"Alright, let's begin."
Seeing Zhao Heng standing across from her, calm and composed, Song Chen felt much more relaxed and nodded in acknowledgment.
To be honest, with her skills, she could handle the procedure alone, but doing so would put tremendous pressure on her. Even the most skilled surgeons can't guarantee being completely mistake-free during an operation.
So, with Zhao Heng's assistance, Song Chen naturally felt much more at ease.
The procedure started quickly, however, from the outset, Song Chen felt something different.
How should she describe it? Their chemistry was impeccable.
She didn't have to speak; Zhao Heng already knew what she needed to say, what she needed to do, requiring little to no verbal communication; their operation was seamless and fluid.
This smooth, effortless feeling was something Song Chen hadn't experienced in previous surgeries.
But it wasn't surprising; after integrating the knowledge gained from Huang Jincheng, Zhao Heng's proficiency in cardiac bypass surgery was on par with Huang Jincheng's.
It was equivalent to having an expert like Huang Jincheng assisting Song Chen, which made such fluidity unsurprising.
Only a seasoned expert like Huang Jincheng, who knew every step of the surgery inside out, at a level close to mastery, could provide Song Chen with such a seamless experience.
Huang Jincheng, observing Zhao Heng's excellent cooperation, naturally noticed.
Seeing Zhao Heng and Song Chen's perfect teamwork, Huang Jincheng's previously furrowed brows relaxed considerably.
"Junior, have you assisted in cardiothoracic surgeries before?"
After extracting the great saphenous vein and carefully placing the piece of vessel on the operating table, Song Chen finally exhaled deeply and asked Zhao Heng.
"No, I just watched more than a few." Zhao Heng slightly shook his head and replied.
"Junior, have you memorized all the surgical steps inside your mind?"
Looking at Zhao Heng, whose demeanor remained composed, Song Chen was slightly impressed and remarked.
This was someone with intent; working as an instrument nurse in the operating room yet striving to improve and elevate their skills relentlessly.
Moreover, in Song Chen's view, Zhao Heng was incredibly gifted. A person combining talent with diligence naturally garnered admiration.
Though still starting from the bottom, possessing a heart set on advancing and thriving, Song Chen couldn't help but feel an even greater appreciation for Zhao Heng.
Song Chen was aware that working as an instrument nurse in an operating room, earning just enough for a single room in an urban village in North City, after accounting for meals and rent, not much would remain.
She could imagine the hardship of living like that.
Thanks to Zhao Heng's perfect cooperation, Song Chen completed the procedure ahead of schedule, promptly switching out for another resident doctor to continue assisting Huang Jincheng's surgery.
Whereas Zhao Heng went back to sit beside Gao Jun, showcasing his exceptional ability to cooperate with Song Chen, which, for the present Zhao Heng, was quite impressive.
"Well done."
As soon as he sat down next to Gao Jun, Gao Jun beamed at Zhao Heng and remarked.
Truthfully, since Gao Jun was the one mentoring Zhao Heng, Zhao Heng's excellent performance also cast him in a favorable light.
"Little Zhao, it's certainly a pity for you to stay as an instrument nurse."
Pausing slightly, Gao Jun sighed and spoke.
"By the way, I remember you've passed the practitioner's exam, right?"
As if recollecting something, Gao Jun asked again.
"Yes, I passed it." Zhao Heng nodded.
"Little Zhao, how about training as a dedicated anesthesiologist? You could follow my lead for about half a year, and you'd be eligible for this year's anesthesiology exam. Once you pass, aside from the basics, I can definitely fight for a contractor spot at Eastern Hospital for you. Although it's contractor work, the performance and bonuses are the same as the regular staff, just the base salary is slightly lesser."
Gao Jun, after deliberating, proposed.
Seeing Zhao Heng perform so well, Gao Jun knew he must have worked hard privately, and he didn't mind lending a hand to such diligent young people.
Frankly, the difficulty of entering various hospital departments isn't equal.
At Eastern Hospital, compared to the clinical departments that require a Ph.D. like internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics and obstetrics, for departments like anesthesiology, as long as you have an anaesthetist credential, your degree isn't a barrier.
This is due to the significant shortage of anesthesiologists.
The anesthesiology exam must be taken after passing the practitioner's exam and following a senior anesthesiologist for some time.
The practitioner's exam is already among the toughest, ranking alongside the judicial exam and the certified public accountant exam, known as the three hardest exams.
Annually, the pass rate for medical students taking the practitioner's exam is only around twenty percent.
And this anesthesiology exam rises another level in difficulty compared to the practitioner's exam.
It's evident that passing the anesthesiology exam is no simple feat.
"Only half a year until the exam?"
Hearing Gao Jun's words, Zhao Heng was somewhat tempted.
In Eastern Hospital, full-time anesthesiologists earn no less than surgeons, and for someone with Zhao Heng's qualifications, improving two more levels is necessary to truly enter clinical departments.
Therefore, if such an opportunity presented itself—a chance to sit for the anesthesiologist exam in six months, securing an income-generating position—it would be quite appealing to someone like Zhao Heng, who was starting with nothing.
"Yes, and maybe even less than half a year. I heard due to the recent shortage of anesthesiologists, there might be two exams this year; if so, the first might be in a month. Signing up now would definitely leave enough time."
Gao Jun gently explained, showing how comprehensively he had thought it through for Zhao Heng.
This was the difference between having guidance and not; many like Zhao Heng, despite having passed the practitioner's exam, still worked as instrument nurses—quite a number indeed.
No one knows when an instrument nurse position might last until.
Possibly, one day, feeling unable to continue, they would choose to leave North City and return to their hometown.
"With only a month remaining, the exam difficulty would be quite high. But given your knowledge reserve and competency, passing this exam should be manageable."
Pausing briefly, Gao Jun continued.
The most challenging part of the anesthesiology exam lies in its specialized focus entirely on anesthetics.
Thus, in comparison to the broad practitioner's exam, the complexity is naturally higher.
Being a qualified anesthesiologist requires mastering the mechanisms of toxic and rescue drugs thoroughly, including emergency techniques like cardiopulmonary resuscitation and intubation, proficient use of equipment like EKG monitors and ventilators, and being able to independently handle various surgical anesthesias and guide postoperative pain management.
In essence, anesthesia is an advanced step for clinical practitioners.
"Thank you, Professor, I'll think about it."
After contemplating for a bit, Zhao Heng responded.
"Little Zhao, don't be overly apprehensive. I understand your ambition to become an excellent surgeon. However, having an anesthetist certificate won't impede your path as a surgeon. In fact, the skill of anesthesia could prove immensely beneficial for your future surgeries."
Recognizing Zhao Heng's worries, Gao Jun calmly reassured.
"Alright, Professor, I'll sign up during the break."
Since Gao Jun had advised him so, Zhao Heng thought it over; indeed, given his immediate needs for a sustainable livelihood, this made sense.
Having worked at Eastern Hospital for many years, Gao Jun had connections; once credentialed, and with Gao Jun's recommendation, working as a contractor here wouldn't be too bad.
Though the base salary was slightly lower compared to formal staff, practically speaking, the hospital was trialing equal pay for equal work. Despite the smaller base salary, performance and bonuses were indeed identical.
"Alright, it's settled then. Little Zhao, it's no secret that working as an anesthesiologist at Eastern Hospital earns at least thirty thousand annually. This income compares favorably to that of clinical surgeons."
Gao Jun offered Zhao Heng tangible assurance.
"Thirty thousand is quite substantial."
Zhao Heng nodded.
Currently, his position as an instrument nurse brought in just four thousand monthly. If becoming an anesthesiologist, not to mention earning twenty thousand, would be several times his current income.
In a place like North City, being financially constrained means living in hell, while financial security means living in paradise.
Zhao Heng no longer wished to endure days of being penniless.