Recent Books

Intern

Doctor X, translated from English by Yang Jung-hyun; Gimmyoung: 390 pp., 10,900 won

When doctors grab a pen instead of a stethoscope or scalpel, interesting or even moving writing can be born. Apparently, it is because doctors deal with profound matters involving life and death everyday.

``Intern'' created a sensation when it was first published in English in 1965. The anonymous author _ later revealed as Dr. Alan Nourse, who also penned several SF stories _ plunged a scalpel into the inside workings of a hospital, revealing the human side _ stress, mistakes, and hidden emotions of agony and guilt _ of doctors and nurses, who are often considered ``cold-blooded'' by patients and their families. From the frank viewpoint of a medical intern who just landed in the insiders' professional world, the narrator provides a detailed account of his experiences in various departments of a general hospital.

First translated into Korean in 1981 by a doctor who was then serving as a medical officer, the book led many youth to aspire to a doctor's career and sold over 200,000 copies before it went out of print in 1994. Despite the time gap, now reprinted the stories come across genuinely revealing of a world still little known to lay people, while at the same time maintaining humor and integrity.