2010년 12월 13일 KBC 릴레이인터뷰 / December 13, 2010 KBC Relay Interview

"한의학을 널리 알리는 홍보대사" / "An Ambassador for Promoting Oriental Medicine"

정이안 정이안한의원 원장 / Ian Jeong (Oriental Medical Clinic Owner)

방송, 책 출간, 교수 그리고 한의원 원장으로 왕성한 활동을 통해 한의학을 널리 알리는 정이안회원님을 Tony Choi회원님께서 인터뷰 하였습니다. / Ian Jeong is widely known through her work in areas such as: broadcasting, book publication, professorship, and oriental medicine (as owner of a clinic). She gives an interview to KBC member Tony Choi as an ambassador for the promotion of oriental medicine.

Korean Original

Tony Choi 님의 말 :

원장님 안녕하세요. 

정이안님의 말:

네. 안녕하세요.

Tony Choi 님의 말 :

 네 준비가 되셨으면 인터뷰를 시작하겠습니다. 먼저 원장님 소개부터 해주시죠. 하고 계신 일, 하시게 된 계기, 지금 관심 사항 등등.

정이안님의 말:

하고 있는 일은 대략 4가지 정도입니다.

한의원 원장 - 정이안한의원의 원장으로 직장인건강클리닉과 스트레스클리닉을 컨셉으로 15년째 광화문에서 진료하고 있습니다. 

저자 - 책을 4권 출간했습니다. 몸에 좋은 색깔음식50, 내몸에 스마일, 스트레스 제로기술, 샐러리맨 구출하기

교수 - 동국대 한의대에서 침구학을 가르치고 있습니다. 그리고, 외부강연도 한달 3-4회 정도 나갑니다. (주로 기업체, 지자체 강연입니다)

방송 - TV와 라디오 등에 가끔 출연하고 있습니다. TV는 두시간짜리 특강을 몇번 출연한 이후에 계속 이런저런 방송을 타고 있고, 라디오는 내일도 아침 생방송 출연해야해서 오늘 일찍 자야됩니다 ^^(매주 목요일 아침 생방송) 

4가지 정도로 제가 하고 있는 일을 말씀드렸구요
한의사가 된 동기는 외조부님이 한의를 하셨기 떄문에 외가쪽에서는 자연스러운 직업입니다. 지금도 제가 처방하는 약재 중에 몇가지는 외조부님 처방이 있기도 하구요. 

 책을 출간하게 된 것은 진료실에서 직접 고객들에게 다 못한 이야기들을 글로 정리해서 묶은 것이 책이 되었다고 할 수 있겠네요. 먹는 음식이 곧 약이니까 음식에 관한 책으로 몸에 좋은 색깔음식50을 냈구요, 내몸에 스마일과 샐러리맨 구출하기는 제가 지금 진료하고 있는 많은 직장인 고객들에 대한 직장인건강 이야기이구요.

스트레스 질환을 많이 다루다보니 화병, 우울증, 불면증, 신경성고혈압.. 등등... 아주 많은데, 이런 질병에 관한 이야기를 쉽고 간단하게 쓴 책이 스트레스 제로기술입니다. 

하나씩 하나씩 책을 쓰다보니 4권이 되었더군요. 

지금의 관심사항은?  내일이 원고마감인 'Arts & Culture' 칼럼을 마무리 하는 것입니다. (오늘 일찍 자긴 틀렸어요. - -  )

 Tony Choi 님의 말 :

네. 대단하시네요. 그 많은 일들을 한꺼번에 다 하시려면 나름대로 자기관리나 시간관리가 철저해야 할 것 같은데, 어떻게 그 많은 일들을 소화하시죠?

 정이안님의 말:

남들도 저만큼 다들 바쁘게 살고 있는것 같던데? 저만 바쁜 건 아니죠? ㅎㅎ

Tony Choi 님의 말 :

 그래도 원장님은 하시고 계신 일에 대한 열정이 강해서 모든 게 가능하리라 생각합니다. 다음은 KBC와 관련된 질문인데요, 외국인들이 한의원을 어떻게 생각하는지, 혹시 외국인을 만나면 한의학에 대해서 어떻게 말씀하시는지 궁금합니다.

정이안님의 말:
제가 예전에 처음 개원했었던 15년 전에도, 그리고 지금도, 외국인 환자들이 많이 내원하는 편인데요, 예전과 지금 달라진것이 있다면 외국인 환자들이 10여년 전에는 침이나. 한약으로 치료받은 경험이 전혀 없는 경우가 많았는데 요즘 오는 외국분들은 침을 맞아본 경험이 많을뿐 아니라, 한약도 지어달라고 본인이 요구하는 경우도 있습니다. 

외국인들은 '침'을 '자연조절의학' 정도로 생각하는 분들이 많은데, 그정도면 제대로 이해하고들 계신거죠. 외국인들을 만나면 한의에 대해 '침'은 신체의 에너지 balance를 맞춰주고, '한약'은 빈약한 에너지를 보충해준다고 표현합니다. 

 Tony Choi 님의 말 :
그래도 예전보다 한의학에 대한 이해가 많이 높아진 것 같습니다. 지금까지 일하시면서 보람있으셨거나, 특별한 기억이 남거나, 또는 힘들었다고 생각한 적이 있었나요?

정이안님의 말:
7-8년쯤 되었나??? 정확히 기억은 안나는데, 여하튼 그때쯤 제게 한동안 치료받던 외국 여성이 있었는데요. 프랑스 영사의 부인이었던 걸로 기억합니다만, 발목을 심하게 삐어서 기부스로 고정도 하고 세브란스를 다니면서 물리치료를 받고 대략 회복되었을 즈음 여행을 가서 오래 걸은 바람에 덧나서 아주 고생하시던 분이었어요.

세브란스 외국인 병원에서 치료는 받고 있었지만 몇달째 발목떄문에 제대로 걷지도 못하고 그것때문에 체중은 점점 불어서 우울증까지 왔었을 즈음에 프랑스 대사관에서 소개를 해서 제게 치료를 받게되었는데요. 침, 뜸, 한약치료로 한달 반쯤?? 열심히 치료를 받으면서 친분을 가지게 되었죠. 

이런분을 치료할 떄는 제가 거의 한국을 대표하는 한의사가 된 것 같은 책임감이 들정도예요. 그렇게 치료했는데도 계속 나빠졌으면 아마 한국의 한의학에대해 많이 실망하셨었겠죠.
다행히 엄청나게 빠른 속도로 회복되서 그 치료 이후엔 둘도 없는 친구가 되었어요. 

힘들었다고 생각한 적은 한의대 다닐때? ^^

한의대 예과떄는 한문 익히느라 학교공부 외에 서당을 따로 다녔어요. 사서 삼경을 그때 배웠어요. 그리고 그 당시 도올 김용옥 선생에게서 논어, 대학도 배웠구요.  나이 스무살 갓넘어서 억지로 한문공부하랴, 학교공부 따라갈랴, 정말 힘들었죠. 

본과 1,2학년때는 서양의학과목 공부와 한방과목 공부를 동시에 수업받아야해서 힘들었는데요.

한방과목은 외우는 것보다는 이해하고 전체적인 순리를 차근차근 따지는 인문학적인 학문이어서 제게 딱 맞는데요.

서양의학은 이해는 나중이고 일단 무조건 외워야하는 과목이 대부분이어서 제겐 무척 스트레스였어요. 

 그리고 학교 졸업하면 좀 편할까.. 했는데  학교부속 한방병원에서 3년동안 인턴레지던트로 근무했었는데요. 그땐 젊은 나이였는데도 너무 힘들어서 관두고 싶었던 적이 가끔 있었어요. 

한의원 개원해서 10년이상 임상의로 잘 진료해오다가  환자진료보다 경영에 더 스트레스를 받기 시작하면서 2006년도에 고려대학교 경영대학원 ExecutiveMBA 코스를 입학하게 되었는데요, 2년동안 여기서 배운 것들과 인맥들이 또 한번 제 삶의 터닝 포인트를 만드는 계기가 되었습니다. ^^

 Tony Choi 님의 말 :
네. 공부하실 때나 졸업하고 얼마동안, 그리고 한의원 경영 때문에 좀 힘드셨던 때가 있었군요. 그래도 말씀하신 것처럼 일하시면서 보람있는 일들이 많았고, 많은 것을 해오셨으니 충분히 의미가 있지 않을까요^^  끝으로 한의학을 하시는 입장에서 KBC 회원분들께 조언 해주실 게 있다면 어떤 것인지요. 특히 외국 회원분들에게 좋은 조언이 필요할 것 같은데요. 

정이안님의 말:
한국인들에게는 한의학이나 한의원이 이미 생활에 밀접한 의학으로 인식이 되어있는데, 외국분들은 아직 그 정도까지는 아닌것 같습니다. 

예전처럼 호기심에 한의원을 찾지는 않으시지만, 그래도 아직은 한의치료를 낯설어하는 분들이 있거든요. 

아프거나 혹은 건강에 궁금증이 있을 때 '한의'에서는 좋은 방법이 없을까? 라고 '발상'을 전환해보시면 다양한 해결책을 얻을 수 있을 확률이 더 높아진다는 점 잊지마세요. 한국의 한의학은 교육수준이나 임상수준이 세계 어느나라보다도 우수하다는 점도 말씀드리고 싶네요.

Tony Choi 님의 말 :
네, 오늘 인터뷰 감사드립니다. 덕분에 우리 KBC 회원분들도 한국의 한의학에 대해 더 많이 알고, 가까이 할 수 있게 된 것 같습니다. 다음 기회에 또 좋은 말씀 부탁드립니다. 감사합니다.

English Translation

Translated by Josiah Hunt

Tony Choi says: Hello

Ian Jeong says: Yes, Hello

Tony Choi says: If you're ready then let's begin the interview. First could you please introduce yourself, the work that you are currently doing, the opportunities that brought you to this point, and anything else that you are interested in at the moment.

Ian Jeong says: I'm basically involved in four areas of work at the moment:
Oriental medicine clinic owner – I am the owner of 'Dr. Jeong's Oriental Medicine Clinic' and have been treating patients at our 'Worker Health and 'Stress Clinic' in Gwanghwamun for 15 years now.

Author – I have published four books: "50 Colorful Foods that Are Good for You", "The Mind's Smile", "Stress Zero Technique" and "Rescue of the Salaryman".

Professor – I'm teaching acupuncture on the oriental medicine programme at Dongguk University, and I also go out and give 3-4 other lectures per month (mostly to businesses and local governments).

Broadcasting – I occasionally appear on things like TV and radio. After I appeared on a series of two-hour specials I was constantly appearing on air for this and that. Actually I have to appear live on the radio tomorrow morning so I should get some sleep early tonight^^ (It goes out live every Thursday morning).
So they are the four areas that I'm involved with at the moment.

As for how I got involved with oriental medicine, it was a natural career for me to go into because I had grown up with it on my mother's parent's side. Even now some of the medicine that I prescribe comes from them.

The book publication came about due to me realizing that things I wasn't able to say directly to customers in the doctor's office had the potential to be put together in writing and made into a book. The food that we eat soon becomes medicine for us- therefore "50 Colorful Foods that Are Good for You" was brought out as a book on food. "The Mind's Smile" and "Rescue of the Salaryman" are books that deal with stories about 'workplace health', told by the many office workers that I'm currently treating.

Having treated many stress-related afflictions such as hwa-byung (repressed anger disorder-화병), depression, insomnia, neurogenic hypertension etc, I found it easy to write: "Stress Zero Technique", a book dealing with these topics.

It was a case of writing books one at a time and suddenly there were four.
What am I interested in at the moment? Tomorrow is the deadline for finishing my 'Arts and Culture' column. (I was wrong when I said I'd be sleeping early tonight. - -)

Tony Choi says: That all sounds great. In order to do all of these jobs at once you must be able to manage your time and personal affairs pretty thoroughly: how do you digest all the work?

Ian Jeong says: I'm sure other people are living life just as busily as I am- it's not just me who's busy is it? Haha.

Tony Choi says: Even still I think that the strong passion you have for your work has made everything possible. Next I have a question relating to KBC: I'm curious about what foreigners think of the oriental medicine clinic- when you meet them what kind of things do they say about it?

Ian Jeong says: Now, just like 15 years ago then everything was first developed, we had quite a few foreign patients visiting the clinic. If there had to be a difference between then and now it would be to do with the situation of foreign patients and acupuncture about ten years ago. At that time there were many people with completely no experience in getting treated by oriental medicine, but these days not only are there many foreigners who experienced with acupuncture, there are also people coming in and requesting personal prescriptions of oriental medicine.

Many foreign patients think of acupuncture as a 'naturally regulating' medicine, which goes some way to properly understanding it. But you will meet some viewing acupuncture as a physical 'energy balance', and supplement this view by expressing oriental medicine as a 'weaker energy'.

Tony Choi says: But even taking that into account, it seems that understanding about oriental medicine is much greater than it has been previously. Up until now, can you remember anything particularly special and fruitful happening whilst you have been working? And were there times where you thought: "that was really tough"?

Ian Jeong says: Has it been seven or eight years already??? I don't remember accurately, but anyway around that time there was a foreign lady that I had been treating for a while. I remember her being the wife of the French consul- she'd sprained her ankle badly, so had it in a cast and was receiving physical therapy at the Severance Hospital. It had just about recovered when it became worse again due to her walking on it for a long time whilst on holiday.

She had been being treated at the foreign ward of the Severance Hospital but hadn't been able to walk properly for some months, and because of this she had been gradually putting on weight and was even experiencing some depression. At that time I was introduced to her at the French Embassy and she began getting treatment from me. We did acupuncture, moxa (heat therapy), and oriental medicine treatment for maybe about a month and a half?? And we became friends whilst working hard on the treatment.

When I was treating her I felt a large responsibility, as if I was representing Korea in my role as doctor of oriental medicine. If her injury had continued to get worse in spite of my intensive treatment she would have left very disappointed in Korea's oriental medicine.

Fortunately she recovered with incredible speed, and by the time the treatment had finished we had become great friends.

As for a time when I thought things were tough... when I was at the school of oriental medicine? ^^

When I was on the preparatory course I was required to master Chinese characters outside of school work; so I attended a Seodang (Schoolhouse -서당). We learnt the Seven Chinese Classics (사서삼경), and also the annuls of Confucius from Do-ol (Young Oak Kim- 김용옥). After only just turning twenty, being forced to study Chinese characters on top of your other school work was really difficult.

In the first and second years of the regular course, having to take classes of western medicine and oriental medicine at the same time was tough.
In the study of oriental medicine, I found that compared to just memorizing things, methodically coming to an understanding of the bigger picture the study of humanities suited me right down to the ground. But with western medicine the understanding came later, and the subject mostly involved a lot of memorization in the beginning stages- which I found extremely stressful.

And it should have been less stressful once I'd graduated... but I worked as a resident intern for three years at an oriental medicine clinic attached to the school and it was so difficult that there were times when I wanted to quit.
I opened my own oriental medicine clinic, and even though I'd been treating patients as a clinician for more than 10 years I enrolled on the Executive MBA masters programme at Korea University in 2006 because I was starting to get stressed out over the business side of things. The opportunity was another turning point for me, I did lots of networking and learned many things in those 2 years. ^^

Tony Choi says: I see. I hadn't realised that you had these kinds of difficult times whilst studying and graduating, and also in business aspect of your clinic as well. But like you said, while you were working there were lots of things which were worthwhile and meaningful, and lots of other things which didn't have quite as much meaning^^ Finally, if you could give any advice to the members of KBC, what would it be? Particularly aimed at those foreign members in need of some good advice.

Ian Jeong says: Whilst Koreans are already aware and acquainted with oriental medicine and acupuncture as a part of life, I don't think the same can be said of foreigners.
It's not like the in the past where oriental medicine wasn't even sought out, but even now there are still people who are complete strangers to the treatment.

If you are injured or curious about your health, don't forget that there is a higher probability of finding all kinds of solutions just by changing the way you think and asking "Wouldn't oriental medicine be a better route for me to take?" What I want to emphasize is that Korea's oriental medicine has a worldwide degree of superiority on both an educational and clinical level.

Tony Choi says: Yes, thank you for the interview today. Thanks to this I'm sure our KBC members will have achieved a greater understanding and closeness towards Korea's oriental medicine. If we get another chance in the future it would be great to hear from you again. Thank you very much.