“It’s Heo Son-hwi, first-year Pediatrics resident. Can you come to the Pediatrics outpatient clinic right now? I’ll explain why when you get here, so come on quick! Oh, and don’t worry, I got permission from Professor Bu Yeo-jung.”
His ridiculous way of speaking rang in my ears.
The last part was probably added because interns get scolded if they leave the ward without permission.
‘Senior Heo Son-hwi, as eccentric as I’ve heard.’
To the point where his nickname is “Nonsense,” he’s succeeded in establishing a unique character in this hospital.
He’s come to be treated as a weirdo due to his peculiar playfulness.
Behavior that would earn curses if it were any other first-year is just laughed off when it’s Heo Son-hwi.
‘This is my first time directly talking with that senior like this.’
Hmm, how should I put it. It feels like we’re complete opposites.
Anyway, since I’m a powerless intern, I quickly ran to the outpatient clinic.
Intern Chief Lee Haet-nim, who’s currently doing her Pediatrics rotation, was also at the clinic.
I soon understood what the situation was.
“Alright, gentlemen. From now on, the three of us must face an army of a million.”
***
When I made a face showing I didn’t understand what he meant, the Intern Chief kindly elaborated.
“For Pediatrics, July and August are the Sambok period, and today’s the last day. They called us to help with Sambok because there are too many scheduled patients today.”
“That’s right! As expected of the Intern Chief. King of Interns! Your explanation was so crisp.”
No, you should have explained it like that from the start instead of saying something about an army of a million.
I stared incredulously at Heo Son-hwi as he gave a double thumbs up to the Intern Chief.
Sambok-cheop.
It’s a type of “patch therapy” with a strong preventive meaning, based on the concept of dong-byeong-ha-chi (treating winter diseases in summer).
Dong-byeong-ha-chi means treating winter illnesses in summer.
Patch therapy is a treatment method that applies external medicine to the body surface and fixes it with bandages to provide continuous stimulation.
‘In other words, it’s the concept of attaching medicine to specific acupoints in summer to prevent winter diseases.’
It’s called Sambok-cheop (three dog days patch) because it’s done three times, especially on
It’s also popular in China and Taiwan during summer.
So why is Sambok-cheop done in Korean Pediatrics rather than other departments?
It’s popular because it prevents respiratory diseases common in children during winter.
Therefore, the dog days are also the busiest time of the year for Korean Pediatrics.
‘Come to think of it, it was the late dog days not long ago.’
Of course, the actual dog day is best, but it’s fine to do the procedure a few days before or after.
And today was the last day of that Sambok-cheop season.
Usually, a first-year Pediatrics resident does Sambok-cheop alone.
But I heard they even call ward interns if too many patients come in.
‘I heard they even ask for help from Gynecology if that’s not enough.’
Korean Gynecology and Korean Pediatrics traditionally had good relations.
Their outpatient clinics are right next to each other too.
Women who visit Korean Gynecology often visit Korean Pediatrics when they have children.
So it seems they called not just Haet-nim but me as well today.
“Now I’ll explain the method. It’s very simple and ea-sy.”
First-year Heo Son-hwi explained the method while drawing pictures.
Place round pills on the back-shu points (acupoints on the back) – both sides of the lung-shu. heart-shu, and diaphragm-shu.
Fix them with sterile bandages on top and instruct the patient on how to remove them.
“Now, what do we say? Mr. Seon, why don’t you tell us?”
“Remove it 4 hours after going home. If your skin itches or feels uncomfortable before then, remove it early.”
“What if a patient asks like this?”
Heo Son-hwi raised his voice to imitate a woman.
“Oh my- Doctor. What effect does this have?”
“It’s good for various respiratory diseases that easily occur in winter, like colds, rhinitis, sinusitis, asthma, as well as cold hands and feet. It’s also effective for air conditioning sickness in summer or having a cold stomach and stomachache.”
“Can adults get it too?”
“Yes, it’s good for adults too.”
“What kind of herbs is this made from?”
“It contains warm-natured herbs like Semen Sinapis, Asarum sieboldii, Corydalis yanhusuo, and Glycyrrhiza uralensis.”
“Very good, excellent-Perfect! As expected of the ace intern, Mr. Seon!”
This guy really doesn’t match with me. Just being around him drains my energy.
I didn’t bother hiding my disgusted expression, and Haet-nim chuckled beside me.
Anyway, after receiving that training…. the three of us began dealing with the flood of outpatients.
“Ah, so that’s why there are so many patients for the Sambok-cheop.”
I soon understood the reason for the busy pediatric outpatient clinic.
First of all, it was common for the guardians who brought the children to receive treatment as well.
The long waiting line sparked curiosity, leading to quite a few passersby suddenly coming in.
It wasn’t very expensive, and since it wasn’t a painful procedure with side effects, the barrier to entry seemed low.
“I’m completely overwhelmed.”
Thus, I attached the Sambok-cheop to the backs of numerous people, both adults and children.
Then, I took on a boy who looked about four or five years old.
Unlike the other lively and noisy children, he was particularly quiet.
When the young mother took off the boy’s T-shirt, I involuntarily inhaled.
His ribs were starkly visible on both sides.
The phrase “skin and bones” immediately came to mind.
“My child doesn’t eat well…”
The mother seemed to sense my gaze and awkwardly spoke up.
“He often says his stomach hurts or feels uncomfortable, so I can’t force him to eat…”
“Have you tried traditional Korean medicine treatment?”
“Can such a young child take herbal medicine?”
“Of course. Pediatric appetite loss is one of the most common reasons for visiting a pediatric traditional medicine clinic.”
“I see. I hadn’t thought of that.”
After the Sambok-cheop treatment was finished, the mother dressed her child again.
The loose clothing made his already thin body appear even more frail.
“Thank you, doctor.”
The mother and child left after saying their goodbyes.
For some reason, I couldn’t shake off the boy’s dark gaze.
However, there were too many waiting patients for me to get lost in my thoughts.
As I mechanically applied the Sambok-cheop, an hour had swiftly passed.
It seemed my busy movements had paid off, as the waiting line noticeably decreased.
“Alright, Mr. Seon, you can head to the ward now. I think the remaining patients will be fine with me and Dr. Lee Haet-nim.”
“Yes, then.”
I nodded and was about to turn around when I heard a voice behind me.
Looking back, I saw a man who appeared to be a resident standing outside the pediatric treatment room.
“Hey, Heo Son-hwi! Why haven’t you been answering your phone? Everyone’s waiting for your response.”
“Huh? I was too busy to check my phone. Ah, these people. They make a model employee act strangely during work hours.”
“Forget that. Can I change today’s rehearsal time to 8 PM?”
“No problem.”
“Hey, have you practiced the new song? That guitar solo is driving me crazy. I should have played bass like you.”
The resident scratched his head and complained dramatically.
At that moment, I clearly saw Heo Son-hwi’s expression stiffen for a moment.
“But why is your outpatient clinic so busy?”
“It’s the last day of the Sambok-cheop.”
“What? Sambok-cheop? What’s that?”
“It’s a thing. You attach herbal patches to acupoints in the summer to prevent winter illnesses.”
“Oh? Is that really a thing?”
A smirk briefly crossed the resident’s face.
“Well, if there’s even a placebo effect, that’s good. I’m off then.”
Heo Son-hwi glared at the man back as he walked away.
“That guy… keeps subtly getting on my nerves.”
“Who is it?”
“A friend who plays guitar in the hospital band.”
“He seems to be a doctor. What department is he in?”
“He’s a first-year resident in pediatrics.”
I looked at Heo Son-hwi’s profile, biting his lip in frustration.
The playful demeanor he had just moments ago was nowhere to be seen.
Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind, and I asked Heo Son-hwi a question.
“Doctor, how many people receive the Sambok-cheop treatment at our hospital in a year?”
“Hmm? I’d say around a hundred to two hundred?”
Hearing that, my thoughts began to take on a more concrete shape.
I left the pediatric outpatient clinic and briefly stopped by the rehabilitation outpatient clinic.
Then, I asked a nurse to call someone out of the consultation room.
“Doctor, what brings you here?”
I had something to ask the tired-looking man in front of me, Shim Ji-seob.
This senior seemed to be working so hard on some research that every time I saw him, the shadows under his eyes grew darker.
Yet, his gaze seemed more vibrant now than before.
I explained my thoughts.
“…So, if we have this data, could it be possible to write a paper?”
“Um? If that’s the case, it would be a before-and-after study. What’s the sample size?”
“I think it would be around 150 people in a year.”
“With that number, you could submit it to an SCI-level journal.”
So that’s what it means. It’s quite an attractive research topic.
Once I submit the paper I’m currently working on, I should tell Heo Son-hwi about my idea.
At that moment, Professor Yeon Jae-wook’s voice flowed out from inside the consultation room.
“Dr. Shim, is there something going on outside?”
“I was discussing a paper with Dr. Seon-Joon.”
Upon hearing my name, Professor Yeon immediately appeared.
“Oh! Dr. Seon-Joon, what brings you here? The case report on patient Kim Jin-ah was very well done. You can submit it as is.”
“Thank you. Then I will submit it to the Journal of Rehabilitation Science. Right now, I’m on my way to help with the pediatric Sambok-cheop.”
“Oh, it was the Sambok-cheop period! No wonder the hallway over there was so crowded today. By the way, I also enjoyed the volleyball finals. How was the saengmaeksan I told you about?”
I silently gave a thumbs up, and the professor laughed heartily.
“Right? Especially in the summer, it’s very useful. Thanks to you, it seems the Blue Whales have realized the importance of a team doctor. They said they officially need to hire one.”
“That’s a relief.”
“So… have you decided on which team you want to join?”
Professor Yeon opened his eyes wide at my subsequent answer.
“Are you sure you won’t regret it?”
“I want to follow the Blue Whales through this season.”
“Well, if that’s the case, they’ll be very happy to hear that. But you know, if you keep going like this, it could be problematic.”
“Yes?”
“In our department, in the Blue Whales, and how did you manage to charm Professor Bu Yeo-jung? These days, the professor has been saying she wants to make you her son- in-law.”
“Ahaha! Thanks to your promotion, our department has seen an increase in outpatient patients. The head of the promotion team was grinning, saying the YouTube performance is good.”
Professor Bu Yeo-jung’s words didn’t seem like a joke…
Suddenly, a chill ran down my spine.
I felt Shim Ji-seob’s curious gaze on me.
At that moment, my phone rang, rescuing me from an awkward situation.
“Alright, let’s wrap up the small talk. You should head back up quickly; it’s busy.”
I bowed and answered the call as I went back to the ward.
The place I was being called to was, of course, the traditional medicine ward.
“Doctor, it’s Ward 52. Ms. Jo Na-kyung from Obstetrics is complaining of vaginal bleeding, so I’m notifying you.”
Finally, the time has come.