Rejected three times consecutively, Zhou Can's stubbornness had fully set in.
It's fine to end up in the worst department.
It's more beneficial for his growth.
The medical team in the Emergency Department was subpar, and the competition was far from as intense as the prestigious departments. Even newcomers like Zhou Can could grab ample opportunities to practice.
Additionally, a fire of determination was burning in his heart. To quickly excel in the worst department would further prove his worth.
He wanted those department heads who didn't choose him to see that not taking him on was their biggest loss.
"I'm willing."
Zhou Can's answer was exceptionally firm.
"Pfft!"
Someone let out a laugh.
Annoyed, Zhou Can looked over to find Du Leng covering his mouth with a strange expression.
Du Leng probably thought it was ridiculous that Zhou Can, being the top candidate, got no offers, while he, ranking fourth, became the most sought-after talent. Then, as the worst Emergency Department offered Zhou Can an olive branch, he eagerly accepted, as if afraid of being unwanted.
The stark contrast made Du Leng find the situation rather amusing, hence the snicker.
Sensing Zhou Can's angry gaze, Du Leng quickly covered it up with a cough.
This little incident didn't affect the directors' continuation of choosing their candidates.
When it was Director Lou of the Emergency Department's turn to pick again, he chose Jin Mingxi, who had a bachelor's degree from an ordinary college, likely valuing Jin's work experience and surgical skills.
In the reevaluation phase, Jin Mingxi's score was second only to Zhou Can.
If Jin's written test score had been higher, he could've easily ranked in the top three.
"Alright, the Emergency Department's two spots are filled, I must be excused," said Director Lou as he greeted the other four department heads before leaving with Zhou Can and Jin Mingxi.
His hurried demeanor suggested that he is usually very busy.
"First, I'll take you to HR to get registered. From now on, you both will be doctors in the Emergency Department."
He led them to the Emergency Department.
"Ah, Director Lou has arrived, please have a seat!"
The female clerk at HR smiled like a blooming flower.
Just a short while ago, when Zhou Can was signing his contract with her, she had a haughty expression and was rather cold.
Seeing her warmth toward Director Lou now, it made Zhou Can question if the woman had split personalities.
"Register these two. They'll be under the Emergency Department from now on. This one is Zhou Can, the other is Jin Mingxi."
Director Lou was the least esteemed among the heads of the major departments.
But in front of a junior HR clerk, he had significant influence.
His words carried weight.
The clerk quickly registered them, smiling and saying, "Director Lou, didn't you choose candidates with higher degrees? There are plenty of postgraduates in this round of general practice trainees!"
If there weren't many postgraduates, it would make sense that Director Lou couldn't outcompete the other department heads and had to settle for leftovers.
However, more than 70% of this batch of trainees had postgraduate degrees, and with two spots available, it didn't make sense for Director Lou not to secure even one.
"The Emergency Department needs people who can get work done. Their educational background might be a bit lower, but their surgical skills are strong, and their diagnostic levels are not bad either. They are ready to work straight away. Besides, don't the trainees have to rotate through departments? Taking in someone with a high degree looks good, but it means constantly nurturing them. By the time their training is up, who knows if they'll just go off to another department."
Hearing Director Lou's explanation, the clerk giggled behind her hand.
"Young lady, you really shouldn't laugh. It's the truth that our Emergency Department, with its heavy workload, low salary, and high risks, can't retain people. Anyone slightly talented is quickly poached by other departments. I've come to terms with it; those who are leaving can't be retained, so it's best to pick those who can work right away."
The Emergency Department had always been at the bottom tier in terms of departments, unable to keep talent, which was determined by the grand scheme of things.
It had innate disadvantages compared to other departments.
"You sure have an open mind about it. Alright, the registration is complete."
With a department head watching, the clerk's work efficiency rose significantly.
People are just realistic.
"Goodbye!"
Director Lou waved to the clerk and led Zhou Can and Jin Mingxi back to the Emergency Department.
"The Emergency Department isn't like other departments; we often see patients with seemingly minor complaints like headaches or fevers that might turn out to be critically ill and quickly need to be transferred to the resuscitation room. Therefore, you two must be especially careful. I'll give you half a month to get acclimated, and I will arrange for experienced doctors to mentor you. Anything you don't understand or are not sure about, definitely consult a senior doctor. Don't be afraid of being scolded or feel embarrassed..."
On the way back to the Emergency Department, Director Lou outlined a few guidelines for them.
For the first half-month, he didn't expect them to be of much help, just to avoid causing trouble.
As soon as they entered the Emergency Department, a nurse hurried over.
"Director Lou, please come to the resuscitation room, that patient has gone into shock three times already. The family is causing quite an uproar; it's almost turning violent," the nurse reported breathlessly.
The patient was presumably the critically ill one that Director Lou had mentioned, who had been admitted not long before.
Shock is a very special medical term.
The average person might equate shock with being unconscious.
But shock is actually much more serious than unconsciousness.
Shock is a syndrome where the body, after being invaded by strong pathogenic factors, suffers a sharp decrease in effective circulating blood volume, leading to widespread, sustained, and significantly reduced tissue blood perfusion. This causes poor microcirculation function throughout the body and severe dysfunctions in vital organs.
At this point, the body loses its compensatory functions, leading to tissue ischemia and hypoxia, and dysregulation of neural and humoral factors.
Being in shock is practically on the verge of death.
It's like being halfway through the gates of hell.
Unconsciousness can be serious, or it can be not so serious.
For example, the most common seizure episode, where the patient falls into a coma, isn't actually that dangerous. Sometimes brief asphyxia from lack of oxygen, or even a heavy blow to the head, or being startled, can easily cause unconsciousness.
From the above comparison, it is clear that a patient who falls into shock must be resuscitated immediately.
Otherwise, they could die at any moment.
That patient has shock three times in a short period, what exactly is the disease?
Director Lou had a stern face, said nothing, and headed straight for the resuscitation room.
Zhou Can saw that the director hadn't made any arrangements, so naturally, he followed to the resuscitation room.
On his first day in the Emergency Department, he encountered a perilous situation, and besides being a bit nervous, he was more excited. As long as he had strong medical skills, he could rise quickly in the Emergency Department.
There were plenty of training opportunities to be had.
"Is this hospital even competent?"
"If my son loses his life, I'll sue all of you in court!"
"The person was conscious when they were brought in; it's all you quack doctors who sent my nephew into shock. You're murderers."
Several family members were rolling and wailing outside the resuscitation room.
The words they spat out were extremely unpleasant.
Zhou Can had been an intern for a year, he had seen such scenes, but only a few times.
At this point, arguing with the family members is useless, the priority is to save the patient.
"Please do not panic, our director is here, he will definitely do his best to save the patient."
The female nurse was brave, taking the lead to clear the way.
"Why do we have to wait until the person is in shock before you show up? What have you been doing all this time?"
"You all are too irresponsible."
The anxiety and grief of these family members was understandable.
But this kind of unreasonable behavior and insulting doctors cannot be encouraged.
Director Lou was in a hurry to get in and save someone, but they were blocking the door, seriously disrupting the order of the rescue.
"Make way, make way! If your obstruction and interference lead to the patient's death, you will bear the consequences." Seeing that the nurse couldn't control the scene, Zhou Can immediately strode forward, his face dark as he sternly reprimanded the family members.
The family members were truly shaken by him.
"Please wait over there. We are doctors, and it is our duty to save patients; we will do our absolute best to save your child. If you don't trust us, you are free to transfer the patient to another hospital. Continuing this commotion is not good for anyone."
Although the family members were somewhat reluctant, they eventually quieted down.
Director Lou was able to enter the resuscitation room smoothly.
Zhou Can and the others followed closely behind.
Inside the resuscitation room, six or seven doctors and nurses were frantically trying to save a child who was convulsing.
The child's eyes were tightly closed, jaws clenched, and complexion pale, indicating a grim situation.
The life-monitoring indicators for blood oxygen, heart rate, blood pressure, and other aspects were all poor.
"Director Lou, this child has just been resuscitated and is in shock again. The cause hasn't been found yet." A main treating physician, who was in his forties and covered in sweat, didn't even have time to wipe it off.
His eyebrows were tightly furrowed, his expression grave and filled with concern.
"You all continue the resuscitation, hand me the medical records!" Director Lou was steady and unlike other medical staff, he was not panicked.
Instead, he was calmly searching for the cause of the shock.
After entering the resuscitation room, Zhou Can first visually examined the child, then listened to Director Lou read the medical record.
"The child caught a cold two days ago, presenting symptoms of fever, loss of appetite, listlessness, and drowsiness. After treatment at a nearby clinic was ineffective, seeing the child's condition worsen, they were sent to Tuya Hospital's Emergency Department for medical attention."
It's just a simple cold, how could it become so serious?
Zhou Can could only think of two possibilities: either the child didn't have a cold at all, as there are too many diseases similar to it, or the family was hiding something.
He was just a new trainee in the Emergency Department, with little authority and was not taken seriously; naturally, he wouldn't speak rashly without a clear diagnosis.
What he needed to do now was to methodically verify and investigate the causes one by one.