Chapter 228: A New Chapter in Internal Medicine

Gao Jian’s keen attention to him was unmistakable.

After meeting twice, Gao Jian could precisely cite the latest impressive feats of Zhou Can.

Once, Zhou Can had even viewed Gao Jian as a formidable rival.

But now, as his own abilities grow and his shortcomings in basic medical knowledge are swiftly being remedied, he no longer holds Gao Jian in high regard.

After all, life is about surpassing one opponent after another through relentless effort.

While filling out a form, Dr. Xia Ping hurried in after finishing his work.

“Dr. Chi, have Zhou Can’s admission procedures been completed?”

Dr. Xia Ping was clearly still maneuvering for Zhou Can.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t be so eagerly inquiring.

“He just needs to finish the form. I heard that your patient in Bed 51 had an issue—everything okay now?” The doctors, all from the same department, were on familiar terms.

“Don’t mention it. Today, thanks to that young fellow Zhou Can, a major crisis was narrowly averted.”

After taking a seat, Xia Ping picked up his cup and sipped some water to soothe his throat.

“Spill the details! You look so relaxed—surely the situation has been resolved?”

Dr. Chi now expressed genuine interest.

He was familiar with the patient in Bed 51. Despite multiple examinations, the source of the bleeding remained elusive.

All they knew was that the patient was passing blood in the stool—undoubtedly a gastrointestinal hemorrhage.

But exactly which part was impossible to pinpoint.

Just this morning, as he arrived at the hospital, he heard that the Bed 51 patient had suddenly gone into shock and was rushed into the interventional room for emergency treatment. He had been genuinely worried.

He was particularly curious about where exactly the bleeding had come from, and how it was resolved.

“Can you imagine? The bleeding was caused by a small intestinal stromal tumor. No wonder even after using both the colonoscope and the capsule endoscope we couldn’t locate the bleeding spot. How could anyone find it?”

Dr. Xia Ping spoke of the case with evident agitation.

“So how was it eventually discovered? I heard the patient was already in shock—surely you were caught off guard?”

Hearing the name of the disease, Dr. Chi’s face lit up in sudden understanding.

The small intestinal stromal tumor, known as the phantom killer in gastrointestinal diseases, is notoriously difficult to detect.

“Thanks to Dr. Zhou’s reminder to perform a gastrointestinal vascular angiography, we hit the mark with our diagnosis every time.” Dr. Xia Ping glanced gratefully at Zhou Can. “By the way, has Dr. Zhou been marked as late for helping rescue that patient?”

“No, no. Dr. Luo already informed me of that.”

Dr. Chi quickly clarified—he was by no means a bad guy.

“Um…who did Dr. Zhou assign to mentor him?” Dr. Xia Ping asked with a mischievous smile.

“Haha, so I’m not the only one interested in Dr. Zhou! Unfortunately, Director Shang had already laid his claim long ago—don’t expect us to snag him now!” Dr. Chi laughed heartily.

It restored some of his own composure.

He wasn’t the only one who failed to secure Zhou Can for his team.

“Director Shang is well connected—he must have known how exceptional Dr. Zhou is and acted preemptively. I truly envy that he found such a capable partner. I even had an extra mentorship slot and was thinking of making a move to bring Zhou Can over, but that’s that!”

Dr. Xia Ping sighed and shook his head.

Once one is promoted to Attending Physician, mentorship privileges are granted.

Interns, on the other hand, serve as unpaid assistants.

Top Attending Physicians have several interns working under them.

Even Trainees at a slightly higher level are tasked with more advanced duties.

So, despite the stern faces and constant reprimands that Attending Physicians and Senior Physicians dole out, these free laborers are of crucial importance.

During performance evaluations for mentor physicians, any violation could lead to one of their interns being reassigned.

For repeated violations or failing assessments, all associated interns may be transferred.

Conversely, exemplary evaluations often result in additional mentorship slots.

This clearly indicates that the number of interns and trainees under a doctor is a reflection of their work capability.

“Old Xia, you wouldn’t be badmouthing me again, would you?”

A hearty, middle-aged man’s voice rang out, followed by the entrance of a moderately built, slightly chubby middle-aged doctor. With a round face and a gentle smile laced with authority, he stepped into the office.

This was undoubtedly Director Shang of the Gastroenterology Department.

While a department might have several Attending Physicians, there is only one department head.

The department head is merely an administrative title and does not necessarily reflect one’s medical prowess.

In some departments, Attending Physicians even serve as the head.

Management skills and coordination are the real keys to leading a department. Of course, those qualified to be department heads are seldom lacking in clinical skill either.

“I wouldn’t dream of speaking ill of you! I mean, your foresight in preemptively securing Zhou Can was brilliant. You must have known just how outstanding his performance was today…”

Dr. Xia Ping, who usually carried a certain arrogance in front of his junior colleagues, completely transformed his demeanor in Director Shang’s presence.

There was no blatant fawning, yet his compliments were unmistakable.

Such is the way of survival in the workplace.

Even the most headstrong individuals gradually learn how to adapt.

“Oh, so the rumors aren’t unfounded then! I heard Dr. Zhou has a habit of proving his worth by achieving a significant feat whenever he starts in a new department. Looks like his rotation in our Gastroenterology Department is no exception!”

Director Shang clearly was well aware of Zhou Can’s exploits.

No wonder he had secured him in advance.

“Heh, don’t believe every rumor! I just happened to lend a hand—it wasn’t like I pulled off some heroic feat. The rescue of that gastrointestinal hemorrhage patient was carried out entirely under the guidance of Dr. Xia and Dr. Jia from General Surgery.”

Zhou Can never risk taking full credit.

His modest, unassuming demeanor was his trademark.

He truly cared little for accolades or fame.

Saving lives and gaining clinical experience were what mattered most to him.

“The young man’s calm and measured approach is commendable,” Director Shang praised him before turning to Dr. Xia. “Old Xia, it’s truly fortunate that the patient was rescued. Take this as a lesson and ensure such safety incidents never recur.”

Director Shang’s stern words carried a weight that left Dr. Xia unable to even lift his head.

That subtle aura of authority was enough to command silence.

“I will reflect deeply and learn from this, ensuring such events never happen again. After the surgery, I immediately rechecked all the patients in my group.”

When mistakes are made, a proper attitude of contrition is essential.

Dr. Xia sincerely accepted the criticism and promptly conducted a self-review after the procedure.

This willingness to acknowledge faults was indeed commendable.

Director Shang’s expression noticeably softened.

“This incident serves as a serious lesson for our department. Tomorrow morning, notify all the doctors for a briefing. Deputy Director Ye has been emphasizing medical safety; we cannot act against protocol.”

Being a department head is no easy task.

One must implement policies from above, seize opportunities to educate the department, and also focus on the department’s performance.

There are simply too many concerns to manage.

Which is why many senior physicians are reluctant to take on the role—they simply can’t spare the time and energy.

After dealing with the safety incident, Director Shang’s gaze returned to Zhou Can.

“Is this your first rotation in the Internal Medicine Department, Dr. Zhou?”

“Yes, it is!”

Zhou Can rose to answer.

“Sit down, sit down. Once you join our department, you are family—no need for stiffness. We don’t have a lot of red tape here.” Director Shang quickly gestured for him to sit.

Doctors in Internal Medicine are generally gentle in nature.

Perhaps this is related to the nature of their work.

“Do you know what Internal Medicine really values?”

Director Shang asked in a matter-of-fact tone.

“Pharmacology and pathology,” Zhou Can replied.

“More precisely, Internal Medicine emphasizes the stability of body systems. The respiratory and digestive systems are the cornerstones of life. Many compare blood to fuel for a car, but that’s not quite right—true sustenance comes from oxygen and food. They are the real ‘fuel’.”

Every doctor has a unique perspective on the human body and life.

While Gastroenterology focuses on its own field of study, it tends to highlight the importance of the digestive system.

Director Shang’s theory was certainly unique.

Zhou Can had never encountered this line of thought before.

“To be even more precise, when a car’s engine burns fuel, oxygen is drawn from the air, separate from the fuel itself. In our bodies, food is the true fuel.”

After a brief pause for thought, Zhou Can nodded in agreement.

What exactly is medical reasoning?

If an explanation is logical and backed by evidence, it is sound medical reasoning.

Director Shang asserted that food, as the true fuel for the body, was indisputable.

After all, his argument was hard to refute.

“What Internal Medicine truly teaches isn’t merely pharmacology or pathology—it’s about understanding the human operating mechanism. When we identify a dysfunction, we use medications or interventional procedures to help a failing system resume normal operations without disturbing others. That is the pinnacle of treatment.”

An expert’s touch is unmistakable.

Zhou Can wholeheartedly agreed with Director Shang’s observations.

He had given up lucrative offers from several surgical departments to complete his training in Internal Medicine, a decision he now felt was spot on.

Even more fortuitous was encountering a mentor of such high caliber in the Gastroenterology Department.

Director Shang’s theories opened a whole new perspective on the body’s life mechanisms and the true role of medications.

He had once thought that drugs were merely for treating diseases.

He had never truly considered their positioning and fundamental purpose in therapy.

“How do you interpret the term ‘targeted treatment’?”

Director Shang’s first lesson was destined to leave a lasting impression on him.

“It means treating based on the patient’s symptoms!”

Zhou Can wondered silently if there was an even deeper explanation.

Internal Medicine is often considered the foundation of medical science. Its doctors are masters of medical reasoning and adept in pharmacology. Through this brief conversation with Director Shang, he began to see the truth in that claim.

Surgical training is predominantly about operative techniques and identifying lesions based on diagnostics.

Internal Medicine, however, turned out to be quite different from what he had imagined.

“So it’s simply about alleviating pain with analgesics for stomach aches, putting patients on ventilators when they suffer respiratory failure, and using enemas for constipation?”

Director Shang pressed on casually.

“Exactly. It’s treating based purely on symptoms.”

Zhou Can nodded in agreement.

“Then let me tell you—treatment based solely on symptoms is misguided in Internal Medicine. Can you accept that?” Director Shang was about to completely shatter Zhou Can’s previous perceptions of medicine.

In other words, he planned to dismantle everything Zhou Can thought he knew about medicine and have him rediscover it from the inside out.

Previously, medicine was all about surface appearances; now, he was being introduced to its inner essence.

“Ha, that’s a bit hard to accept. Back in school, our teachers always emphasized symptomatic treatment. In the clinic, during internships, trainee, and under the mentorship of senior doctors, we were constantly taught to treat symptoms. Now you’re telling me that’s wrong—I must admit it’s hard to swallow.”

Zhou Can shook his head with a smile.

He was eager to see just how Director Shang would upend his understanding of medicine today.

A thrill of excitement stirred within him.

The realm of medicine turned out to have more than one sanctuary.

Beyond the outer halls lies the inner sanctum.

“Symptomatic treatment only addresses the surface—it might work short-term, but it fails to cure the underlying problem. This is the Western approach. Our nation’s Internal Medicine, enriched by traditional Chinese medical principles, is fundamentally different. Today, I will show you that treating symptoms can be both correct and incorrect.”

Director Shang continued undeterred by Zhou Can’s stunned look.

“Internal Medicine advocates for treating based on pathology. First, you must identify the disease mechanism and uncover the true cause. Only then do you intervene to correct the malfunctioning system and restore balance. While symptomatic treatment merely quells the immediate discomfort, treating based on pathology can directly target the root issue, achieving both symptomatic and curative outcomes.”

This groundbreaking theory made Zhou Can feel as if a new door in medicine had been flung open.

The world of medicine transformed before his eyes.

It was as though he had been viewing only a fragment of the landscape from afar, and now, having ascended to the summit, he could see the entire panorama with clarity.

He could now see further and with a broader perspective.

“What you’re saying completely upends my understanding of medicine, yet it makes perfect sense. Internal Medicine is truly remarkable.”

Zhou Can’s comment was a touch exaggerated, though he meant to lighten the mood.

“Haha, Internal Medicine has plenty of wonders! Gastroenterology is just one aspect—the real heavyweights are departments like Neurology and Cardiology. Once you move there, you’ll learn so much more.”

Director Shang laughed heartily, and the other doctors in the office couldn’t help but smile.