Chapter 88: First Impressions (1)

Iowa State University was located in a quiet area of the Midwest United States, but it ranked higher than expected within the country. In particular, its medical school was quite prestigious, ranking among the top ten nationally.

“The buildings seem really low.” This was Baruda’s first impression.

Suhyuk didn’t differ much from him.

‘Indeed. They aren’t tall at all. But where does the hospital end?’

Suhyuk recalled what professors like Lee Hyunjong and Shin Hyun-tae had told him about Iowa after attending training sessions or conferences there. According to them, while not on a global scale, this hospital boasted commendable achievements within the US.

This meant that Taehwa Medical Center was similar or slightly better than Iowa’s hospital. However, the hospital before his eyes did not seem comparable at all.

[I don’t know. Maybe it is just this?]

‘It looks incredibly old. Hmm. There doesn’t seem to be anyone here…’

[Is it because today is Sunday?]

‘Are there no patients at Taehwa Medical Center on Sundays?’

[Ah, umm. That seems true.] Baruda quickly agreed.

Upon reflection, Taehwa Medical Center was bustling regardless of weekends or holidays. In comparison, the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics appeared utterly quiet.

‘I’m right, aren’t I?’

[Yes. The address is accurate. The accommodation… It’s directly across from here, yes, over there. Yes, that’s correct.]

‘The accommodation is good.’

[Indeed.]

With Baruda’s agreement, Suhyuk headed towards the small house located opposite the hospital.

As previously mentioned, the key was under the flowerpot.

Click.

When he opened the wooden door, a musty smell wafted through the air.

[Baruda: Individuals with weak immune systems may be infected by mold spores.]

Baruda murmured disapprovingly while analyzing the odor. Based on his analysis, it seemed plausible.

‘Are there Aspergillus spores in the air?’

[Yes.]

‘Is this another assassination attempt?’

[Suhyuk’s immunity is extremely normal, so you don’t need to worry at all.]

‘Then why did you bother analyzing it?’

[Practice, practice. Anyway, this house is disgustingly dirty.]

Baruda appeared to be amazed as he watched new footprints form with each step Suhyuk took. It was probably just mimicking Suhyuk’s expression, but it felt like Baruda genuinely held such emotions.

‘Still, it is big. Electricity…gas and water supply are all good.’

It was a two-story house with three rooms and two bathrooms. Originally, this accommodation was provided for residents like Suhyuk, but currently, it was assigned to professors who came from abroad for one or two years of training.

The house seemed dirty due to lack of cleaning but wasn’t overall outdated. Moreover, it was equipped with various appliances such as TVs and beds, making it appear better than most hotels.

[I will need considerable time to clean this place first. Let’s go to the grocery store. From what I saw earlier, they close early.]

‘Ah, yes. That sounds good.’

Iowa could be considered a university town. In other words, the largest institution within Iowa was the university itself. This concept would have been unimaginable in South Korea.

In the vast United States, this was not uncommon.

Regardless, there was a significant shortage of commercial facilities, and they were concentrated in specific areas. Unfortunately for Suhyuk, none were near the hospital.

‘It’s ridiculously large… Is it still part of the university?’

He boarded a bus, but even after riding for thirty minutes, he remained within the university campus.

[Indeed. What kind of monstrous university is this…]

‘Then, could that building next to the hospital earlier… Was it all part of the hospital?’

[I would have thought you were crazy if you mentioned it before seeing this place. Now, it seems plausible.]

‘So, there might be something worth learning here.’

[Of course. We’ve come this far.]

Typically, residents attending short-term training programs like this viewed them as half-vacations.

In hospitals, residents were often sent as a form of reward. However, Suhyuk was different. Since he had obtained Baruda, he could have chosen to practice medicine in the US. In any case, his skills would eventually make him one of the best doctors globally. This led to a slightly different mindset for Suhyuk.

[Is this the place?]

‘Oh.’

Regardless, Suhyuk soon disembarked from the bus and headed towards the grocery store. As soon as he entered, it became evident that being in a foreign country felt distinctly different. The products on display, the people walking around, and even the language spoken - everything was distinctively unique.

‘The simultaneous translation is working flawlessly.’

[Of course, this is child’s play for me.]

However, Suhyuk wasn’t intimidated at all. Baruda accurately reproduced accents and speech patterns, providing seamless communication for Suhyuk. He didn’t just sound proficient; he effectively communicated like a native speaker.

Thanks to Baru’s assistance, Suhyuk was able to purchase all the items he wanted without any difficulties and return to his accommodation.

[Waaaaahhh!]

The next morning, as usual, Baruda woke him up with its alarm. Unlike yesterday, the first floor of the lodging was completely clean.

There was also a second floor, but since Suhyuk would be living alone, he decided to ignore it for now.

How relaxing.

[Since they asked you to arrive by 10 on your first day…you have about three hours left.]

I should go early to get a feel for the place.

[I agree.]

Despite being treated well, Suhyuk remained a resident doctor at heart. Moreover, he was known for assisting not only his patients but also anyone else who needed help. Naturally, this made him incredibly busy before, but now he found himself with ample free time.

He didn’t have any assigned patients, and it was his first year as a resident without any prior experience. Thanks to this, Suhyuk could leisurely stroll across the street towards the hospital while sipping coffee from his tumbler.

“Please come this way.”

First, he noticed something that wasn’t present yesterday. Patients arriving by car were provided wheelchairs at the entrance, heading down the hospital corridors.

[Obese…patients indeed.]

‘America is truly different.’

These patients suffered from extreme obesity, unlike anything Suhyuk had ever seen before.

[The prevalence of diseases varies between South Korea and the US.]

‘Is this an opportunity for me to learn?’

[Indeed, let’s become the best doctor through these experiences. And with success comes great wealth…]

‘There you go mentioning money again.’

[Do you hate money?]

‘No, I love it.’

Suhyuk laughed heartily with Baruda as they entered deeper into the hospital together. It was through the same door he had turned back from yesterday.

Just inside the entrance, there was a map of the hospital drawn on the wall. After examining it, Suhyuk realized that his suspicions from yesterday were true - every single building around him belonged to the hospital complex.

[There are two separate buildings for research facilities alone.]

‘Unbelievable…’

The Taehwa Medical Center where Suhyuk worked boasted one of the best research facilities in Korea, thanks to sponsorship from top-tier companies. However, even their facility only occupied one underground floor at most. In contrast, here, there were two entire buildings dedicated to research.

[This is why research inevitably falls behind… Oh, there’s one more room here. This building was constructed by Pfizer…]

‘A pharmaceutical company funded it? No wonder they were churning out research papers…’

The US had almost perfected the system where pharmaceutical companies used their profits from new drugs to create additional medicines. The cost of creating a new drug not only included research expenses but also sponsorship fees for collaborating hospitals. This allowed immediate clinical trials and analysis of the results. It required astronomical amounts of money, making it impossible for domestic pharmaceutical companies to compete on this level.

[Anyway, this building houses Internal Medicine. You’re lucky.]

‘Right… Yes, that’s true.’

If he was unlucky, it could have been located twenty minutes away on foot like the building for Ophthalmology.

“Ah…I haven’t seen this gown before. Where did you come from?”

While Suhyuk was looking at the map and chatting with Baruda, someone greeted him.

He turned his head to see a white-haired Caucasian doctor.

“Oh… I am from Korea.”

“North or South?”

“South Korea. The Republic of Korea.”

“Aha…”

During their brief conversation, Baru analyzed the face of the other person. This process involved comparing against its database, which held considerable significance within the medical field.

[Huh, get an autograph.]

‘Why, why?’

[Cummings. He is a renowned figure in ENT (Ear, Nose, Throat) medicine.]

‘Do you mean the name from the textbook?’

[Yes.]

It was similar now.

“By any chance, are you Dr. Cummings?”

“Oh? You know me? Are you from ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat)?”

“Nope. I am from Internal Medicine, but I remember studying ENT with great interest.”

In fact, although Suhyuk wasn’t skilled at surgery, his knowledge of ENT was comparable to that of a specialist. This was because Suhyuk could store textbooks directly into his mind. The only problem was finding time to read them, which Baruda had solved by nagging him every night until he did so.

“Oh… Internal Medicine. Are you heading to the hospital now?”

“No, they asked me to arrive by 10 AM, so I came early to take a tour around the hospital.”

“Hmm, hmm. As expected of someone from Korea. Very diligent.”

Cummings laughed heartily as if what he just said was a brilliant joke, looking straight at Suhyuk.

Suhyuk smiled along as Dr. Cummings seemed to expect him to laugh at his joke.

“Then I’ll give you a tour of only practical places.”

“Oh, if you’re not busy… Yes, thank you.”

“Yes, your English is quite good! Your pronunciation isn’t perfect, but your accent makes it easier to understand.”

“That…thank you. I studied very hard.” Suhyuk couldn’t reveal that he had learned by mimicking Baruda’s voice, so he lied. Of course, this type of lie was undetectable, and even the renowned Dr. Cummings fell for it without suspicion.

“This is the best cafeteria here. The pizza sold only during lunchtime is honestly tastier than Giordano’s from Chicago. Well, maybe not that good… but it’s definitely the best in Iowa.”

She gave him a practical tour of the hospital, pointing out where to find delicious food, the best coffee, shortcuts through the vast building, and more. She was quite talkative, so before he knew it, it was already close to 9 p.m.

“Oh, I need to go to the outpatient clinic now. It was fun meeting you. See you later.”

“Ah, yes.”

“Right, what was your name again?”

“Lee Suhyuk.”

“Ah, Dr. Lee. Got it. Haha. Have a great day.”

After parting with Cummings, Suhyuk immediately headed towards the Internal Medicine department. He was tired from walking for too long using his cane.

“Who are you?”

As he entered the hospital, a man dressed casually asked him a question. With blonde hair and blue eyes, he looked like a typical Caucasian similar to Cummings.

“Oh, I am Lee Suhyuk from Taehwa Medical Center here for one month of training.”

“Taehwa?”

“From South Korea’s Taehwa Hospital.”

“Ah…that…yes. Training…”

He quickly showed a sullen expression before muttering while turning away,

“Ahh, annoying… How much can you learn in just one month… Why do people keep coming from backward countries..”