I just want to live while I'm alive

I watched Hospital Playlist (HP) mainly because of Yoo Yeon-seok who acted as the byronic Goo Dong-mae in Mr Sunshine. In HP, he acted as the gentle paediatric surgeon Dr Ahn Jeong-won whose long-time ambition was to be a priest like his four siblings. The storyline follows five doctors who have been best friends since they entered medical school in 1999. They formed a band while in medical school and continued to play songs after work in the hospital. They are squad goals.

The drama series reminded me of a group of male Singaporean doctors whom I got acquainted with during my gap year before university. I first met Dr. E at my workplace. Then, I got to know his friends:

Dr E - he wanted to specialise in surgery like Dr Lee Ik-sun. He was jovial, funny and a leader when he was in school. A son of a pastor, he smoked (an act of rebellion, perhaps) and loved the Malays as he felt that we are nicer and more relaxed than his Chinese community.
Dr K - like Dr Yang Seok-hyeong, he was a little awkward, very shy and quiet. He was Dr E's best friend.
Dr B - loved backpacking to exotic destinations alone, and loved dancing in clubs. 
Dr T - wanted to specialise in ophthalmology, shy and quiet; hardly joined the rest of the guys.
Dr D - very popular with the nurses, loved going to the gym and diving. He didn't want to specialise but was contented to be a general practitioner and have a laid-back life.

I remember how I tried to matchmake the guys with my female friends. Well, Dr E liked me and I did find him adorable but as we are of different religions, he felt that he could not be with me lest his strict pastor father would disown him. I ended up dating Dr D for a short while and got along well with his family. But like Dr Chae Song-hwa's ex-boyfriend, Dr D cheated on me. I caught him fooling around with another girl. So hurtful.

Nevertheless, my favourite doctor in HP is the other Dr Ahn (sorry Yeon-sook, otherwise known to me as Dr Goo Dong-mae). The strong, silent and sweet former army captain Dr Ahn Chi-hong was a neurosurgery resident who was in love with his neurosurgeon professor, Dr Chae Song-hwa. I will write about that in another blog post. [Until then, you might like to read about Song Hwa x Chi Hong --> one, two, three]

Anyway, after watching HP, I felt depressed and sad because the drama reminded me of my failed medical school dream and unfulfilled ambition of becoming a surgeon. Yet, there are some backstories in HP which I found inspiring. Dr Do Jae-hak who was chief resident of cardiothoracic surgery took his MCAT six times (he was older than the rest of the residents). Dr Ahn Chi-hong went to medical school after his discharge from the military due to a spinal injury. It was mentioned that Captain Ahn had the potential to be a General. Fortunately, he found his purpose in medicine. A military man and a doctor, totally my type!

I read that everyone got their happy endings in season 2. Unfortunately, mine is like Ae Shin (our heroine in Mr Sunshine)'s third English word - 'sad ending'. A little like Dr Ahn Chi-hong's story; though he became Chief Resident, he took his broken heart to another hospital. I was rooting for him and Song-hwa. Hais, I don't think I can watch any more K-dramas...

*Although I didn't watch HP 2, I watched the squad rocked to Bon Jovi's 'It's my life'. The producer probably paid very highly for the rights to use the song, but it's totally worth it. Drummer Dr Goo Dong-mae/Jeong-won looked hot in his leather attire and those muscles, damn... Surprisingly, my eyes lingered on the aloof but preppy cardiothoracic surgeon Dr Kim Jun-wan on the guitar (red straps). Hot damn!