Even though it was so hard that they wanted to give up everything, the youth chose their dreams and what they loved.

CJ ENM drama project’ O ‘PENing(Opening)’ series ‘Road to Surgeons’ (directed by Kim Jae-hong, written by Kim Se-hee)is a buddy movie about a third-year chief of staff and a second-year resident who must catch a first-year resident before the ‘First-Year Surgery Skills Competition’, after the youngest first-year resident runs away.’Road to Surgeons’, which aired episodes 1 and 2 consecutively on the 14th, realistically, humorously, and also touchingly portrays the story of young people who shine fiercely in a ‘hospital’ where pain and death are repeated.

‘Road to Surgeon’s ‘three main characters, Kim Joo-no(played by Kim Gun-woo), Lee Dae-gil(played by Lee Won-jung), and Kim Hye-won(played by Jeong Sin-hye), are surgical residents at Cheonha University Hospital.The three, who are in their third year, second year, and first year respectively, are so busy enduring each tough day that they have long forgotten why they wanted to become surgeons.They try to eat their first meal of triangle kimbap in 12 hours, but they often miss it because of an emergency patient who is suddenly brought in.At some point, they can’ t even see what their future will look like tomorrow.

Kim Joo-no, who is about to take the specialist exam, is looking forward to the youngest student in his first year, Kim Hye-won, winning first place in the ‘First-Year Surgery Skills Competition’ held at Cheonha University Hospital.That is the only way he can have some time to study.However, Kim Hye-won disappeared, leaving behind a message saying, “I can no longer continue my training.”

Kim Joo-no, who is called ‘the chaser’ after catching several runaway residents, left the hospital with Lee Dae-gil, a second-year student, to catch Kim Hye-won before the drinking competition.The two visited the nursing hospitals listed in Kim Hye-won’s notebook.They guessed that Kim Hye-won was trying to get a job at a nursing hospital.Lee Dae-gil, who likes Kim Hye-won, was worried that she might have quit because of him.Thus began the salty and intense road movie of the doctor buddies Kim Joo-no and Lee Dae-gil.


Finding Kim Hye-won was not easy.Kim Joo-no and Lee Dae-gil witnessed an emergency at a nursing hospital and saved a patient.There was a doctor there who had given up on his residency because it was difficult.It was a choice he made thinking it would be easy, but what awaited him was excessive work and a lack of skills that made it impossible to deal with emergencies due to not having completed the training process.Seeing this, Kim Joo-no and Lee Dae-gil went out to find Kim Hye-won again with bitter hearts.

That’s how I met Kim Hye-won at the last nursing home on the list.The three of them had a sudden chase in the middle of the night.But it turned out that Kim Hye-won ran away not because she was tired, but because her mother’s condition was getting worse as she had to keep moving to rehabilitation hospitals.Kim Hye-won’s father was a surgeon, but he died from overwork.Kim Hye-won wanted to stay by her mother’s side, who must have always been lonely because of her father.Knowing this, Kim Joo-no and Lee Dae-gil turned around.

Kim Hye-won called Kim Joo-no and Lee Dae-gil, who were returning home, thinking about why they wanted to become surgeons.An emergency patient had occurred, a life-or-death situation.Eventually, the three of them found a hospital that would accept the emergency patient, but there was no surgeon to operate on them.The three of them entered the operating room to save the person.And they saved the person.

Kim Joo-no and Lee Dae-gil, who returned to the hospital after leaving Kim Hye-won behind, shared a can of beer and lamented before passing out.The next day, the two people who woke up late rushed to the drinking competition site.They expected to be very upset, but they were not.Kim Hye-won came back on her own, won first place in the drinking competition, and went to her older sister’s wedding.

Kim Joo-no said, “I liked saving people,” and added, “If someone asks why they should become a surgeon, I have to say this.A surgeon is someone who can help someone when they need help the most.” “Road to Surgeon” ended with Kim Joo-no, Lee Dae-gil, and Kim Hye-won rediscovering the reason they really wanted to become surgeons and jumping back into the fierce life to become true surgeons.

‘Road to Surgeon’ was written by Kim Se-hee, a former medical doctor who actually completed a residency program, and vividly captures stories from the medical field.The road movie format infused the play with fun and liveliness.The three main characters Kim Gun-woo, Lee Won-jung, and Jeong Shin-hye, as well as the special appearances of Kim Nam-hee(as Kang Jin-sang)and Jeong Seong-il(as Lee Shin-yeop), increased the immersion of the play with stable acting.In addition, through the fierce and shining growth of the youth, it showed the essence of a one-act play by leaving a message and food for thought about the choice of ‘Why am I going down this path?’

Hong Se-young, reporter for Donga.com projecthong@donga.com

This article is automatically translated using Google AI. If you notice any inaccuracies, please let us know at allkstar@donga.com.