Chapter 44

Professor Zhang Zongshun had returned from a trip to the washroom.

“I should get a TURP done someday.” said Elder Man Zhang.

Director Han laughed, “You’ve been talking about your prostate for years, and yet you still have not had it done.”

Elder Man Zhang adjusted his cushion, leaned back, and said, “After a lifetime of performing surgeries, I find it hard to trust the skills of the young doctors these days. They are lacking in comparison, and I can’t bring myself to trust them.”

“You’re far too demanding, truly. You’re excessive,” Director Han replied.

Elder Man Zhang shook his head, “Our tools cut into the living flesh of people, with lives hanging in the balance. No demand is too great. Second Brother Han, if you were a urological surgeon, I would have already had my prostate surgery.”

Amidst their laughter and chatter, the surgery was nearing completion.

The fracture was entirely reset; the joint surface was extremely smooth, with each piece back in its right place.

The fixation was also very firm, after several attempts to move the elbow joint, there were no signs of loosening.

They flushed the surgical area, replaced the eagle beak of the bone cutter, then used steel Kirchner pins to secure it with tension bands, put a drain, and sutured the deep fascia and skin.

Nobody wanted to leave yet; some were discussing and some were considering downloading the surgical video for a more detailed view.

“How did he manage to reset it?” someone asked, a bit puzzled, as the solution indeed seemed beyond comprehension.

“Didn’t you see?” The person trying to answer him wasn’t able to explain much. It felt like watching someone solve a Rubik’s cube when you don’t know how to – you observe as they twist and turn it and suddenly it’s solved, but you still don’t understand the process.

Last time, a simple collarbone fracture had given Song Zimo a new understanding of Yang Ping’s surgical skills. This time, an almost impossible operation of repositioning was accomplished using steel Kirchner pins. This again refreshed his understanding.

Song Zimo’s comprehension was challenged repeatedly by Yang Ping, and he wondered how many more times this would happen.

Song Zimo witnessed the entire process. Although others couldn’t see the profound intricacies, he could perceive them. This level of surgical expertise requires not only brilliant surgical skills, but also exceptional visual acuity, spatial imagination, and comprehensive thinking about bone repositioning and Kirschner pin layout to create the most logical sequence.

All this was done by Yang Ping without a CT scan, using just an X-ray image.

If he were to do the operation himself, even with CT imaging, virtual reality, and 3D printing, he wouldn’t have been able to achieve such perfection.

Little Five could have done the suturing, but in a surgery where operational authority approval is involved, it is required that the surgeon perform the entire procedure from start to finish.

“Ding Dong, mission accomplished, you are rewarded 5000 points!”

The reward arrived almost instantly, bringing his score up to 8000 points.

With the fluctuations, things were still quite tight; he couldn’t afford to waste a single point.

Yang Ping placed the needle holder in the curved tray that Su Yixuan handed over.

Being around orthopedic surgeries all the time, Su Yixuan of course knew the difficulty level of this operation, and how perfectly Yang Ping had accomplished it.

Somehow, each time Yang Ping successfully performed a perfect surgery, she would be filled with joy.

After completing this surgery, Yang Ping felt much more relaxed. He had to pass Professor Zhang Zongshun’s test.

If it were a level two operation, typically performed by a medical attendant, only Director Han’s signature would have sufficed.

However, a level three surgery is performed by a senior medical attendant or a physician associate.

For a newly promoted medical attendant like Yang Ping to perform a level three operation was considered overstepping. It required expert team review since a surgery isn’t something to be taken lightly.

Surgical authority is directly linked to salary. If he gets access to all level three operations, he could receive full bonuses, surgical commissions, and equipment commissions, leading to a considerable income.

If he could get some level four surgical privileges, he could start leading his group.

Thinking about performing all the level three surgeries in the future and exploring level four surgeries excited Yang Ping.

But this was just the beginning and he didn’t know what challenges this eccentric old man would throw at him in the future.

This old man had the power to make or break his career. If he couldn’t pass, he would have to wait three years, or get promoted to a physician associate, to apply again.

“Xiao Mo, Xiao Mo, assist Professor Zhang.” Professor Zhang Zongshun, who had been moving around to stretch his muscles, was about to leave.

Director Han called over his assistant, who was eagerly discussing the surgery with others.

Hearing Director Han call, he promptly came over to assist Elder Man Zhang.

“This kid has really worked hard, Second Brother Han, you have an eye for talent.” Elder Man Zhang’s back was a bit bent over; the assistant attempted to help him, but he declined.

“Hasn’t Elder Man Zhang selected better talents?” Old Han thought, feeling anxious. Without full faith, he wouldn’t put forward such a peculiar request.

Walking a few staggering steps, Elder Man Zhang got his footing back, straightened his back and resumed his brisk pace.

Everyone lined up to download the surgery video from the system.

It was at this time Tang Fei came looking for Director Han to discuss something. She was originally in sports medicine and should be stationed there.

However, wanting to broaden her skill set before getting promoted, she decided to stay in trauma orthopedics for a while.

After this surgery, there were still many surgeries to be done. Everyone returned to their respective operating rooms.

“Yang Ping, safeguard these operation details. At the end of the year, we plan to hold an academic conference where we could share them.” Director Han instructed Yang Ping.

Yang Ping asked Little Five to collect the data and keep it separately on file.

Little Five is also a graduate student. He’s smart and is very good at what he does.

Thursday afternoons are for case discussions, so all surgeries are usually finished by the morning.

There are two special days in a week. Tuesday mornings are for ward rounds, Thursday afternoons are for case discussions.

Learning and training sessions are arranged for Saturdays and Sundays. Everyone gathers together, not only to revisit the basics but also to learn new things and keep up with the latest developments in the field.

Doctors do not have public holidays, and they can only take breaks in rotation.

Standardized training students, graduate students, resident doctors, basically work tirelessly all year round. It’s hard work.

Once the operations are completed in the morning, there are case discussions in the afternoon. No surgeries are scheduled for the afternoon, so everyone has some time after lunch and they gather in the on-duty room.

These young doctors practically live in the department. There are several on-duty rooms: one for residents, one for attending physicians, and one for the director.

The director doesn’t do shift duties, so the on-duty room is usually just used for napping. Except for Thursdays, opportunities for napping are scarce, as they are in the operating room all day.

The attending physician’s duty room is in a bad condition. The head nurse reported it for repair. When the Engineering Department came to take a look, they said some parts needed to be replaced and it would take a few days to fix.

Yang Ping squeezed into the resident doctors’ on-duty room. This is the largest room with bunk beds lined up against the walls on both sides. There’s a desk in the middle.

The room is equipped with a TV, fridge, and computer. The desk is cluttered with charging cables, and revision materials for medical licensing exams and attending physician exams.

The beds are messy, with a sock here and a slipper there.

“Why is this sock mine?”

“Oh, where is mine then?”

When the others saw Yang Ping come in, they all called him “Brother”, making way for him to rest. There were enough beds for sixteen people. Yang Ping greeted everyone and then lay down on a bed.

Zhang Lin was in the bathroom using a hair clipper, trimming his hair expertly in front of the mirror. It only took him a few minutes to create a hairstyle.

These young doctors do not have time for haircuts and use hair clippers to cut their own hair.

All of these young doctors have simple haircuts, except for Song Zimo.

“Can I borrow this? Mine is broken,” Fang Yan asked from the doorway.

Zhang Lin quickly put it away: “Let me tell you, even though we are all medical students, this kind of thing should not be shared.”

“It’s not a razor. No skin gets broken, no blood is drawn,” Fang Yan reached out to take it.

“That’s not the point. Who knows if you have acne on your scalp? If it bursts and then I have acne and it bursts, wouldn’t that be infectious? The rate of HIV infection in our country is now nine in ten thousand, which is more than one million people. Who knows if you are one of those nine in ten thousand?”

As he spoke, Zhang Lin put the hair clipper in a cabinet and locked it.

Once Zhang Lin was out, Fang Yan walked in holding a tube of facial cleanser.

There are two bathrooms in the on-duty room, but they still aren’t enough for more than a dozen people.

Seeing Fang Yan go in, Zhang Lin knocked on the door.

“Why are you knocking?” Fang Yan opened the door, peeked out with his face full of foam and held up his facial cleanser.

“Damn, SK2 Miracle Water, it’s anti-acne and upscale. Squeeze me a little.” Zhang Lin tried to take it.

Fang Yan grabbed it quickly, pulled it back from Zhang Lin, and said: “Who knows if you’re one of those nine in ten thousand.”

Zhang Lin, however, had already squeezed out a bit into the palm of his hand.

Zhang Lin said: “You’re such a pretty boy, do you need all this? Guys like me need it more.”

Fang Yan replied: “Your face is beyond help, using it would be a waste.”

Zhang Lin responded: “Fang Yan, don’t be too arrogant. You squeezed my toothpaste last time. We have not settled the score yet.”

Little Five interrupted: “Hey Zhang Lin, tell me, why do you have pimples even though you have a girlfriend?”

“What? Is it a rule set by the Ministry of Health? If you have a girlfriend, you can’t get pimples?” Zhang Lin retorted.

“Too much fire.” Chen Xiaobo came out of another bathroom, giving thumbs up.

“No matter how fiery you are, you can’t match him. What are you doing in there for an hour, taking a bath?” another doctor said as he read his book while waiting for the bathroom.

Seizing the chance to tease him, Zhang Lin said: “Next time, the Hospital Infection Department will culture bacteria from your hand. Be careful not to grow some strange things.”

Everyone burst into laughter.

In the on-duty room, these young people having fun together was a relaxing scene.

“A patient sent a fruit basket, come and enjoy.” A nurse called out.

Everyone rushed out as if in an onslaught.

The head nurse said: “Let me tell you, I’ve recorded which group received fruit baskets. If you get a lot, it means you have a good relationship with your patients. If not, you need to work harder.”

“Whose fruit basket is it?”

“Just eat, no need to ask which tree it fell from.”