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# Chapter 4. Status Window (2)
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2. Patient Physiological Management: Overall Level B
* Blood Pressure and Circulation Control: Ability to manage a patient's blood pressure and heart rate during surgery
(Level B, Proficiency 80%)
* Airway Management: Ability to perform intubation and manage endotracheal tubes (Level B, Proficiency 80%)
* Bleeding and Fluid Management: Ability to manage fluids and blood transfusions during massive bleeding (Level B,
Proficiency 80%)
* Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: Proficiency in CPR during critical situations (Level B, Proficiency 80%)
3. Pain Management: Overall Level B
* Chronic Pain Treatment: Treatment skills for patients with chronic pain (Level B, Proficiency 80%)
* Acute Pain Management: Management of postoperative pain and pain following anesthesia (Level B, Proficiency 80%)
* Medication Selection and Adjustment: Ability to select narcotic analgesics, sedatives, and nerve-block medications
(Level B, Proficiency 80%)
4. Emergency Response: Overall Level B
* Emergency Medication Administration: Ability to administer emergency medications (Level B, Proficiency 80%)
* Management of Intraoperative Complications: Ability to deal with complications during surgery (Level B, Proficiency
80%)
* Team Leadership: Communication and team coordination skills during emergencies (Level B, Proficiency 80%)
5. Critical Care Management: Overall Level B
* Ventilation and Oxygenation: Ability to set up and manage ventilators (Level B, Proficiency 80%)
* Intensive Care Unit Patient Management: Hemodynamic stabilization ability (Level B, Proficiency 80%), medication
administration and adjustment (Level B, Proficiency 80%)
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[Job-Specific Abilities]
1. Maintaining Concentration During Surgery (Level B, Proficiency 80%)
2. Stress Tolerance (Level B, Proficiency 80%)
3. Rapid Decision-Making During Emergencies (Level B, Proficiency 80%)
4. Accuracy in Medication Dosage and Machine Settings (Level B, Proficiency 80%)
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[Professional Knowledge]
1. Anesthetic Drug Knowledge
* Understanding of drug mechanisms of action and side effects (Level B, Proficiency 80%)
2. Anatomical Knowledge
* Nerve Blocks (Level B, Proficiency 80%)
* Understanding and knowledge of anatomical structures during catheter insertion (Level B, Proficiency 80%)
3. Medical Equipment Proficiency
* Ability to use anesthesia machines, ultrasound, blood pressure monitors, and other equipment (Level B, Proficiency
80%)
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[[System Message]]
/All proficiencies have reached 80%, achieving Overall Job Level B./
/You participated in the successful completion of three high-difficulty emergency surgeries and have earned 60 points./
/Current remaining points: 210/
/Using 200 points will unlock the currently locked Overall Level A./
/A new feature has been added. 200 points are required to activate the new feature./
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Huh?
A new feature?
What is it?
What else has been added?
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The first time the [Status Window] appeared before my eyes was on the very day I was involved in the half-ton truck
rollover accident during my military service.
At first, a faint blur seemed to spread across my vision, so I assumed I'd injured my retina in the accident and went
for an ophthalmological examination.
But after a comprehensive examination of my entire body, including my eyes, I was assured that there was nothing wrong
with me.
Even after a month had passed since the accident, the faint blur obstructing my vision remained.
Then one morning, it suddenly became clear.
It was like watching a camera that was out of focus and then suddenly seeing everything become sharp once the focus was
adjusted.
That was the [Status Window] I have now.
And on the very first screen of that [Status Window], the first line read:
[Occupation: Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine Specialist]
At first, I couldn't believe what I was seeing.
The very fact that I was looking at something called a [Status Window] was absurd enough.
On top of that, the idea of the word "doctor" being attached to me—a son of a provincial orchard farmer who was heavily
in debt to Nonghyup, and who had graduated from a crappy regional university with a degree in chemistry—seemed
completely ridiculous.
But the [Status Window] continued to remain in front of my eyes every waking moment, and the first line continued to
read, "Occupation: Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine Specialist."
I was on the verge of going half-mad.
That's when I finally made a decision.
Otherwise, I felt like I'd spend the rest of my life staring at that [Status Window] and eventually develop a genuine
mental illness.
So I changed my mindset.
With my military discharge just around the corner, I decided I would obtain the occupation listed on the first line of
the [Status Window].
While on leave, I visited my father and told him that after being discharged, I wanted to become a doctor.
I'd expected him to laugh at me or yell at me.
Instead, my father unexpectedly responded without the slightest hesitation.
"Yeah. Give it a proper shot."
He readily encouraged and supported me, and my career path was finally decided.
Ironically, the difficult part was simply making the decision to become a doctor.
Once I'd made that decision, the process of actually becoming one was surprisingly easy.
Like a game's tutorial, the [Status Window] provided detailed guidance throughout the entire process, and all I had to
do was diligently complete the tasks it gave me.
As I successfully completed those tasks over the course of several years, the points I received continued to accumulate.
I used those points, following the tutorial, to increase my proficiency in the various skills displayed on the [Status
Window] and improve my understanding of medical knowledge.
Through that repeated process, I eventually went from being a general physician to becoming a full-fledged
Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine Specialist working at a university hospital.
And not just any university hospital.
My workplace was Korea University Hospital, one of the best hospitals in Korea.
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I spent a long time thinking about it.
Whether I should activate the locked Overall Level A for Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine Specialist and remove the
restriction that had halted my development at a maximum proficiency of 80%,
or whether I should activate the new feature.
I thought about it very carefully.
Even with my current Overall Job Level B, I'd already earned a reputation for being quite good in the Department of
Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at Korea University Hospital.
In fact, among the doctors from the surgical departments, most of those who had worked with me at least once during
surgery recognized my abilities and liked working with me.
There was no other way it could be.
In order to earn points for the [Status Window], I'd not only handled the surgeries assigned to me, but had also
voluntarily taken on on-call shifts and performed most of the surgeries I was able to participate in.
I'd earned recognition for my skills and diligence.
On top of that, I was praised for having a humble and pleasant personality, with none of the notorious "anesthesiology
attitude" that doctors from other departments sometimes complained about.
And whenever I was responsible for a patient's anesthesia, I could reliably handle and control unexpected emergencies.
That allowed the attending surgeon to put everything else out of their mind and focus entirely on performing the
surgery, confident that the patient was being properly managed.
There was no way the surgeons wouldn't like working with me.
Doctors who had experienced such smooth surgeries wanted me in their operating rooms again, and I received plenty of
requests specifically asking for me.
Which was precisely why I was worried about how busy I'd become if I reached Overall Level A as an Anesthesiology and
Pain Medicine Specialist.
I was also curious about what the newly added feature actually was.
But more than anything else, one thing had been bothering me lately.
Complaints about me had been coming up from within the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine with increasing
frequency.
Most of the specialists and professors in the department at Korea University Hospital were graduates of Korea
University's medical school.
Naturally, almost 90 percent of the interns and residents were also graduates of Korea University's medical school.
Most of the remaining 10 percent had graduated from famous private medical schools.
And among those elites, there I was—a much older man who had come from a crappy regional university and a medical
graduate school.
To make matters worse, I was being called the "ace of the operating rooms" in Anesthesiology.
It was inevitable that some of the younger professors, fellows, and residents would become dissatisfied with me.
So I made my decision.
As a way of taking a step back for a while, I would postpone challenging Overall Level A and choose the newly added
feature instead.
I summoned the [Status Window] and used 200 of my remaining 210 points to select "Activate New Feature."
But then...
What was this?
It was definitely something I needed.
But I needed everything on the list.
I had no idea which one I should choose first.
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[[System Message]]
/Using 200 of the remaining 210 points, the new feature [Appearance Improvement] has been activated./
/Current remaining points: 10/
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[[Appearance Improvement]]
[Overall Appearance Level: F]
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1. Height: 168 cm / 178 cm
* Can grow by up to 10 cm
* Monthly growth limit (+2 cm)
* Waist length: 1 point per 1 cm
* Length from pelvis to knees: 2 points per 1 cm
* Length below the knees: 5 points per 1 cm
2. Weight: 93 kg / 63 kg
* Can lose up to 30 kg
* Monthly weight-loss limit (-5 kg)
* Random reduction from individual body areas such as the chest, abdomen, and buttocks: 3 points per 1 kg
* Weight reduction while maintaining overall body balance: 5 points per 1 kg
3. Skin
* Acne, scars, and moles: 10 points per item removed
* Brightening skin tone to a lighter complexion: 100 points
...
..
.
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# The Following Morning, Outside Conference Room A3 at Korea University Hospital
The paper notice posted beside the conference room entrance read:
{Korea University Hospital Clinical Ethics Committee, 00th Meeting}
"Dr. Han. Why do you keep doing this? You clearly promised me last time would be the final time."
"I'm sorry, Professor. But I heard there were emergency patients who needed surgery immediately. I couldn't just pretend
I didn't know."
"Good grief~ Man! Haaah! This is driving me crazy. Seriously."
Professor Hwang Jae-young, the head of the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, let out a deep sigh with a
deeply troubled expression.
Because of what I'd done the previous day—opening three operating rooms and assigning one resident to each while
simultaneously proceeding with three dangerous, high-difficulty surgeries—the hospital had urgently convened the
Clinical Ethics Committee.
This meeting was being held before the hospital's Disciplinary Committee, which had the actual authority to impose
sanctions, convened.
The purpose was to assess the severity of the matter involving the three surgeries I'd directed and decide whether I
should be referred to the Disciplinary Committee.
I understood that the official members of the Clinical Ethics Committee included the heads of the various departments,
members of the hospital's legal team, religious representatives, social workers, and medical ethics scholars.
There were more than twenty members in total.
Professor Hwang Jae-young had attended the meeting, which had been convened early that morning.
A little while ago, however, the committee had finished its discussion and was about to vote, so he'd left the room
first.
Apparently, the reason was that since I was a fellow in the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, the head of
my department wasn't supposed to participate in the vote.
I didn't know what the voting result would be.
But if they decided to refer me to the Disciplinary Committee and recommended a specific punishment, I would definitely
be sanctioned.
The worst-case scenario would be dismissal.
Even in the best-case scenario, I'd probably receive a pay cut along with some other form of disciplinary action.
It was frustrating enough to make me sigh.
But even if I faced the exact same situation again, I'd make the same choice.
I'm a doctor.
Saving lives comes first.
Besides, according to what I'd checked beforehand on the [Status Window], all three surgeries had shown a success
probability of more than 90 percent for anesthesia and the ability to handle unexpected complications.
That was another reason I'd felt safe proceeding...
But that was a secret I couldn't tell anyone.
While Professor Hwang continued sighing, the conference room door suddenly swung open, and the members of the Clinical
Ethics Committee poured out.
Judging by their expressions, they were all extremely solemn.
Don't tell me...
Am I being referred to the Disciplinary Committee?
Well, whatever.
If they want to fire me, go ahead.
There were plenty of places willing to hire me as a paid orthopedic surgeon for twice my current salary.
I was also constantly receiving offers from pain clinic centers offering three times what I currently made.
Before the hospital could fire me, I could always throw my resignation letter down dramatically and walk out first.
I was busy directing an entire movie inside my own head when Professor Song Chan-ik, the head of General Surgery, smiled
briefly at me.
He was a member of the Clinical Ethics Committee and a close friend of Professor Hwang Jae-young.
However, perhaps because the other committee members with their solemn expressions were passing right in front of him,
he seemed conscious of their presence and quickly changed his expression.
I still hadn't heard the voting result, but perhaps the outcome had been favorable to me.
Thinking that the hospital would only be hurting itself if it fired or sanctioned me, and feeling rather relaxed about
the whole thing, I approached the professors and asked Professor Song Chan-ik,
"Professor, has the voting result come out?"
"Yeah. Fortunately, Dr. Han."
Just as I relaxed, thinking, "I knew it!" and was about to break into a smile, Professor Hwang Jae-young continued.
"Thankfully, we avoided being referred to the Disciplinary Committee with a recommendation for dismissal. But you've
been ordered to receive a two-month pay cut, banned from entering the operating rooms for two months, prohibited from
performing any medical procedures—including remote medical orders related to the operating rooms and ICU—for two months,
and assigned to work at the Pain Clinic Center for two months instead."
Gasp~!
What?!
How does that make any sense?
If I'm away from the operating rooms, how am I supposed to earn points for the [Status Window]?