Best Medical Manhwa

Key Takeaways

• The surge in interest in manhwa is driven by unique genres like scaling-action and isekai-romance.
• Medical manhwa are underrated but offer engaging narratives that can blend healthcare with action and romance.
• Manhwa like The Holy Power of Modern Medicine creatively explore medical scenarios through visual storytelling.

The release of Solo Leveling, based on one of the best action manhwa in recent times, sparked a surge in the public’s interest and fascination with manhwa. Who wouldn’t want to indulge in something that looks like it’s drawn straight out of heaven? That’s what these South Korean-originating comic books are known for. Their exquisite art and enchanting stories keep their very loyal readers on their toes, leaving them always asking for more.

Even though the manhwa world is brimming with a myriad of different genres, most fans tend to gravitate towards genres like scaling-action or isekai-romance because, well — they’re in abundance, and despite sharing the same themes on the surface, each piece is highly unique and different from the other. The medical genre in manhwa, on the other hand, remains particularly underrated. There are plenty of good manhwa out there that are set in the underrepresented world of health care and medicine, and some of them even incorporate action and romance.

Updated on October 23, 2024, by Fatima Naeem: The reason medical content in different media remains so popular among the masses is because of its severity, which can and should be viewed through a fictional lens. Obviously, real-life medical scenarios are critical and should only be dealt with by a professional with experience. However, combining medical themes with various tropes in fiction taps into humans’ natural curiosity to explore different outcomes safely. Manhwa, with its blend of creativity and visual storytelling, offers a unique medium for readers to engage with these scenarios, providing both creative narratives and visual stimulation.

15 The Holy Power Of Modern Medicine

A Miracle Doctor Gets Reincarnated As A Toddler

The Holy Power of Modern Medicine is a great manhwa that blends themes of reincarnation, growth, and medicine perfectly. It debuted its first chapter in 2022 and currently has 79 chapters published. The story follows Dr. Shin Yoosung, a miracle doctor in every sense of the term. He’s known for bringing back patients from the brink of death and is renowned in the medical community as the “Hand of God.”

However, despite his skills in surgery and his uncanny ability to save every patient he’s worked with, Yoosung is overworked and isolated by his fellow practitioners. One fateful day, after heroically saving yet another life, Yoosung calls it a night and starts to walk back home until he, in classic isekai manhwa fashion, gets hit by a truck and is isekaid to a fantasy world. This results in him no longer being Dr. Shin Yoosung. Instead, he becomes a little toddler named Ray who has doting parents and magical healing powers.

14 Dr. Choi Giseok Levels Up

A Veteran Doctor Wakes Up In The Body Of An Intern And Has To Start His Medical Journey From Scratch

Manhwa writers sure have a penchant for incorporating reincarnation elements into their stories. Just like The Holy Power of Modern Medicine, Dr. Choi Giseok Levels Up is also mainly based on resurrection. It had its first chapter released in 2022 and currently has 97 chapters on the official website.

Dr. Choi Giseok Levels Up follows a surgical resident, Dr. Jung Haejin, who, on his last day of residency, falls victim to the notorious truck-kun. Unexpectedly, Haejin finds himself waking up in the body of Choi Giseok, a recently graduated doctor who’s about to start a surgical internship. Determined not to let his second chance at life go to waste, Haejin vows to transform Giseok into the best cardiothoracic surgeon in the country. And to spice things up, he starts seeing these weird holographic screens above himself and everyone else.

13 Super Genius DNA

A Pharmacist Gains Superhuman Intelligence

Super Genius DNA takes a more pharmaceutical focus rather than centering on medical practice. Originally released in 2020, the series concluded with its final chapter released in 2023, featuring120 chapters in total.

Ryu Youngjoon hits a rough patch when he finds himself suspended from his job as a research scientist at a leading pharmaceutical company for speaking out against their unethical practices. Things take a turn for the worse when his health takes a massive hit because of all the accumulated stress. Yet, in a turn of events, Youngjoon gains superhuman intelligence and strength after he unexpectedly comes into contact with a sample of ‘artificial cells’ at his workplace (he doesn’t even have to wear his contact lenses anymore). He’s now determined to use his newfound powers to expose the corruption going on within the pharma industry.

12 The Legendary Beasts Animal Hospital

A Fun Fantasy Series That Focuses On Veterinary Medicine

Veterinary medicine, despite being an essential field, often doesn’t get as much recognition as conventional medicine, and the lack of manhwa in this category reflects that. The few that do exist are very difficult to come across and are not the best representatives of their core subject. Fortunately, The Legendary Beast Animal Hospital is a 2020 fantasy manhwa that brings the perfect blend of serious, uncanny, and fun to the medical spotlight.

It revolves around a hard-headed and strong-willed veterinary doctor, Ahyuong, whose animal clinic is about to go bankrupt. Despite her confidence, she feels powerless and begins doubting her choices. That is until she has a beautiful woman walk into her clinic, begging for help with a ‘reptile.’ It turns out that the woman herself is a 156-year-old dragon who needs the nice doctor to help her through her reptilian problems.

11 The Apothecary Prince

A Traditional Medicine Specialist In An European Backdrop

Reincarnation and medical themes often go hand in hand in the manhwa industry. While some might consider it redundant and dull, the idea of an excessively talented healthcare worker being able to stand out by helping people from a much older, medically recessive world doubles down on the hero trope.

The Apothecary Prince is a bit different in terms of the protagonist’s qualifications. Instead of a medical doctor, he’s a Korean medicine professional who uses traditional practices to help the people around him. The plot of the story revolves around him using Korean medicine in a European fantasy world. Regardless of the global opinion around traditional medicine, it’s a very unique concept.

10 My Secret Roommate

An Enemies-To-Lovers Doctor Romance

My Secret Roommate is the perfect manhwa for those who are looking for a medical story that focuses more on the vibes than the actual medical accuracy of the premise. It’s an enemies-to-lovers, marriage-of-convenience story that focuses on the slow-burn romance between the two main characters, one of whom is a doctor.

The story revolves around Hyemin, a driven and envied neurosurgery resident, who unexpectedly finds her old-time enemy and childhood acquaintance, Sooha, as a patient. Sooha, who has narcolepsy, constantly needs professional help to manage his condition. Due to their history of animosity, Hyemin is reluctant until she finds an arrangement that could work for both of them.

9 Doctor Player

A Seemingly Powerless Man’s Road To Becoming The Best Healer In The Kingdom

Doctor Player is an ongoing fantasy manhwa that is thankfully devoid of any reincarnation themes but does have a lot of “scaling” and action. Its first chapter was published in 2022, and it currently has 65 chapters under its belt.

Doctor Player is set in a magical fantasy world where healers are the most esteemed class of people. Raymond, the King’s illegitimate child, is a mistreated individual who desperately desires to prove his worth. Unfortunately, Raymond lacks any notable healing powers and is mocked openly by his peers. Eventually, he receives an epiphany of sorts — the knowledge of “medicine” — and uses his newly acquired wisdom to climb through the ranks within his kingdom.

8 The Ghost Doctor

An Average High School Student Gets A Ghost Doctor Sidekick Who Helps Him With His Medicine Escapades

The Ghost Doctor is a pretty self-explanatory manhwa that came out in 2021, offering a fresh twist by shifting its narrative away from the usual reincarnation and time travel themes. Instead, it focuses on ghost helpers and supernatural beings.

The story follows Mujin, a high school student who stumbles upon a strange-looking scalpel and decides to take it with him. Soon enough, he discovers that the scalpel is tied to the spirit of Acle, an old but highly skilled doctor. With her guidance, Mujin starts displaying incredible medical talent, and before long, he’s being sought after by everyone around him for his so-called ‘prodigal’ abilities.

7 Perfect Surgeon

A Deadbeat Doctor Gets Helped By A Super Futuristic AI Technology

Perfect Surgeon is a 2022 ongoing manhwa that has 99 chapters published on its official website. Similar to other medical manhwa, this one kicks off with a deadbeat, overworked doctor second-guessing all of his choices.

Jang Hyunjun was destined for success until he wasn’t. His life as a soon-to-be doctor completely changed when his mother succumbed to a terminal illness. To shoulder her continuously mounting hospital bills, he reluctantly took up a career as a subpar dermatologist. His future looked bleak until an unexpected encounter led him to absorb a self-reliant AI called Ronnie.

6 Trauma Center: Golden Hour

A Socially Inept Traumatologist With A Passion For Saving Lives

Trauma Center: Golden Hour‘s simplicity makes it quite a normal read and is exactly what sets it apart from the other medical manhwa. It made its debut in 2019 and has since released a total of 147 chapters.

A remarkably skilled traumatologist, Dr. Baek Kanghyuk, is entrusted with the revival of a once-fallen trauma hospital, with the officials believing that he’s the only one who can revive the place to its former glory. They’re proven right, when he, with his weird antics and unwavering will to save patients, starts to make a significant change.

5 Doctor’s Rebirth

A Doctor Loses Life In War And Gets A Second Chance In An Even More Dangerous Time

Doctor’s Rebirth is a reincarnation manhwa that leans towards more traditional vibes, setting it apart from other medical manhwa. It was released in 2021 and has, since then, published 147 chapters.

Dr. Jin Cheonhee is a young physician who was pressured into volunteering for a war-torn country and unfortunately got caught in the crossfire. In his second chance at life, he finds himself sucked into his favorite novel, Murim, where he once again takes on the role of a physician. The only problem is that Murim is a realm of demons, and Cheonhee is resurrected in the body of a child.

4 The Divine Surgeon

Reincarnated As A Legendary Chinese Doctor

The Divine Surgeon is a 2022 manhwa set in the Eastern Han Period of the Chinese Dynasty. It’s another fun isekai manhwa that is currently standing at 147 chapters.

The Divine Surgeon follows Dr. Han Jinsoo, a good, virtuous man with a terrible fate. After a series of unfortunate events, Jisoo tries to get his life back on track, only to have his professor orchestrate his assassination. In the supposed afterlife, he is given the option to either resurrect or go straight to heaven. He impulsively selects the former and is now reincarnated as Hua Tuo, a legendary Chinese doctor in the Han Dynasty.

3 Doctor Elise: The Royal Lady With The Lamp

A Doctor Is Sent Back To Her Previous Body To Atone For Her Sins

Doctor Elise: The Royal Lady With the Lamp is predominantly a romance-themed manhwa with the other themes as a secondary focus. It hit the scene in 2017, concluding its run in 2021 with a total of 143 chapters.

Song Jihyun was a prodigal South Korean doctor haunted by the memories of her unfortunate past life. Her choice to pursue a medical career was driven by her need to atone for the sins she had committed in her previous life. However, an unexpected turn of events resulted in her being back in the body of Elise de Clorance, the evil wife of the Emperor who had ruined numerous innocent lives in pursuit of her greed and malevolence. This time, Jihyun (as Elise) is determined to live righteously.

2 The Last Zombie

A BL Romance Between A Doctor And A Zombie

The Last Zombie is a great BL manhwa that combines elements of a zombie outbreak, medicine, and romance while also incorporating slice-of-life elements. It’s a relatively short read, and it is perfect for those looking for an unconventional romance story.

The story follows a strange man with amnesia whose life revolves around Lee Sehyun, a doctor he has lived with for the longest time. The man can only consume raw meat and has to, for some reason, be kept locked and hidden away from the world. He eventually realizes that his condition isn’t normal — he’s actually a zombie. Things get even more complicated when the man starts falling in love with the very doctor who has been taking care of him.

1 Medical Return

Time Travel And Second Chances For A Deadbeat Doctor With No Achievements

Medical Return is sort of like Perfect Surgeon but in reverse. It’s a completed manhwa that had its first chapter published in 2019 and its last in 2022. It ended with a total of 150 chapters.

The main character of this manhwa goes by the name of Kim Jihyun. Jihyun was a struggling surgeon in his past life, barely scraping by. He was an average doctor at best and was pushed away from the spotlight by the continuously increasing competition in his field. As a final nail in the coffin, he was diagnosed with terminal cancer and lived his life full of regrets. In his second chance at life, Jihyun is determined to make amends. He decides to study harder and become a successful dermatologist instead of a surgeon.