National Doctor: When You Perfect a Skill

Monday, 12:55 PM.

Zhou Yanqing, holding a box of takeout, initially planned to head to the training room to practice incision techniques. However, a video call from his mother changed his plans, prompting him to return to his dormitory for lunch.

His mother, Liang Yue, was clipping her nails over a spread-out tissue while chatting with him.

"I ran into your classmate Pang Junfeng the day before yesterday," she said. "He mentioned he might have to work at a township-level hospital. He can't even get into the county hospital."

Pang Junfeng, a former high school and undergraduate classmate of Zhou Yanqing, had not passed the graduate entrance exams. After completing his undergraduate studies, he entered standardized residency training, which was now nearing its second year. Employment, not further studies, awaited him.

Liang Yue paused briefly as she clipped her pinky nail, looking up with pride. "Last week, your dad asked your uncle to visit Director Xu from the HR department at the county hospital."

"He said if you're willing to come back to work here, you can skip the written test and even qualify for a talent recruitment bonus!"

Before she could continue boasting, Zhou Hongshan, her husband, interjected in a stern tone. "Why are you saying this now? It's bad enough you talk without thinking at home. The boy's made it clear he's applying for doctoral programs!"

Liang Yue countered, her eyes defiant. "What's wrong with me praising my son? Don't you get it?"

"You—" Zhou Hongshan turned to his son, trying to explain. "Don't listen to your mother, Xiao Shitou. You're a master's graduate from a top-tier university. Getting into the county hospital is a piece of cake."

Although the medical job market was competitive, it hadn't reached the point where a Hengnan University master's graduate couldn't secure a position at a county hospital.

Hengnan University's medical program was the second most reputable in Hunan Province, just behind the Xiangya system.

On the phone screen, Zhou Yanqing observed his mother's face, softened by age, and his father's graying hair. The youthful beauty and charm he remembered were gone—they were aging.

He took a sip of water and replied softly, "Dad, don't overthink it. I think Mom's straightforwardness is just fine."

"As I've said before, if I don't pass the doctoral entrance exams at the schools I'm applying to, I'll come back to work in the county and keep you and Mom company. That wasn't just talk."

The Zhou family, residents of a rural town in Hengnan County, lived modestly. They earned a hard living growing tobacco on a few acres of land.

Putting his cup down, Zhou Yanqing shrugged and added with a hint of amusement, "A modest life is fine by me. Let's see… If I come back, you'll buy me a house, Mom will buy me a car, and I'll work hard to earn a monthly salary over 10,000 yuan. In a few years, I'll get married and have kids..."

"Didn't you say my fortune predicted I'd always have enough to eat because my name balances the elements of earth and wood?"

Liang Yue set down her nail clippers, her smile fading. "Xiao Shitou, are you feeling stressed? You always get meticulous with details when you lie, the more precise, the more serious."

"If you're feeling overwhelmed, let's not take the exams!"

Her words struck a chord, leaving Zhou Yanqing momentarily speechless.

A mother knows her child best.

In medicine, degrees are the most basic stepping stones. A diploma determines one's starting point:

Diploma holders hope for township hospitals, not clinics. Bachelor's graduates aim for county hospitals. Master's graduates target top-tier city hospitals. Doctorates are necessary for elite teaching hospitals.

The more one accumulates, the more options and safety nets become available.

If Zhou Yanqing's family had wealth, he wouldn't need a stable career in medicine; he could have pursued finance and enjoyed a relaxed life. If he had scored 100 points higher on the college entrance exam, he could have attended a top-ten university with better resources—where anatomy students reportedly each had their own cadaver to study.

Sensing his son's silence, his father quickly interjected, "Go, go! Don't listen to your mom."

"You've got to try. If it doesn't work out, at least you won't regret it."

"I understand you, son. I've done my research. Doctoral programs seem to require some sort of... CCI papers?"

Zhou Yanqing chuckled, impressed his father, who hadn't even completed middle school, remembered part of the term SCI. "Dad, it's called SCI papers."

"I'll give it a shot, though my chances aren't great. I didn't publish much during my master's—just two SCI papers, one of which was a meta-analysis."

His father nodded eagerly. "Yes, SCI! See, your dad might not be educated, but my memory isn't too bad. The only help I can give you is some tuition and living expenses."

After hanging up, Zhou Yanqing took a deep breath. The clock read 1:12 PM. With outpatient duties starting at 2 PM, he'd have only ten minutes to train if he went to the practice room.

Still, ten minutes was ten minutes. Forty or fifty meticulous incisions were better than none.

Determined, he left for the training room.

Afternoon, 1:55 PM.

Zhou Yanqing arrived early at the clinic, prepared pens, opened the main and assistant computers, and logged into his teacher Gong Yi's account. He also refreshed the tea in Gong Yi's thermos, knowing the clinic's limited amenities made this small comfort worthwhile.

When Gong Yi arrived at 1:58 PM, he was reading messages on his phone. Looking up, he asked, "Were you in the training room at 1:45?"

Zhou Yanqing smiled. "Ziwei must've told you that. I've treated him to so many meals, yet he still gossips!"

Gong Yi frowned. "Ziwei said you've already mastered cutting precise preset shapes in the training room. Does that mean you're ready to attempt flap incision techniques in surgery?"

Hand surgery demanded excellence in both incision and suturing, with stringent requirements for surgical privileges.

Since Fan Ziwei had spilled the beans, Zhou Yanqing didn't deny it. "Yes, Master. But since I just asked you about flap suturing recently, requesting flap incision privileges now might seem too hasty."

"One step at a time—biting off more than I can chew won't help."

Gong Yi considered this. "Taking it slow is fine, but standards are standards. Tomorrow's surgery day. Want to give it a try?"

His master's offer left no room for hesitation. Smiling, Zhou Yanqing replied, "Yes! Thank you, Master."

"Good. Patients are waiting—let's begin."