Chapter 7: A Surge of Opportunity

“Hmm, your suturing was pretty good. Not many get such a stellar performance on their first time on stage.”

Director Liu initially praised his suturing technique.

Then he shifted his tone: “However, there are some areas that need improvement. For instance, this stitch—the spacing could be shorter so that after tying the knot, the dermis would adhere more firmly. Although the surface appears tightly closed to the naked eye, tiny gaps exist in the deeper dermal layer, which could hinder wound healing.”

Only someone as experienced as Director Liu could spot such minute gaps beneath the surface in an instant.

“Also, the selection of the entry point could be closer to the incision edge. As the saying goes, staying too far leads to resentment, while too close might seem disrespectful. If the stitch is too far from the edge, the suture will stretch too much and lose its tension. Conversely, if it’s too close, the short gap and high tension could cause the skin to tear. This balance is something only you can master.”

Director Liu rarely spent time explaining these fundamental suturing points.

He recognized that Zhou Can was a promising talent worth cultivating.

And so he went into meticulous detail.

“Remember, the choice of entry point during suturing isn’t one-size-fits-all. In areas where the skin is more resilient, you can stitch closer to the edge, while more delicate regions require a bit more distance to prevent tearing.”

What seemed like simple skin suturing revealed surprisingly profound techniques.

“All right, students, keep these points in mind and you’ll truly appreciate them in practice.”

Zhou Can nodded with earnest sincerity in response.

Which areas have supple skin and which are tougher? These are nuances you will learn gradually in surgery.

Moreover, skin strength varies with age and gender.

Children’s skin is naturally softer than that of the elderly, and women’s skin tends to be more delicate than men’s.

These differences can only be understood through personal experience and accumulation of knowledge.

Observing Zhou Can’s humble attitude, Director Liu felt an even greater fondness for the student.

“You’ve got great potential. For this upcoming clinical training recruitment, give it your all. If you can secure a spot, I’ll request the hospital to let me mentor you personally.”

The other interns listened enviously as Director Liu spoke, their eyes burning with jealousy.

This was an incredible opportunity.

Remember, Director Liu held a deputy chief position; if it weren’t for a slight shortfall in his academic credentials, he would have been the chief by now.

Among the deputy chief surgeons in General Surgery, his skills are unquestionably top-notch.

Countless training doctors and residents clamored to study under Director Liu—even many attending physicians competed to be his student.

And now, Director Liu was extending an olive branch to Zhou Can, an intern. How could that not spark envy?

The Chief Resident remarked sarcastically, “Dr. Zhou, you really hit the jackpot!”

Despite his sarcasm, his tone showed a subtle change in how he addressed Zhou Can.

From ‘Little Zhou’ he had become ‘Dr. Zhou.’

That small shift in address conveyed a newfound respect.

“Thank you for your trust, Director Liu!”

Zhou Can, not one to miss a good opportunity, quickly expressed his gratitude.

Director Liu smiled and nodded slightly.

His gaze then turned to the Anesthesiologist.

“How are the patient’s vitals?”

“The patient is regaining consciousness and their vital signs are stable. The blood oxygen level is slightly off, but still within the normal range.”

“Alright, I’m handing it over to you all.” Director Liu then looked to the First Assistant. “Dr. He, please keep a close eye on the patient for the next twelve hours post-surgery. Call me immediately if anything abnormal occurs.”

This major surgery was extremely risky.

The twelve-hour window following surgery is considered a high-risk period.

In the entire perioperative phase, only the surgery itself carries a higher risk.

“Got it. You go ahead and attend your meeting without worry!”

If this team were likened to a small sect, the First Assistant’s role was equivalent to that of the senior disciple.

In the absence of the mentor, the senior disciple assumes the mentor’s responsibilities.

Before long, the patient awoke and exhibited normal post-operative behavior.

After confirming there were no issues, the orders were given, and the patient was sent back to the ward for recovery.

……

Returning to the office, the intern doctors who rarely interacted with him suddenly became very cordial.

Even the normally aloof and stern residents treated him with newfound politeness.

His standing within the department had clearly risen.

It felt great to earn respect purely through genuine skill.

And it only strengthened his resolve to further improve his medical abilities.

After finishing the progress notes and wrapping up his other tasks, Zhou Can began planning how he could level up one or two more skills by tomorrow.

For now, his suturing and ligature skills had already reached a resident level, so there was no need to worry there.

However, his hemostasis skill could only be practiced after hours, using either a White Mouse or a rabbit in the dorm. As an intern, it was unrealistic to expect an opportunity to secure hands-on post-operative hemostasis practice.

The same went for anatomy practice, which could only be honed at home.

Originally, Zhou Can hadn’t expected to boost his anatomy skill to level three before the clinical training recruitment.

He had too many skills to improve—time was limited, so he prioritized the more critical suturing, ligature, and pathology diagnosis skills.

But now, he harbored even greater ambitions.

With careful planning and efficient use of every available resource and moment, perhaps he could elevate all four basic surgical skills—including pathology diagnosis—to level three before the recruitment.

If he managed to upgrade all five skills to level three, he’d be a lock for a clinical training position.

By then, the only ones left worrying about selection would be his competitors.

Pathology diagnosis was the most challenging skill to master.

Yet it remained the most esteemed skill, unchallenged by any other.

Zhou Can’s rise today—from an unremarkable intern to a key trainee under Director Liu’s wing—was largely due to his proficiency in pathology diagnosis.

That alone speaks volumes about its importance.

He decided to focus on upgrading that skill first.

He checked his pathology diagnosis experience: Level 2 at 90.6/100, which was considered excellent for training.

He only needed an additional 9.4 points to reach level 3.

If each case review added 0.1 experience point, he’d have to go through 94 cases, probably taking several days.

In the operating room, his successful patient diagnosis had netted him a full extra point.

Tasting such a significant reward, he began strategizing.

Where is the best chance to secure diagnostic opportunities? The answer was surely the outpatient clinic.

A quick glance at the duty roster confirmed it.

It turned out that First Assistant Dr. He was scheduled to be in the outpatient clinic that afternoon.

Zhou Can’s mind raced with ideas.

Relying on Director Liu’s favor, he mustered the nerve to ask Dr. He for a chance to accompany him and gain hands-on diagnostic experience.

At that moment, Dr. He was diligently reviewing patient cases.

Zhou Can stood up and approached him.

“Dr. He, would you like a top-up for your tea?”

Dr. He Hansheng wasn’t just an attending physician—he also held the highest rank among all attendings in the department.

Many speculated that he was likely to be promoted to deputy chief physician next year.

He was generally affable with his junior colleagues.

Dr. He looked up at Zhou Can briefly.

“You’re always so eager to please. I suppose you need something. What is it?”

Zhou Can’s little ulterior motive was immediately seen through, and he couldn’t help but laugh awkwardly.

“Heh, I didn’t expect that not only are your surgical skills outstanding, but you also have a keen sense for psychology. My little scheme was no match for your perceptiveness.”

Zhou Can led with some flattery.

Flattery, after all, always wins in the end.

Everyone loves to hear kind words, especially from a superior.

A few well-placed compliments could greatly boost one’s favor in the eyes of leadership.

Once that was done, everything else became much easier.

“With the clinical training recruitment happening tomorrow, my pathology diagnosis skill lacks practical application. I noticed on the roster that you’ll be in the outpatient clinic this afternoon. Could I accompany you, learn a bit on the side?”

Zhou Can boldly voiced his request.

Dr. He hesitated briefly before replying, “Alright, you can join me in the outpatient clinic this afternoon.”

Dr. He’s straightforward nature prevailed after a short pause.

“Thank you so much! If I make it through the recruitment, dinner’s on me!”

Zhou Can expressed his joy with repeated thanks.

Sometimes you just have to take a risk to change your fate.

When opportunity strikes, you must boldly seize it.

After all, wasn’t the assistant’s training opportunity right at hand?

He calculated that with an extra 9.4 points and one point per diagnosis, just ten patient cases would suffice to level up his pathology diagnosis skill to level 3.

Dr. He then told Chief Resident Dr. Fang, “Dr. Fang, please assign Zhou Can’s outpatient tasks to someone else this afternoon; he’ll be with me for the clinic.”

Most of the tasks for the General Surgery interns were managed by Dr. Fang.

Dr. Fang promptly responded, “Understood!”

Dr. He personally announced the change, leaving Dr. Fang with no option but to agree.

He pulled out a duty roster and began reassigning tasks to the other interns.

“Xiao Gao, please manage the patients in beds 21 to 26 this afternoon. Xiao Wu, follow up with patients in beds 29 and 31 for their post-op care…”

Thus, Zhou Can’s afternoon tasks were completely handed over by the Chief Resident.

The interns who received these extra assignments were reluctant but dared not challenge the Chief Resident’s authority.

They could only agree in silence.

Competition is everywhere in society—only the strong survive.

The natural order is that the strong rise while the weak fall.

Dr. He gave Zhou Can this chance because he believed in his potential and found him worthy of mentorship.

As for the other interns who were squeezed out, it was simply the result of fair competition.

Opportunities are available to everyone—only those who seize them will ascend.

And that’s how one can grow stronger over time.