Back downstairs, Liu Banxia took a look around. Things were quite good; currently, there were no cases that required his intervention. Wei Yuan had also gone to perform surgery, but with Shi Lei and the interns present, things seemed manageable. He then settled down in a corner and started exploring his system.
For a long time, he had wondered what level his relevant skills would reach after being upgraded to Level 5. Today, he finally witnessed it. His proficiency in Diagnostic Science had reached Level 5, and there was nothing beyond that. However, one couldn’t truly assume there was nothing beyond that.
The system explained it well: "Basic diagnostic skills acquired." What does that mean? It simply confirms that my earlier speculations were somewhat reliable.
The three basic skills awarded by the system—Diagnostic Science, Drug Administration, and Suture Technique—were actually laying his foundation. Even at Level 5, it was still just the basics. It didn’t mean that once his diagnostic skills were maxed out, he could diagnose anyone at a glance. Nor did it mean he could suture anything once his suture skills were maxed out.
This was likely similar to his attribute points, enhancing his existing abilities. If he wasn’t meticulous in his observations during diagnosis or didn’t listen attentively to patients, all his efforts would be in vain. Currently, he had reached the basic level in Diagnostic Science, and there were actual examples to illustrate this.
Take some of the patients he had treated recently. Patients with ENT conditions, which might be considered ordinary cases in the ENT department, often took him a long time to diagnose. Although the final results were good, it consumed a lot of time and caused the patients more suffering. That was why, even after diagnosing those diseases, the proficiency points awarded weren’t numerous.
Liu Banxia sighed internally; the system’s requirements were quite high.
Even with his excellent performance, he had only just met the system’s basic requirements. Moreover, his Suture Technique and Drug Administration skills, along with many others, had not yet met the system’s basic requirements.
I had thought I was finally about to enter a new stage, but in reality, I had merely mastered particular basic branches. No wonder the system would convert my future Diagnostic Science proficiency into Glory Points; it was all about building my foundation.
It shouldn’t be called an enhancement system, but rather a basic system.
But the system’s name wasn’t entirely incorrect. I need to work on all my basic skills, and isn’t that an enhancement process in itself?
Now I have a new goal. What would it look like once all those skills meet the system’s ’basic’ requirements?
It had to be said that Liu Banxia had recently lost some of his fighting spirit. He used to eagerly anticipate upgrading his skills, knowing he could reap benefits afterward. But as his levels increased, he felt he had hit a plateau, believing that was the extent of it.
Now I finally see the truth. I’m still at the level of a primary school student. The future holds broader horizons, with far more beautiful sights to appreciate.
"Teacher Liu, Teacher Liu..."
Liu Banxia was still indulging in his pleasant fantasy when Xu Yino’s voice floated into his ears.
"What’s up?" Liu Banxia turned his head. "Oh, Chief Director Xu! What brings you here? Weren’t you scheduled for a meeting the day after tomorrow?"
"Something came up, so I decided to drop by and see you. Where’s Director Zhou? In surgery again?" Xu Chengjun asked with a smile.
Liu Banxia shook his head. "I think he went to the city for a meeting. He also has a surgery scheduled this afternoon. Nowadays, Director Zhou’s main activities are meetings, surgeries, and paperwork."
"You’re probably the only one who dares to tease Director Zhou like that," Xu Chengjun said with a laugh.
"Sigh... Our director is really too busy. He also has to supervise the interns during surgeries. It’s been a long time since I had a proper learning opportunity myself," Liu Banxia sighed.
"Old Zhou is serious about everything he does, whether it’s performing surgery, his work, or just how he conducts himself. Will you be free around noon? If so, let’s visit the Medical College together," Xu Chengjun suggested.
"It should be fine, as long as no major emergencies come in," Liu Banxia nodded.
He could only agree to this. You can never predict what will happen in the Emergency Center. That’s why it’s called ’emergency,’ after all. No one can schedule their hospital admission in advance.
"Chief Director Xu, is this your first time visiting our Emergency Center?" Shi Lei walked over at this point.
Xu Chengjun nodded with a smile. "I saw you attending to a patient just now, so I didn’t interrupt you. Your department is truly remarkable. To have such a high patient volume in such a short time is impressive."
"Our district hospital simply can’t compare. Are you usually very busy? Are thirty-six-hour shifts commonplace for you all?"
"It’s a bit better now, as long as certain individuals don’t stir up unnecessary trouble," Shi Lei said seriously.
"Good heavens, I’m on call 24/7. How could I possibly stir up trouble?" Liu Banxia said helplessly.
"Anyway, this noon, I’m going with Chief Director Xu to the Medical College to discuss intern recruitment. Please keep an eye on things for me and let me know when Director Zhou gets back from his meeting."
"You’d better treat me to extra dishes tonight. You’re the chief resident, yet you’re making me cover for you," Shi Lei said.
"Haha, is this how you guys work every day?" Xu Chengjun asked with a laugh.
"More or less. With him around, it’s hard to keep things too serious. It helps lighten the mood. Otherwise, working such long hours would be incredibly tough to endure," Shi Lei said.
"Just hang in there for a few more years. Once this place is operating smoothly, things will get easier," Xu Chengjun said.
"When I first arrived at the district hospital, it was a similar situation. There were so many things to do. Now, things are more organized, but our patient numbers are somewhat lower."
"But there’s nothing we can do about it. We’re not far from the city. Many patients, after receiving initial treatment here, go to the city hospitals. This is especially true for obstetrics; many go directly to the Third Hospital."
"I’ve been considering sending someone to your Emergency Center for residency training this year. Our emergency department needs strengthening; our emergency response capabilities are somewhat lacking."
"That’s absolutely possible. Rest assured, if you’re willing to send them, we’re willing to train them," Liu Banxia said seriously.
"However, we need to be careful in selecting the right person. We don’t mind if their foundational knowledge is weak. No matter how poor it is, as long as they’re willing to learn, it’s fine. What we fear are those who are only interested in getting the residency certificate and just coasting through."
"According to our director, we’ll be taking some measures in this regard this year. Anyone who comes to our Second Hospital for an internship or residency, we’ll make sure they learn something, even if we have to drill it into them."
"Especially those who come to our Emergency Center, they need to be prepared to endure hardship. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be thinking of going to the medical college to sweet-talk students into joining, for fear of not getting capable people."
"Currently, the hospital places great importance on teaching and training, so I daren’t be sloppy. It will take at least several years to build a good reputation for our teaching and training program. Every cohort is crucial."
Xu Chengjun nodded. "Exactly! That’s how you build a reputation. Hearing you say that puts my mind at ease. This year, I’ll request a new position from the district, select a good candidate, and send them over to you."
With Liu Banxia’s assurance, he felt confident.
Actually, the sending institutions also have their concerns. They worry that the receiving hospital might not have strict training standards. This isn’t free residency training; it costs money. If the person they send just muddles through and gets the certificate, what happens when they return? Their skills might not have improved much in reality.
Even though they are district hospitals, their minimum recruitment requirement is a postgraduate degree. However, he still feels further reinforcement is needed. He’s skeptical about the effectiveness of the large-scale, less personalized internship and residency training provided by some schools. This is quite common. For instance, many university postgraduates may not have a solid grasp of their specialized knowledge, and their future careers might not even be in their field of study.
"If you have time today, I’ll let you see some surgeries performed by our interns. Xu Yino, the intern who brought you here, has already mastered small-incision appendectomies. She can also handle many low-level laparoscopic procedures without issue," Liu Banxia bragged.
"Of course, she still has some weaknesses. If the lesion site is complex, she might have difficulty. But that’s alright. I managed to persuade her to stay. With another three to five years of dedicated training, she’ll definitely become an expert."
"He’s always thinking about training the interns well so that when future interns arrive, he can delegate more and have an easier time," Shi Lei added.
"What else would I do? Anyway, I’m stepping down as chief resident in July. I need to enjoy my life a bit too! Just count how many days it’s been since I last saw Qiaoqiao," Liu Banxia said aggrievedly.
"That’s truly excellent. I don’t mean it’s good that you haven’t seen Qiaoqiao, but rather that your attitude here towards interns and residents is excellent," Xu Chengjun exclaimed.
"Hehe, actually, this is Director Zhou’s idea. If it were up to me, I’d teach them the same regardless of whether they wanted to learn or not," Liu Banxia said with a grin.
"You’re just saying that. Which of them haven’t you set high standards for? Your demands on them have made even the other interns in our Emergency Center feel too ashamed to slack off," Shi Lei said.
"Once that kind of atmosphere is established, even those lacking motivation have to put in the effort. Otherwise, they’d fall too far behind and lose face."
"If he had put in more effort back then, he wouldn’t have struggled so much. He’s a reformed character now, so he should try to inspire other ’prodigal sons’ to change their ways."
Liu Banxia gave Shi Lei a helpless look. That’s hitting below the belt, bringing up old dirt like that. Are we kids squabbling and tattling on each other?
Xu Chengjun was highly amused. However, this visit truly highlighted the significant gap between their hospitals. In terms of attitude alone, there was a huge difference. And this Emergency Center had only been established for a few months? With such a strong foundation already laid, what heights would they reach in the future?