The Enhanced Doctor

On the way back to the emergency department, Liu Banxia was feeling rather elated. This is a real cause for celebration. After the last news feature, my father even called to ask me about it.

"Why did you come back alone?" Shi Lei asked curiously, seeing him by himself.

"Director Miao kept the others to help out. Have you rested well? Maybe you should rest more this afternoon," Liu Banxia said.

"Half a day of sleep is more than enough. What's going on with you and Qi Wentai?" Shi Lei asked.

"Sigh... he's really a handful. He makes mistakes and doesn't admit them. Everyone here works in the emergency department; isn't it obvious how things are run? He even tried to pin the blame on the nurses, so I made him write a formal report on the situation," Liu Banxia said. "He's a real nuisance. If I manage him, it's too much trouble. If I don't, he won't do his job properly. It's stressing me out so much. I'm even considering transferring him, but I'm afraid of people gossiping."

"Are you still worried about that? I guess Director Qin probably felt the same way back in the day," Shi Lei teased.

Liu Banxia rolled his eyes. "That's a difference in status. I wouldn't deliberately pick a fight with Qi Wentai, would I? Old Qin, on the other hand, was always lurking in the shadows, scheming against me."

"You probably don't know yet, do you? A while ago, Old Qin went to Jinshui District Hospital trying to dig up dirt on me, to see if he could bring me down. Chief Director Xu sent him packing. Don't you think he's detestable?"

"That actually happened? If you ask me, you should tell the director to transfer him. Otherwise, I'm afraid something will go wrong sooner or later," Shi Lei said with a frown.

"Actually, I'm afraid people will say the director is intolerant, or something like that. Old Qin just left, and now there's Qi Wentai to handle. You know how tongues wag; people rarely care about the cause and effect," Liu Banxia said helplessly.

"Boss, could you cover for me for a little while? Director Miao gave me the credit for this and tasked me with writing a report on the patient's nitrous oxide usage. I aim to get it done today."

"Sure, go ahead and do what you need to do," Shi Lei nodded.

This was important work, and after sleeping all morning, he was feeling quite energetic.

The outcome of this situation really depended on who seized the initiative. As the hospital that treated the first case, they had a certain advantage. The credit wasn't huge, but it was credit nonetheless.

This report should be easy to write. I just need to stick to the facts and give an honest account.

Just as Liu Banxia had everything prepared, Liang Xiaolin and the others returned. They seemed energetic; it looked like the tour had gone very well.

"Wait a minute, I just remembered. After I sent Xu Dan out this morning, why hasn't she come back yet? Have any of you seen her?" Liu Banxia looked around and only then recalled that Xu Dan was missing.

"Oh my, I don't think we've seen Dandan. Didn't she go to the operating room and just not come back?" Liang Xiaolin asked.

"I'll ask around," Liu Banxia said, sounding helpless.

I sent her to scout things out, get a feel for the place, but she vanished like a meat bun tossed to a dog—gone without a trace. It's not like Xu Dan to sneak off and have fun. She must still be in the operating room.

He sent a message to Liu Mei and then waited, clutching his phone. It took a full ten minutes for Liu Mei's reply to come through. Indeed, Xu Dan was still in the operating room; she would be sent back once her current procedure was over.

"What's the situation?" Liang Xiaolin asked.

"She's still in the operating room. I didn't dare ask too much. When that girl gets back, we'll let her confess," Liu Banxia said with a smile.

"Dr. Liu, do you think once our new building is finished, we'll be like the neurology department, with all the rooms for instrumental examinations within the department located nearby?" asked Zhou Shangkai, an intern from the internal medicine department.

"Definitely. Although I haven't paid much attention, I heard the layout is based on designs from both domestic and international hospitals. There will be many rooms for instrumental examinations on the ground floor, not just for radiology," Liu Banxia said with a smile. "But what I'm most excited about is the bedside X-ray. That's incredibly convenient. The X-ray can be taken immediately after the patient is positioned on the bed. All the information will be clear at a glance, which will greatly streamline our diagnosis and treatment."

"You all need to think carefully about whether you want to pursue general internal medicine or cardiology. Even within our emergency department, there will be distinctions in the future.

"Now you still have the chance to choose; try to pursue a profession you love so you can find some joy in your work. Also, you will have the chance to change your sub-specialty in the future, but do think carefully.

"Currently, only primary care hospitals allow for additional medical practice qualifications. Whether this can be extended to top-tier hospitals is unknown; it depends on national policy.

"So, you should seize the opportunity. Once we move to the new building, all departments will be well-equipped. As the first wave of regular reserves in our emergency department, I can give you all a green light and allow you to invest more time in your chosen specialty."

"Teacher Liu, really?" Li Hao asked.

"Why would I lie to you? It's not easy to get into the emergency department, so I have to provide you with the conveniences you deserve," Liu Banxia said with a smile. "But this is a very serious matter; you all need to consider it carefully. It concerns your future, after all. No matter where you work, no department is easy. At the very least, you have a chance to choose a department that makes you a little happier."

Upon hearing his words, all the interns except Liang Xiaolin and Qing Kewa began to think deeply.

One of them had a clear goal: a steadfast commitment to cardiac surgery. The other was just here temporarily and would also go into general surgery back in Russia. The others were different; they had never seriously considered this question.

Actually, this is a common phenomenon. Many people choose their medical school specialization based on which department seems easier or more lucrative in the future.

Interests? Hobbies? Unless they came from a family of doctors, these factors were rarely considered.

Now Liu Banxia had promised them he would give them a green light, allowing them preferential focus on their desired specialty during their internship year. This was something they hadn't dared to imagine.

"If you stir them up like this, won't their minds be in turmoil?" Xu Hui said with a laugh.

"Whether their minds are in turmoil or not, it's bound to happen sooner or later. Let's just say it gives them another chance to seriously confront their own desires, so they don't have regrets in the future," Liu Banxia responded. "When I first studied surgery, I was actually aiming for plastic surgery. But after everything that happened, I realized that treating and saving patients in general surgery suits me better.

"Otherwise, if you really sent me to plastic surgery now, where every day is just patching things up, I think I'd be bored to death. Sure, it's not very tiring, and surgeries can be scheduled methodically, but there's no passion."

Xu Hui chuckled. He knew a bit about Liu Banxia's former dreams and what had happened to him after graduation. You could only say his luck was really bad back then.

As they were chatting, Xu Dan came bouncing over from the corridor, her round face flushed red with excitement.

"It seems like she really has some ideas now," Liu Banxia said with a smile.

Xu Dan nodded contentedly. "Although I recognize these surgical instruments, and we have some in the emergency department, I never knew that seeing so many surgical instruments gathered together could look so appealing."

"Dr. Liu, do you think I could really become a scrub nurse? Sister Liu Mei said I'd have to read a lot of books and do many internships. What I dread most is reading and memorizing books; I get sleepy as soon as I start."

"It's not as difficult as you think. In fact, aside from the specific differences of each surgery, just like for the chief surgeon, it still comes down to your understanding of anatomy.

"A good scrub nurse, having participated in many surgeries and developed a rapport with the chief surgeon over time, can often anticipate and provide the necessary instruments without the surgeon even having to ask.

"And during surgery, most procedures are standardized and universal. So it's not as difficult as you might imagine.

"If you're really interested in this field, and it's not just a fleeting interest because you find the instruments fascinating at the moment, you can start putting more effort into this area.

"Later, I can arrange for you to go to the operating room again, but don't sneak over there yourself. That would make things difficult for Sister Wang. However, I can only help you this much; the rest is up to you."

Xu Dan nodded firmly. "At first, I thought I would be scared after seeing a surgical operation, but I wasn't today. And I think the surgical instruments are really cool. When I hand the chief surgeon forceps and things promptly, it feels like I'm saving patients too."

"Haha, you're still running on excitement. Once that initial thrill wears off, then give it some serious thought as to whether you truly like working in the operating room," Liu Banxia said, laughing.

The others around them also started to laugh. Xu Dan was young and had a childlike innocence about her. She was also very guileless, saying whatever was on her mind, so her reputation in the department was top-notch.

Liu Banxia had said what he needed to say. Then, the young woman went over to Liang Xiaolin and the others to chat. Liu Banxia listened in for a moment and felt quite helpless.

He had assumed they were talking about medical matters. But in reality? Xu Dan had picked up some inside news: Zhou Li would be bringing braised pork bones to work when she came in today.

So, sometimes girls' points of focus can indeed be surprising and erratic.

Liu Banxia didn't bother them anymore. Since there were no patients in the emergency department at the moment, everyone could take the chance to rest a bit. Otherwise, constantly being on edge would be unbearable for anyone.

As for the new training method he'd proposed, he didn't think there was anything odd about it. Even if there were prescribed training methods, he believed the hospital administration would approve some slight modifications.

It was like the difference between required and elective courses. Trying to be a jack-of-all-trades wasn't ideal; specializing was still better.