"Resident Life": A Drama About Growth—But Is It Relatable?
tvN's recent medical drama, Resident Life: Wise Doctor's Tale, takes viewers into the whirlwind lives of young medical residents adjusting to a high-stakes hospital environment. With its mix of workplace drama, heartfelt relationships, and coming-of-age arcs, it’s aimed squarely at those navigating the start of their professional lives—whether in medicine or beyond.

Lead actors Go Yoon-jung (as Oh I-young) and Jung Joon-won (as Koo Do-won) anchor the show. They portray characters at different stages of their careers—Oh, a first-year resident barely staying afloat, and Koo, a seasoned fourth-year who mentors younger doctors. Their stories reflect the emotional highs, identity struggles, and professional dilemmas that come with starting a new chapter in adult life. For many viewers, especially Millennials and Gen Z professionals in high-pressure fields, this series feels like watching parts of their own lives on screen.
Highlights: Balancing Empathy and Realism
1. Strong Characters with Relatable Arcs
The biggest strength of Resident Life lies in its characters. Oh I-young, as portrayed by Go Yoon-jung, captures the anxiety and isolation that come with being the newbie in a hypercompetitive environment. She’s not saving lives with confidence from Day 1—instead, she’s faking it ’til she makes it. Her vulnerability allows viewers to root for her.
Jung Joon-won as Koo shows quiet strength—he's the type of mentor many new professionals wish they had. He takes responsibility for team dynamics, deals with the mistakes of younger staff with patience, and carefully balances personal feelings with professional duties. While he's portrayed as reliable, he’s no robot: the pressure he feels is palpable and human.
2. The Workplace as Emotional Arena
Set mostly in a hospital, the drama strips away any glossy portrayal of medicine. Instead, it focuses on the realities that residents face—insane hours, ethical dilemmas, staff hierarchy, and the emotional cost of dealing with both colleagues and patients. For general viewers who've entered stressful careers or are about to, this show offers a comforting reminder: you’re not alone.
Where It Falls Short: Shallow Arcs and Unmet Expectations
But the show isn’t without its missteps. For one, some viewers were caught off guard by sudden romantic plotlines. Though emotional tension between characters is to be expected in tight, stressful settings, the romance sometimes felt poorly timed or underdeveloped. It threatened to distract from what could’ve been a more powerful workplace-centered narrative.
Additionally, some minor characters never get the depth they deserve. They are introduced with promise—perhaps a quirky nurse or an underperforming peer—but their stories fade quickly. For a drama that claims to be about team dynamics and group growth, not developing supporting cast feels like a missed opportunity.
How This Could Be Truly Great
Resident Life: Wise Doctor’s Tale has the bones of a great show. Unlike many medical dramas that focus on thrilling surgeries or romance, this one tries to examine how people learn their place in a rigid structure. That’s crucial in today’s work culture, where younger generations are rethinking career goals, mental health, and work-life balance.
Still, a good concept only gets you so far. For season two—or for future hospital-based dramas—the challenge will be exploring characters more fully, tightening the pacing, and ensuring the emotional arcs feel earned, not just inserted for weekly cliffhangers. If they nail that balance, this could turn into a classic for anyone who's ever cried in a break room or doubted their career path.
Final Thoughts: Who Should Watch?
If you're a college grad starting your career, a med student questioning your choices, or even a mid-career professional reflecting on your journey, Resident Life offers both inspiration and reassurance. It says: yes, it's okay to feel lost. It’s okay to cry in stairwells. Growth takes time—and usually a few embarrassing mistakes along the way.
It’s not a perfect drama, but it’s timely, and it resonates. And sometimes, that’s more important than dazzling plot twists.