Resident Playbook ~ The Adventures of Four Residents
“Resident Playbook” is a 2025 Korean drama series, 12 episodes, categorized as Medical drama; streaming on Netflix.
SUMMARY: The varied experiences of four residents in OB/GYN.
♦ MEET R1, R2, R3, and R4
In “Resident Playbook”, there are four (4) residents. Residency programs are crucial for preparing doctors to practice independently. These are doctors who have graduated from medical school but must now undergo specialized training. In this series, the doctors are training in obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN). They work in Yulje Medical Center under the supervision of experienced physicians. One particular physician is known as “The Witch”.
The residents get hands-on experience in every aspect of patient care, do research and studies, and often get assigned to work in other departments, such as emergency medicine, surgery, etc. The goal is for these doctors to build comprehensive skill sets and be able to practice medicine independently.
The four (4) residents working in OB/GYN have unique personalities, educational backgrounds, work experiences, etc. But they’ve come together to train in a very demanding environment and learn to work as a team, and also on their own. They probably think about quitting at least once a week. But none are going to quit BEFORE they get their first paycheck!
R1 – Oh Yi-Young wanted to quit before she even walked through the doors of the medical center. But she’s in debt. However, once she got there, she did her job well. Although most of the time, she gets yelled at because she makes a lot of mistakes. But she isn’t incompetent. She’s really quite good.
R2 – Pyo Nam-Kyung wonders why all her friends are married to successful men and living the good life. How did she miss out on that? Nevertheless, she works hard and is very proficient.
R3 – Um Jae-Il used to be a member of a K-pop group. His claim to fame is that he’s probably the ONLY resident who used to be a member of a K-pop group. He takes patient care to the extreme and drives the physicians who are training him NUTS! When he should ask questions, or for instructions or advice on important medical matters, he doesn’t. But if it’s a matter that is insignificant, like a runny nose, he might equate that with the possibility of a fractured skull. (O.o) If you were the physician supervising his training, would that not drive you INSANE?!
R4 – Kim Sa-Bi was a top student. She thinks that the way to prove her “excellency” is through numbers or statistics. The problem is … being first and getting the most sign-offs (i.e., getting patients to agree to having surgery) is not what COUNTS! That’s not how to measure a “doctor’s success”. She lacks empathy and doesn’t know how to comfort a patient. One patient told her she wasn’t cut out to be a doctor. That was a blow to her pride! Sa-Bi studied hard to get those top grades because she wanted to be a doctor! This is a head-scratcher. Nobody graded her on empathy.
What’s going to happen once they get their first paycheck?
Main Characters:
Viewership and Rating:
- IMDb: 7.2 of 10 stars
- My Drama List: 8.3 out of 10 stars
- Common Sense Media: 3 out of 5 stars
My personal rating is the same as MDL.
Go Youn-jung’s Resident Playbook Overtakes a 60-Billion-Won
Blockbuster as the Most Talked-About K-Drama | Wikitree
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“Resident Playbook” is spin-off of the popular K-drama “Hospital Playlist” (which is about five (5) doctors). It is set in the same hospital, Yulje Medical Center, but the storyline revolves around first-year OB-GYN residents. Both Korean dramas are on Netflix.
LINKS OF INTEREST:
Breaking Down ‘Resident Playbook’ | TIME
Netflix’s K-Drama Medical Spinoff Series Becomes Global Hit | Screen Rant
“Heavenly Ever After” And “Resident Playbook” Both Rise To Their Highest Ratings Yet | Soompi
How Many Episodes Resident Playbook Has (& When Is The Finale) | MSN
Meet The Cast Of The Hospital Playlist Spinoff ‘Resident Playbook’ | TheBeauLife (“Meet the fresh new faces.”)
TRAILER/TEASER:
Netflix K-Content. “Resident Playbook.” YouTube, 25 Mar. 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWtOe9DIK9o.
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