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Romantic Doctor Teacher Kim: Episode 7

Day one of the Geodae invasion kicks off in this episode, and it feels like we’re still setting up for some much bigger confrontations to come. No one seems particularly thrilled about the new arrangement on either side except for Teacher Kim—who, as always, is preoccupied with his own hidden agenda. Meanwhile, Seo-jung’s got her hands full babysitting two man-sized infants, but at least she’s mature enough to see right through their tantrums.

 

 
CHAPTER 7: “The Uncertain Factor”

The two teams stare each other down as Dr. Song recalls Dr. Do instructing him to assemble a team to infiltrate Doldam in order to secure CEO Shin’s surgery for Geodae. Dr. Song’s second directive (also given by Dr. Do) was to get rid of Teacher Kim permanently, using whatever means necessary.

Afterward, Director Yeo and Dr. Do get on a call to discuss the new arrivals. Dr. Do explains innocently that Director Yeo had previously expressed staffing concerns, so he took it upon himself to temporarily alleviate Doldam of that issue. His voice then turns serious as he warns Director Yeo to shut his mouth and do nothing.

At the nurses station, the Geodae nurses strut down the halls with their best Mean Girls impersonations. We then flash back to Dr. Song instructing his task force to make sure to uphold the good Geodae name, and to never lose to the Doldam staff. The militant nurses express much more enthusiasm than their physician counterparts.

Back in the present, the Geodae nurse leader, DEPUTY NURSE JI, exchanges introductions with Nurse Oh, who immediately pulls rank over the interlopers. Deputy Nurse Ji challenges Nurse Oh’s seniority and argues that she will be taking care of the nurses from Geodae.

As the scenes play, Dong-joo narrates:

“In an era of infinite competition, it’s devour or be devoured. Trample or be trampled. People that believe that winning against someone is a fight with his or her pride on the line. A world that encourages that kind of mentality. The reality that one will not be acknowledged unless he wins against someone else. The fear of being a failure after losing made people more fiercely competitive.”

Elsewhere, In-bum is having his own little flashback to a meeting with his father, who seemed fully aware of how his son lacked in comparison to Dong-joo as a surgeon. He had invited In-bum to go to Doldam and beat Dong-joo, even just once. When In-bum tried to argue, Dr. Do shut him down and said, “I have no interest in a son who only ever loses.”

Meanwhile, Dr. Song stands in front Teacher Kim’s office and whispers for Teacher Kim to prepare himself. And although it isn’t clear if he’s heard the threat, Teacher Kim looks down at a cassette tape made for him before answering back, “Come at me, then.”

In their shared office, Seo-jung corners In-soo Sunbae for the details on his sudden transfer, while Dong-joo sits silently to the side. In-soo swears he knows nothing, and bemoans his own familial grievances because he was sent to Doldam after such short notice. In-soo wonders if Geodae will take responsibility should his wife divorce him.

Right at that moment, In-bum walks in, and the atmosphere becomes tense. Immediately, In-soo begins sucking up to In-bum in a way that seems to point to this being a normal thing between them. Seo-jung also crowds In-bum, asking him the same question she asked In-soo—she’s worried that In-bum is being punished for helping with that surgery in the last episode. In-bum cuts her off and growls at her to stop acting so familiarly with him.

Seo-jung falters at his rising temper, and Dong-joo pipes up to check In-bum’s disrespectful attitude. Trying to take the high road, Seo-jung apologies for making In-bum uncomfortable, but he just storms out with In-soo in tow.

Once alone, Dong-joo confronts Seo-jung for being so forgiving toward In-bum, and she feigns ignorance. Unsatisfied with her answer, Dong-joo demands to know what Seo-jung’s relationship with In-bum is. She retorts that her relationship to In-bum is similar to her relationship with Dong-joo: They’re just a hoobae and sunbae.

Dong-joo is insulted to be placed in the same category as In-bum, and declares that their relationship is different. With an amused grin, she asks what exactly he thinks their relationship is. He fumbles for the right words, but finally says that theirs is “special.”

He seems unsure when she questions the classification as she stands up to look at him. He eyes her nervously and backs away silently, wary of her unexpected reaction. Seo-jung just smiles as she watches him and says that he’s being cute.

Dong-joo scoffs at her comment, reminding her that he’s a grown man. He declares that he isn’t a kid, and she answers back that he is a kid, because he acts so childish all the time. She then tells him to get back to work.

She finds In-bum down the hall in one of the offices, and tries to smooth down his easily ruffled feathers. While she admits that she doesn’t know why she makes him so uncomfortable, she hopes they can get along. She encourages him to ask her any questions he may have about Doldam, but in response, In-bum slams the door right in her face. Great attitude, this guy.

Dr. Song immediately complains about his office furnishings, only to dismiss his own complaints since he won’t be around long. He then hands Ki-tae a paper formalizing the latter’s promotion to Section Chief Administrator at Doldam, which is basically just a move by Dr. Song to try and get Ki-tae to be his little informant. Dr. Song cuts right to the chase and asks for the dirt on Teacher Kim, then offers the possibility of transferring Ki-tae over to Geodae if all goes well.

Another awkward conversation is taking place elsewhere, as Deputy Nurse Ji asks Seo-jung what her responsibilities at Doldam are. Seo-jung stops short of admitting that she’s an orderly, and instead says that she’s a board-certified ER specialist. Deputy Nurse Ji seems somewhat impressed to hear that before promptly walking away, uninterested in small talk.

Later, Nurse Oh harasses Teacher Kim in his office, demanding to know if he will allow the Geodae transplants to stay at Doldam since it’s clear what their ultimate aim is. She warns that if Teacher Kim is taken down by Dr. Do, all of Doldam might fall with him. Teacher Kim brushes her off and tells her to leave them be. Uncertain if she’s getting her point across, she reminds him that no other hospital will take him in. Her last words prompt him to pause as a troubled expression crosses his face.

In the ER, Nurse Assistant Park introduces Seo-jung to new hire Yeon-hwa moments before Seo-jung hustles over to fawn over the newly arrived medical equipment in the hybrid room. In-soo is there to take cracks at the ancient state of Doldam’s equipment and to explain a new machine Seo-jung doesn’t recognize. In-soo explains that the device uses “targeted temperature management” to achieve and maintain a specific body temperature in a person for a period of time, which can reduce the risk of tissue injury following lack of sufficient blood flow.

In-soo takes the opportunity with to ask why Seo-jung stayed at such a dated hospital all this time. Unlike in the past, she answers that it’s because of Teacher Kim. She advises In-soo that under Teacher Kim’s tutelage, he can really change if he is able to endure the surgeon’s teachings. However, In-soo intends to leave Doldam as soon as he is permitted to.

Outside, Teacher Kim smiles as he watches Seo-jung celebrate all the new state-of-the-art equipment. CEO Shin calls to confirm the safe delivery of his end of the bargain. He reminds Teacher Kim that it’s time for him to honor the bargain on his end. CEO Shin asks him to set his surgery date, and Teacher Kim promises to call once everything is prepared.

Down the hall, Dong-joo watches Teacher Kim and recalls Dr. Song’s disclosure about Teacher Kim’s past, specifically an incident where he killed his devoted student. Dong-joo links that information with his memory of his first encounter with Teacher Kim, where he nearly chopped off his hand. But then he loops everything he knows about Teacher Kim together, and struggles to reconcile all the disparate bits of information.

Elsewhere, a bleeding man stumbles into Dr. Nam’s yard, then collapses. Dr. Nam carries the man to the ER, where Teacher Kim assesses five stab wounds across the man’s abdomen and immediately puts the team to work. A few minutes later, another patient enters the ER, prompting Teacher Kim to rattle off some instructions before he tells Seo-jung to treat the stabbed patient.

The deeper stab wounds will require surgery, so Yeon-hwa runs off to retrieve both Dong-joo and In-bum. Seo-jung is surprised by Yeon-hwa’s enthusiasm, and Nurse Assistant Park beams at the compliment.

Meanwhile, Dr. Song runs into Dong-joo and calls upon him to declare his allegiance to Geodae or Doldam. Before Dong-joo can answer, In-bum walks out of one of the rooms, and Dr. Song begins fussing over him as he complains about the subpar quality of their accommodations. He then excuses himself, but not before telling Dong-joo that they’ll continue their conversation later.

Left alone to exchange barbs, In-bum asks if Dong-joo is still kissing up to Dr. Song, even at Doldam. Dong-joo pointedly asks why In-bum ended up in the same place as him even though In-bum’s got all the connections. In-bum claims to be getting “real life” experience and that he can return to Geodae whenever he wants to, unlike Dong-joo. In response, Dong-joo asks whether In-bum would be better at him at anything if not for his father and all his connections.

The question shakes In-bum, who remembers his father’s very similar choice of words. He calls Dong-joo an asshole, which Dong-joo accepts readily before shooting back that it’s better than being irrelevant, like In-bum. At that, In-bum clenches his fist.

Dong-joo notices and practically eggs In-bum to hit him. Backing off, In-bum decides that Dong-joo isn’t worth the risk of injuring his hand. Dong-joo laughs and asks if it would matter to hurt a hand that’s lacking in surgical skills, and that last comment sets In-bum off as he lands a punch squarely in Dong-joo’s jaw, but then mysteriously clutches it afterwards. Hmm. Dong-joo rebounds and lunges to return the favor, but Yeon-hwa arrives in time to break up the fight.

Back in the hybrid room, Teacher Kim coaches In-soo through treatment for the second patient, who is unconscious. While In-soo conducts CPR, Teacher Kim tries to resuscitate him using a defibrillator. When that doesn’t work, Teacher Kim collects info from the EMTs and calculates that the patient’s heart has stopped for around seventeen minutes. The EMTs also explain that the man had suddenly collapsed at the bus station, and that his wife is on her way.

Teacher Kim then tells In-soo to keep administering CPR before he goes back to the stab wound patient after Seo-jung discovers a sixth stab wound on the man’s back. Surprisingly, Teacher Kim guesses that the blade of the knife snapped off and is still inside the man’s body. Yikes. He then growls at Seo-jung to drag Dong-joo and In-bum over ASAP.

She finds Dong-joo and briefs him on the stab wound patient, but interrupts herself after she notices the cut on his lip from In-bum’s attack. Dong-joo tries to distract her by asking more questions about the patient, but when she accuses him of getting into a fight, he barks back that he isn’t a kid.

Eventually, Dong-joo and In-bum report to Teacher Kim for duty. Teacher Kim charts out their surgical plan, but right before they break from their huddle, Dr. Song waltzes in to put a stop to Teacher Kim’s strategy. He orders that the patient be sent to a bigger hospital.

Teacher Kim steps up to mark his territory, and tells Dr. Song that it isn’t about the size of the hospital, but the competence of its doctors. Dr. Song echoes Dong-joo and warns Teacher Kim not to operate before receiving consent from the patient’s guardian. Seo-jung states that in emergency medical situations, the law requiring guardian consent to procedures can be voided.

This silences Dr. Song, and Teacher Kim proceeds as planned, assigning In-bum as lead surgeon and Dong-joo as the assistant. Of course, Dong-joo isn’t happy about it, but Teacher Kim tells Dong-joo that he can sit out if he doesn’t like it.

Dong-joo stomps out of the ER, pissed at being passed over in favor of In-bum. Caught up in his self pity, he accidentally bumps into a surly man dressed in black lurking outside the ER. The man warns Dong-joo to watch where’s he’s going before continuing on.

Before the surgery, Seo-jung visits In-bum to give him a bandage for his knuckle wound, having noticed it earlier. In-bum tries to blow her off again, but she doesn’t let him this time. She asks what she’s done to make him so upset, and he snaps back at her that he simply doesn’t like that she exists. She asks for clarification, bewildered by his claim, but he accuses her of pretending not to know why he hates her.

She maintains her ignorance, so In-bum spells it out of her: Basically, he hates her because she’s a product of his father’s extramarital affair. The revelation is stunning for Seo-jung, who can’t seem to fully comprehend what he’s insinuating. He begs her to leave him alone before storming out.

As they sterilize themselves for surgery, Teacher Kim advises In-bum not to fight with his hands—if he needs to fight with someone, then he should kick them instead, or let himself be hit. In-bum ignores his advice and asks for the reason why Teacher Kim forced him to work at Doldam. Teacher Kim guesses that In-bum thinks he wants to torture him, and by extension his father, Dr. Do. In-bum doesn’t deny it, so Teacher Kim tells In-bum to stop talking nonsense and focus on the surgery at hand.

In the shared office, Dong-joo stews alone, refusing to be second to In-bum. His rebellion doesn’t last long, and he finally resigns himself to his fate. When he opens the door to leave, he surprises Yeon-hwa, who had been waiting outside the door to deliver some medicine for Dong-joo’s cut. She nearly tips backwards, but he rescues her in time, making her swoon. He rights her, checks that she’s okay, then rushes off to the surgery. Poor Nurse Assistant Park.

Dong-joo’s tantrum and resulting tardiness disqualifies him from the surgery by Teacher Kim, who assigns himself as the assistant surgeon in the procedure. We then see that his aim was to watch In-bum in action and evaluate his skills, not to slight Dong-joo.

Out in the hybrid room, the patient with no heartbeat continues to flummox the ER team. Seo-jung recommends using that new machine to lower the patient’s body temperature and mitigate the brain damage. She goes out to explain her recommendation to the patient’s family, who express concern over the high cost of treatment, despite also caring deeply for the patient. Determined, the patient’s daughter swears to come up with the money to pay for the procedure no matter the cost.

However, when Seo-jung tries to get clearance, new Section Chief Ki-tae puts a stop to it, citing the low probability of success and the family’s inability to guarantee the fees since it’s not covered by insurance.

Seo-jung takes issue with both points, complaining that this type of procedure should be covered by insurance. Ki-tae says that even though it’s unfortunate, his hands are tied.

Seo-jung vows to do it without permission, but Ki-tae keeps telling her that she can’t. He’s stopped when one of the hospital staff runs up to tell him that the police are outside to discuss the patient with the stab wounds.

That man in black from earlier sits in the ER demanding a vitamin drip, and we learn that he intends to finish off the stab wound patient, who is still in surgery. Seo-jung tries to send the man away, ignorant of his plans, but he parks himself down and refuses to leave. She takes care of the problem by calling in Mr. Go, Doldam’s muscle, to escort him out.

Seo-jung finds Dong-joo sulking outside the OR and chides him for not listening to Teacher Kim. She treats the cut on his lip, nagging him the entire time. He watches her intently, then suddenly out of the blue, he says, “Date me, Yoon Seo-jung.” He offers to also forgive her for calling him childish.

She flicks him in the forehead and scolds him for speaking informally to her. She then orders him to go back inside the OR and do whatever it takes to stay in there. He tells her that she has three chances: He’ll ask her two more times, so she better think carefully before answering the next time. He takes his leave and she watches him with a wide smile. She sighs to herself and says, “One is always asking me out whenever our eyes meet, and the other one is writing himself a makjang drama about his family. How exhausting.” HA.

Dong-joo is in the bathroom inspecting his lip when that murderous man in black walks into the bathroom. The man begins griping about Seo-jung, and Dong-joo rightfully senses something dangerous about him. He takes note of something in the man’s pocket before quickly exiting the bathroom.

The wheels start spinning in his head, and he rushes out to find Ki-tae. He learns from a staff member that the police had come by because they suspected that the stabbing patient is a victim of some gang activity. Dong-joo hurries out to tell Ki-tae of the man in the bathroom, who he believes has some kind of concealed blade wrapped in a cloth.

Dong-joo returns to the OR and alerts the staff inside of the outside threat, but Teacher Kim doesn’t care and dismisses Dong-joo again. This time, Dong-joo refuses and remains adamant about staying. And because Dong-joo loves digging his own grave, he asks what he did so wrong to deserve this treatment, arguing that he was only a few minutes late.

Teacher Kim points out that the problem isn’t that Dong-joo was late, but the “useless thoughts” that led to his tardiness. Teacher Kim says that his attitude is all messed up, and that he let his useless thoughts interfere with their mission to save the patient. Teacher Kim tells Dong-joo that he doesn’t have the right to be in the OR. It’s that last statement that defeats him, and Dong-joo backs down.

Ki-tae calls the police and then mobilizes a small group to assist him in searching the grounds. They’re pretty ineffectual, and end up running around like Scooby’s Gang, terrified by the slightest movement.

Back with the unconscious patient, it looks as if Seo-jung’s recommendation paid off since the patient’s heartbeat is back up, but he’s still not awake. In-soo presses to know why Seo-jung wanted him to do the procedure when she could’ve done it herself. She tries to play it off, but he smells that something is off, and she shuffles away to avoid confirming anything.

At that moment, Deputy Nurse Ji, who had been observing the events at Doldam all day long from the shadows, walks into to corroborate In-soo’s suspicions. She wonders why Seo-jung, who is a board-certified physician, acts like a mere intern.

Seo-jung runs off in time to protect her secret, and finds herself in front of the OR. She stares at the door longingly, yearning to be in there, then turns and notices the man she had shooed out of the ER earlier. He asks for her confirmation that the stabbing patient is inside.

In the OR, phase one of the surgery comes to an end, and Dong-joo stands away from the activity. As they switch over to phase two, Dong-joo finally decides to give up and opens the door to leave. He’s alarmed to see Seo-jung standing in the doorway, a strange look in her eyes. Teacher Kim yells at Seo-jung for entering without sterilizing herself, but quiets down after he notices the man in black standing beside her with a sickle held to neck.

The man demands to know who’s in charge, and after Teacher Kim identifies himself, he orders him to stop the procedure, or he’ll kill Seo-jung. When nobody moves, the man shouts for Teacher Kim to stop the operation, and grabs Seo-jung closer as the blade inches toward her. She screams, and Dong-joo cries out.

 

COMMENTS

I was hoping the Geodae arrivals would seriously shake up the dynamics at Doldam, and at first it seemed like it would, but by the end, the status quo remained more or less the same. (Serious question: Where were the other Geodae nurses for the majority of the episode?) However, it does appear as if something is going to give soon, and we will be moving forward into new territory.

I was pretty disappointed that Teacher Kim and Dr. Song’s relationship ended up being so cartoonish after all. Their interaction in last week’s episode was much more contemplative and layered. Now Dr. Song is back to acting outlandishly and being an overall pain in the ass, which seems to be his sole purpose. I fully understand why this is being done, because without Dr. Song at Doldam, there really isn’t anyone with the power (or desire) to directly oppose Teacher Kim and disrupt his “romantic” life. Because at Doldam, Teacher Kim’s influence frankly looms too largely, and with the way things stood, there was no reason for him to ultimately change his ways for the better, or to heal the pain and fear he harbors inside. That said, I wish Dr. Song was given a little more nuance and complexity.

On another note, if the main purpose of In-bum is to make Dong-joo look more desirable, then it’s working. Though, to be fair, they both came off as petulant, self-absorbed little children in this episode. Their lack of emotional maturity gave me so much secondhand embarrassment. I do wonder sometimes if the characters are being written to ham it up a bit so that the impact of Teacher’s Kim’s lessons seemingly hit harder. Which is unfortunate, because Teacher Kim’s tirades are often extremely compelling—I only wish they were given the proper amount of emotional weight they deserve.

If Teacher Kim’s interest in In-bum and Seo-jung’s generous treatment of him is any indication, then In-bum is going to have a nice character trajectory. I love the idea of bringing in the heir of the baddie empire, breaking them down, and making them an ally. Because it’s one thing to change a powerless, talented surgeon like Dong-joo and expect him to remain unpolluted in a broken world, and quite another to change the ideals of the prince, then send him back to implement those values systemically. I know In-bum thinks the only thing he’s gaining at Doldam is “real-life experience,” but I would so love it if he also gained a few comrades as he fights in the trenches, where status means nothing. Bring on the bromance!

I appreciate that Seo-jung is very aware, and understands how childish both Dong-joo and In-bum are acting. (I loooved when she made that comment about Dong-joo asking her out every time their eyes meet! Gave me a good laugh.) However, I do mourn the extent to which she’s being forced to live as a casualty of Teacher Kim, Dong-joo, and In-bum’s constant mood swings and overall all churlishness, though.

In any case, I know I’m not alone in sorely missing that the bright-eyed heroic firecracker we met in the first episode—someone who even made a hardass like Dr. Moon crack a smile with her mettle. I understand that Seo-jung is going through some stuff right now, but I wish it didn’t mean she had to lose all her spunk, enough to where she’s constantly groveling at Teacher Kim’s feet and doubting herself at every corner. I was hopeful last week to see her finally stand up to Teacher Kim, but it’s clear that changes occur slowly at Doldam. And perhaps that pace of development fits in with the overall theme at Doldam, where the morals are rigid, the technology (was) ancient, and the people are slow to change their ways. So maybe that’s the beauty of Doldam—because there isn’t a timeframe for mending your heart.

 

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“One is always asking me out whenever our eyes meet, and the other one is writing himself a makjang drama about his family. How exhausting.”
FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS..ahaha
~sigh

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That annoying big mouth nurse telling on everyone! If I have to sit through one more episode of her contantly appearing at corners whispering on the phone Lord knows who's head my shoe is gonna hit!

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The main theme of the series on the whole,in my opinion,is leading the followers to question the philosophy and ethical issues related with medical practice.The romance part adds only spice&sauce to the plot.

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I really love this drama. I always look forward to watch it every monday/tuesday night ♥ I hope Seo-jung and Dong Joo will go on a date soon ;)

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I actually quite liked this episode and how the dynamics at Doldam shifted and our new characters brought a nice energy. Seo Jung really shines in this episode and I do agree that she has lost some spunk which may have been due to what happened in the 5 years that we missed out on.

Here's my blog entry on this episode

http://wp.me/p7U37n-Rp

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She may have lost some spunk, but she's still my favourite character! I love how she fawned over the new equipment. So cute and funny!

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I appreciated how she said goodbye to the elderly ultrasound machine as it was being put out to pasture...

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I was also hoping that Dr. Song would be more of a threat to Teacher Kim, but now it seems unlikely. If he is a threat in the future, it would seem out of character. Maybe, In-bum's father will have something else evil planned for Dr. Song. I would also like to see In-bum become good friends with people at Doldam and maybe even go up against his father later on. I can totally see him worshiping Teacher Kim along with Seo-jung and Dong Joo. I bet In-bum will be put in a difficult position where he has to choose between his father and Teacher Kim.

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Are we supposed to like Kim Sabu? Because I'm struggling, y'all. It seems like every time he does something commendable, or makes a good point, his awful personality brings me right back down. Most of the men in this drama are kind of the worst? Solely my opinion.

Also agree with murasakimi about Seo-jung's groveling at the feet of Kim Sabu and now In-bum. It's frustrating, and it makes me uncomfortable. She only really shows her backbone when it involves Dong-joo or the family member of a patient acting up. Hopefully she sees soon that these are not people who should be put on a pedestal.

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Thank God I'm not the only one who literally cannot stand him sometimes.

I get that he's wiser than Dong joo and has the right to tell him off, but he also says that he wants an equal to work with as a surgeon which doesn't add up because he treats everyone else like children.

As much as I like him at some points, his personality is sometimes more of a turn off than Dong joo's.

Also he seems to like In bum? (but Dong joo and In bum are at the same level of petty) I don't know anymore.

At this point, I like Dong joo the most of all three of them.

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Actually, the one I liked most this week was the huge silent calm intimidating attendant / unofficial bouncer.

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Yes! I wonder what's up with him showing interest in In Beom because i thought he's gonna treat all three of them the same way. He might have warmed up to Seo Jung after 5 years but the way he treats Dong Joo and is showing interest in In Beom thoroughly confuses me.

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You're not the only ones. I'm having a difficulty liking his personality too. I like him as a great doctor but I still have to warm up to his personality.

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He epitomizes tough love. He is the type of senior doctor we used to have (and still have) that you have to earn the respect of before he gives you the time of the day. But he has everyone's respect, not because he is flawless, but because firstly he is amazing at what he does, and second because he expects the same high standard from his colleagues, and isn't afraid to yell at them in order to not let them settle for less.

Being a surgeon requires supreme amounts of concentration and confidence and if DJ and SJ can't even argue their point of view and act sensibly in front of Teacher Kim, he has every right to not let them operate.

I used to hate fierce but awesome mentors like Teacher Kim when I was more junior because I'd be so stressed before going to work with them. But now looking back I realise I learnt the most with them because they always demanded my best- I read up the day before, I knew my patient's conditions inside-out and outside-in, and was always on high alert during the surgery. So while I may have cursed and sweated, I also gave my best to the patient, and I have my fierce mentors to thank for that.

Besides, I'm sure Teacher Kim is all soft and marshmallowy on the inside. It's just how to get past his porcupine spines first. ?

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Thanks for this because you just simplified everything I want to say about Teacher Kim. . I am not a doctor, but I am also a professional. Like you, I used to have my senior/ boss like Teacher Kim (still have though) but it made us becomes strong and stronger. Without the fierce mentors, we are probably living in a very comfort zone :P

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@Michykdrama

Thumbs up! +1000

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Totally with you. Respect is something you earn.
Love the way Han is playing Doctor Kim. He is engaging and I feel like I need to make an effort to understand him just like the rest of the young doctors.
Being top of the class doesn't make one a great doctor. Dong-joo needs to be brought down a notch so he can learn.

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Well said, Michykdrama... tough love is what I've been thinking, too. As always, thanks for your real-life insight. ;-)

Kim Sabu is highly gifted at pinpointing the quirks and Achilles heels that get in the way of his students living up to their potential as physicians, and he dishes out the "ego acupuncture" accordingly... after first giving them his signature wake-up call.

I've been noticing how he blows his stack, then backs off and becomes less confrontational with the target of his lesson. He has engaged in banter with Dong-joo that came across to me as less high-and-mighty and more instructive. Unfortunately, it's still lather-rinse-repeat at this time.

However, Kim Sabu himself is not behind the door, and I get a kick out of the fact that Nurse Oh is the one who skillfully wields the metaphorical 2x4 that gets his attention. She's been at DolDarned for 18 years -- so chronologically speaking, she's his senior and presumably knows where all the bodies are buried. ;-)

I'd love to know how Kim Sabu came to find his niche in the boonies, and how long it took him. Did he go the yong-pal route before that?

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I don't think it is about whether we should like him or not, but either one, he has his own reasons of such attitude. @Michykdrama has stated her opinion and I agreed with her.

Speaking of anyone to like in this drama, I don't think we have anyone that we can purely adore or like in this drama, right? I mean the three leads.

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lol i loved this episode!

and did anyone else feel like it suddenly got REALLLLLY hot when dong joo asked seo jung to date him? LOL :X

and i feel like seo hyun-jin has gotten so pretty! like i saw her in another miss oh, and she's pretty, but i feel like in this drama she's gotten even prettier! she's also really killing this character, like her expressions and movements and acting and everything is so on point! i find her so cute and i'm a girl (lmao)

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Liking the show, but...

I would think even as low-budget a hospital as Doldam would have a better paging system than sending one nurse running all over to find two doctors.

Considering how hard it was for her to find said doctors, or for a whole team find the sinister sickle-murderer, I wonder if the hospital is like a Tardis. Bigger on the inside.

And we have yet another person who loses her balance and needs to be saved from falling over. I swear, Korean people must have serious balance problems. They should go see a doctor. Oh, sh... :)

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Haha. Based on dramas Korean people also have serious problems of:

Walking randomly onto busy intersections and being paralyzed once truck headlamps are shone on them

Being blind to the gender of a female once they have short hair and cross dress, or become completely unrecognizable once they wear a cap (for males) or big sunglasses and a scarf for females)

Not being able to grab anywhere else but the wrist

Oh and really frequent amnesia. Almost everyone has had it or knows someone who has had it before. ?

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May i add one more?
Taking the batteries out of their phones when they do not wish to be contacted, instead of switching them off like normal people do.

Ah but now with the latest technology where you can't just take out the batts, they throw it away and get a new phone.

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Lord C, I agree. Seeing "Paulette Revere" racing off to find the surly Bobbsey Twins was pretty strange. Maybe there's no public address system because, in Section Chief Ki-tae's hands, it would become a weapon of mass destruction. As in the effect of "Indian Love Call" on Martian crania. ;-)

Re: the newest member of the housekeeping staff, Woo Yeon-Hwa is actually Chinese. That was some do-si-do she did with Dong-joo. ;-)

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I wish Dr. Song didn't ever come to Ddoldam. He's so unbelievably annoying. Seeing him is not good for my mental health. I can't believe he keeps mentioning the student that Dr. Kim killed when he's the one who actually killed her. Like, does he even have any conscience? and why Dr. Kim doesn't say anything about it? That dark past is more like Dr. Song's weakness than Dr. Kim's. He should be the one who uses it to mess with Dr. Song.

I think we're all want everyone to change quickly and learn their lessons. But then I remember that the timeline in this Show hasn't move that much. I think it hasn't even been a week since Dong-joo came to Ddoldam. But yeah, still... we only have... how much? 16 episode? So It'd be nice if they do something about it.

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Thanks for the recap!

Overall I enjoyed episode 8 much more than 7 but it's very interesting because the very reasons why I'm starting to warm up to the show seem to be the reason for some people's complaints.

I like that doctors aren’t portrayed as perfect or infallible. Despite the emotional baggage they carry around (and our leads have A LOT of baggage), they are doing all they can, to be, not a good doctor, but the best kind.

The 2 man-childs need to be smacked around a bit (ok, more than a bit!) and certainly Teacher Kim isn't a benevolent nurturing type of mentor, but I'm enjoying seeing them struggle with their insecurities as they try to attain their dreams, right the wrongs in their world and I'm starting to really root for them to triumph.

So I still want to smack Dong Joo, and I continue to hope for less politics, but at the same time I really want more combined surgeries (this time preferably without DJ throwing a tantrum and no sickle-wielding gangster breathing down their necks!) to see more interactions between the men and watch them grow (me looking at you DJ!! Don't disappoint me!)

And I do do hope that before the end of the show SJ gets her wish to scrub in and operate with Teacher Kim, not as an assistant but as the primary surgeon. I'd watch the hell out of that, and be cheering her on, every cut and stitch of the way, as she lives out her dream. You can do it girl!

I have more thoughts about episode 8 where I was very impressed about some of the topics the drama decided to touch on, but I shall (im)patiently wait for the next recap to touch on it!

My thoughts are on my blog but beware there are SPOILERS for episode 8

https://mydramalesslife.wordpress.com/2016/12/02/romantic-doctor-teacher-kim-episode-7-8-inspiring-deep-thoughts/

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Lets hope after epi 8, Dong Joo is done with his throwing a tantrum. I get he wants to argue which is good sometimes, but he can be a bit too prideful (OK I know he is best student with best score etc etc) but still..

I am looking forward for SJ to overcome her PTSD and get to do a combined surgery with Teacher Kim. That's my wish too.

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Same, I love episode 8. Looking forward to the next recap.

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@Michykdrama,

Yep, I'm on the same page with you. Thanks for your Deep Thoughts, too! I appreciate your colleague's words about walking with patients on the long road to health... Bravo!

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LOVE LOVE LOVE IT.

Hate the hospital politics, but this show continues to keep me hooked.

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I don't know why the titular character's personality is so mixed up. It's not matching with the title.

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It's not romantic as in swoony love-bird, it's romantic as in idealistic. I wish the title was "Idealistic Doctor Kim." He believes in "save the patient, everything else be damned," but that's a romantic worldview, because life doesn't work that way. You can't just charge ahead without thoughts of the consequences, you can't just operate without consent, or give expensive therapies without considering costs involved, the world doesn't work that way. Unless, of course, you're a cowboy doctor in some third-rate hospital in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere.

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Man, after watching 7 episodes, I feel bad for Seo Jung for dealing with all of these man-child around her all the time.

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RIGHT?!

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@murasakimi,

Thanks for your recap and commentary!

Late to the party after sneaking off to marathon THE GREATEST LOVE. I needed an antidote to live-watchingitis, and a transfusion of Cha Seung-Won rom-com shenanigans did the trick. ;-)

I've been observing the growing thaw between Seo-jung and Dong-joo. After she tells him off for acting like a teenager in the on-call room, she playfully whacks him with her notepad as she turns to leave. I couldn't figure out whether it was on the hip or butt. It surprised me, given that she's just told him off. It felt like a double message to me.

Later, after he's been kicked out of the OR, she applies salve to his busted lip, courtesy of In-bum's punching him in the kisser. She also touches him on the leg or knee... To me, that scene was very intimate, especially after she'd taken him to task for acting like a schoolboy with a crush. Hellooooo? It cracked me up to watch her seriously exhorting him to march himself back into the OR, while his wheels are turning in a totally different direction. Even after she thwacks him on the forehead, he's absolutely serious. He says, "Third time's the charm," and that he'll ask her to date him twice more, as he very gently touches her third eye. She doesn't flinch.

For the record: He never dated because he was too busy studying... so he's trying to make up for lost time. I see that as pretty normal, in an arrested-adolescence sort of way. ;-)

I'm hoping this signals that she's coming to grips with her feelings of disloyalty towards Dr. Moon, and that her survivor's guilt is abating as well. I'm really looking forward to her having a long-overdue heart-to-heart with Dong-joo, for a number of reasons. But he's actually only been at DolDarned for a little over a week, and her PTSD-fueled relapse occurred shortly after his arrival. Given the short-staffing, there's been no chance of them getting time off at the same time to talk in private off-site even if she had been ready and willing to do so.

When Dong-joo first arrived, SJ asked what the heck had happened to him over the past five years to make him turn out this way, and all I could think was: He lost the one sunbae he truly admired, not only for her technical prowess, but for her dedication to Hippocratic ideals. The ECMO case was a huge turning point for him as they collaborated in surgery to save a patient everyone else was afraid to go to bat for. I can't help but wonder how differently his professional development would have progressed if he had had even one person like her providing that kind of example as a patient advocate.

IMHO, Seo-jung needs to hear about Dr. Moon's secretive conversation with that nurse after the accident. Dong-joo did indeed see the engagement ring when she was brought into the ER, and is the only witness who is in a position to reveal it. I think he would -- if he were clued in to the cause of her meltdowns. He was angry as hell at what looked like...

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He was angry as hell at what looked like… her boyfriend's betrayal.

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I really like this show so far, but I would appreciate a litte more continuity. I mean, Dong-joo has been at the hospital for about a week. At the beginning of the week, Seo-jung was a pill-popping PTSD nut case with limited hand mobility. Just the sight of Doo-jung sends her on a psychotic break of hallucinations, overdoses, and suicide. Now, just three magical days later, she's back in the ER, attending surgeries, and flirting with Dong-joo! I mean, seriously, shouldn't his "Let's date" have triggered an episode for her? Shouldn't her self-inflicted injury be more evident? I mean, I figured severed tendons would take more than a weekend to heal, but maybe I'm underestimating the power of Master Kim.

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