**520 Apartment.**
"OMG!"
"Poor Chandler~"
"NYU Medical Center? Cardiothoracic Surgery?"
After settling Chandler and Aurora into the hospital and sending Caroline home, Adam returned to the apartment and told everyone what had happened. Naturally, it caused a stir.
"Hmm?"
Adam noticed Rachel's reaction and her unusual focus. Then, recalling her last name, he had a thought. "Rachel, your dad wouldn't happen to be Dr. Leonard Green, would he?"
"Yes."
Rachel covered her mouth and nodded.
"That's great, Rachel! You can talk to your dad and ask him to pay extra attention."
Monica, despite not being fond of Aurora, cared about Chandler, just like Adam did.
Having a personal connection in the medical field made a huge difference—across cultures, professions, and time periods.
"Okay."
Rachel nodded firmly but looked a little uneasy. She had been avoiding her father for over two months since she ran away from her wedding and still didn't know how to face him.
Despite being the spoiled and beloved eldest daughter, she was utterly terrified when her father got angry.
Dr. Leonard Green was a surgeon who single-handedly supported a household full of extravagant spenders. He was known for his bad temper, and he was definitely still furious about her running away from her wedding. Otherwise, he would have come looking for her by now.
But this was a life-and-death situation—there was no way she could refuse. So she had no choice but to tough it out and agree.
"Damn!"
While everyone was expressing their concern, Joey—who was always slow to react—made an inappropriate remark. "Aurora and Chandler really know how to have fun~"
"Yeah~"
Ross looked envious, too.
Except for Adam, none of them had ever seen something like this.
"Are you kidding me?"
Monica was speechless. "Do you guys want to end up like Chandler? Did you even ask your 'brother' first?"
"…"
Ross and Joey's fantasies were immediately shattered by Monica's blunt words. They laughed awkwardly.
"Let's all go visit Chandler tomorrow."
Phoebe suggested.
"Of course."
"Yeah, let's go together."
Ross and Joey quickly agreed.
"Rachel, don't worry. Just act cute and sweet—your dad won't stay mad at you."
Adam noticed Rachel's expression and reassured her.
Hmm… Now that he knew her father was Dr. Leonard Green, he figured he should treat Rachel a little better.
She was the first person in his circle with a doctor in the family, and not just any doctor—her father was an attending physician in Cardiothoracic Surgery at NYU Medical Center.
That carried serious weight, making it worth Adam's effort to build a connection.
### How Do Doctors Level Up in the U.S.?
First, they complete a four-year undergraduate degree. The major isn't strictly required to be pre-med, but a relevant field helps. After passing exams and applications, they enter medical school for another four years.
The first two years focus on theory, while the last two involve clinical rotations in teaching hospitals. This exposes them to different specialties and helps them understand the hospital system and various diseases.
After passing their licensing exams and earning an MD, they apply for residency training.
The first year is an internship, where they shadow senior residents, handle basic tasks, and try to get into as many surgeries as possible. This is where they transition from theory to hands-on practice.
Near the end of the internship, they choose their specialty.
American hospitals have broad categories like Surgery, Internal Medicine, Obstetrics & Gynecology, and Pediatrics, with many subspecialties under each.
For example, in Surgery, there are specialties like Cardiothoracic Surgery, Neurosurgery, Plastic Surgery, Dermatologic Surgery, Pediatric Surgery, Trauma Surgery, Orthopedic Surgery, Ophthalmic Surgery, and many more.
Among them, **Cardiothoracic Surgery is the ultimate challenge for the most ambitious and skilled surgeons.**
Cracking open someone's chest, holding their heart in your hands, making it beat at your command, or even performing a heart transplant—it's awe-inspiring.
In ancient times, that would have been considered the power of the gods!
Neurosurgery, or brain surgery, may seem even more impressive, but the brain is too complex. Current medical technology can't perform a "brain transplant" the way a heart transplant is done. Many neurosurgical procedures rely on educated guesses, or they're just plain helpless, leaving only prayers for divine intervention.
Plastic surgery pays better, but it's more focused on aesthetics rather than saving lives.
Since Adam had looked into this, he had already made his decision—he would specialize in Cardiothoracic Surgery. It offered the highest chances of saving lives.
Why not become an ER doctor, like those "ordinary yet extraordinary" protagonists in TV dramas, solving every case on the spot and leaving specialists dumbfounded?
Because the **U.S. healthcare system doesn't work that way.**
Few people go to the ER unless it's a **true** emergency—because it's extremely expensive.
Most minor issues are handled by **family doctors** in the community. Severe cases are sent directly to the relevant specialty departments.
Handling everything in the ER on your own, without following the proper referral process, is **dangerous** in a system obsessed with procedure and protocol.
Medical malpractice lawsuits in the U.S. are no joke—**on average, every doctor gets sued at least once a year.**
If you don't follow the proper process, even if you save a patient's life, you could still get sued. Best case? A massive fine. Worst case? Losing your medical license. In extreme cases, you could even go to jail.
Adam needed a **safe and stable** medical career to ensure his own survival. He wasn't about to gamble on some protagonist-level plot armor. Playing it safe, following procedures, and avoiding unnecessary risks was the way to go.
Residency length varies by specialty—Internal Medicine takes about **three years**, but Surgery takes much longer. Depending on the field, it can last **four, five, six, or even seven years.**
Both interns and residents work under attending physicians. Even if a resident performs surgery, the attending physician makes the final call and takes responsibility. **Strictly speaking, residents aren't full-fledged doctors yet.**
After completing residency and passing another set of board exams, they **become attending physicians**—finally able to practice independently. At this point, they can even leave the hospital and open their own clinic.
Higher positions like department heads or hospital directors are mostly **administrative roles**—but medically speaking, they're still attending physicians.
So, Rachel's father, Dr. Leonard Green, as an attending physician in Cardiothoracic Surgery at a prestigious hospital, was **a highly valuable connection.**
In a career path that felt like leveling up in an RPG, having a top expert in your chosen specialty guiding and protecting you was almost as good as having a cheat code.
These thoughts flashed through Adam's mind as he looked at Rachel with an increasingly **kind and affectionate** expression.
*(End of Chapter.)*