"Just trying to cozy up to such a man brimming with mature charm, to inquire about his condition, was very likely to result in being turned away.
This kind of successful man, with a rich life experience, having seen all sorts of worlds, has dealt with all kinds of people.
Wise, mature and steady, with an especially high alertness.
Approaching him without cause would surely increase this man's guard.
How could one quickly gain this person's initial trust?
Zhou Can didn't want to put all his eggs in one basket.
But the only suitable patient he could find at the moment was this man.
The man had already begun to climb the steps.
The distance from Zhou Can was getting closer and closer.
And that's when the accident happened.
The man stumbled and almost fell.
Zhou Can couldn't help but be overjoyed, the opportunity had come.
He immediately dashed over and supported the man.
"Sir, are you alright?"
"No... problem. Just a bit of chest stuffiness, angina. Thank you just now."
The man managed to squeeze out a faint smile.
When Zhou Can supported the man, he realized that the man's body was trembling slightly.
Coupled with the man's self-reported symptoms of chest stuffiness and angina, he realized the seriousness of the issue.
"I am an intern doctor at Tuya Hospital. Seeing your pale complexion, along with symptoms of chest stuffiness and angina, I suspect it's related to a cardiac condition. Have you had any history of heart disease before?"
Zhou Can helped him towards the outpatient hall.
Hearing that Zhou Can was a doctor from Tuya Hospital, the man's trust in him obviously increased a lot.
"I have no history of that. This morning after running, I returned home and felt some chest stuffiness, difficulty catching my breath. After the shower and changing clothes, I had bouts of angina in my left chest, so I hurried to the doctor."
The man briefly described the onset of his condition.
"Just now when you were climbing the steps and nearly fell, did you also experience dizziness?"
"Yes, I did feel somewhat dizzy, on and off."
Chest tightness, shortness of breath, angina, accompanied by dizziness.
And it is exercise-related.
A critical disease name popped up in Zhou Can's mind.
Coronary heart disease.
And likely acute coronary syndrome.
This is a very dangerous disease. It could take a patient's life in an extremely short period of time.
[Diagnostic Experience Points +1.]
[Congratulations, your diagnostic skills have been upgraded to Level 3, current Experience Points 0/1000. Lower level resident doctor.]
The wish to upgrade his diagnostic skills to Level 3 had finally come true.
He now had the medical skills of a resident doctor in five subjects, and in the regular training exams, he definitely had the capability to outshine the others.
"From what you've described and the various symptoms shown, the situation doesn't look good. The outpatient registration doesn't start until 8 o'clock, I suggest you go to the Emergency Department immediately."
Zhou Can advised earnestly.
"I've never been to the Emergency Department!"
The man's body was trembling even more.
And most of his weight was leaning on Zhou Can's arm.
This meant his condition was rapidly deteriorating.
Zhou Can glanced at the time, there were only 4 minutes left until the entrance time for the regular training exam. Taking this man to the Emergency Department was not something that could be done in one or two minutes.
It would cause him to be late for the exam.
"Do you not have a family member to accompany you for the doctor's visit?"
"My child is studying abroad, and my wife is extremely busy with work. I thought it wouldn't be a serious issue, so I came by myself."
Without a family member to accompany him, leaving the man here uncared for might lead to the loss of a precious life due to missing the best opportunity for rescue.
Although Zhou Can wouldn't have to take any responsibilities, he might suffer from a lifetime of guilt.
However, if he accompanied the man to the Emergency Department, he would definitely be late for the regular training exam.
The price he would pay was extremely high.
He might lose the opportunity for residency training.
Life is such a play of fate.
He had been preparing for so long, exerting countless efforts, often staying up late until one or two in the morning to improve his medical skills. He was on the verge of impressing everyone in the regular training exam with his now Level 3 medical skills.
Who could have predicted this turn of events at such a crucial time?
"To accompany the man to the Emergency Department? Or to abandon him and rush to the regular training exam?"
This was an extremely difficult choice.
Even though the man was suffering from severe chest pain, his rich life experience allowed him to see Zhou Can's hesitation.
"Young man, are you in a hurry to get back to your post? It's okay, go on with your work. I can manage," the man said, understanding the difficulties for these interns.
At this moment, Zhou Can had made up his mind.
Since day one at medical school, their teachers had taught them that "For a doctor, morality comes first, and medical skills are secondary. Morality without skills can be acquired; skills without morality will only get you so far."
A doctor without medical ethics will never become a renowned physician.
"Let's go, I'll take you to the Emergency Department! Honestly, I have an examination for my standardized training today, and there are only 4 minutes left before the exam starts. But compared to your life, what is that, really?"
Zhou Can led the man towards the Emergency Department.
"The noble medical ethics of the young man are admirable. Is my condition really that serious?"
The man was obviously skeptical of his diagnosis.
As an intern, his medical level was definitely average.
There could be a misdiagnosis, or he might be easily alarmed by a condition that's slightly more serious.
"It's very serious. I suspect it might be Acute Coronary Syndrome, which has a rapid onset and vicious progression that can take a life in a very short time. You might have triggered it by running in the morning, and then using cold water to shower when you got home, further aggravating your condition. I suggest you contact your family immediately, as any surgery will require a family member's signature."
Zhou Can earnestly informed the man of the potential consequences.
Hearing the severity of the situation, the man hesitated for a moment but eventually called his wife and asked her to come to the hospital.
Zhou Can faintly heard the woman sobbing on the other end of the phone upon learning about the seriousness of her husband's condition. It was evident that the couple had a good relationship.
In times of crisis, you can always rely on your closest loved ones.
The thought made him yearn even more for the beauty of love.
He assisted the man all the way to the Emergency Department.
"I am a resident doctor from General Surgery at Tuya Hospital. This patient has chest tightness, angina, and dizziness, and is likely suffering from coronary artery disease with rapidly worsening condition. Please arrange for his diagnosis and treatment immediately."
Zhou Can showed his intern certification and explained the situation to the emergency department's on-duty doctor.
This was the most straightforward and efficient way to communicate.
"Is there any accompanying family member?"
"Let's give him a physical examination first!"
The on-duty doctor seemed to value Zhou Can's diagnostic opinion quite highly. Being from Tuya, he knew that even Tuya's interns would have a solid foundation in medicine.
"Sir, did you bring your ID card? I'll help you register for emergency treatment, and then my colleagues will take over your examination and treatment," Zhou Can said.
"Today I was fortunate to meet you."
The man quickly took out his ID card along with a hundred-yuan bill and handed them to Zhou Can.
After completing the registration, Zhou Can returned the change, registration receipt, and ID card to the man.
The on-duty doctor was now measuring the patient's blood pressure and heart rate.
"The situation does not look good; we need to perform an electrocardiogram and ultrasound examination immediately," the on-duty doctor said gravely. "Mr. Cui, please inform your family to come to the hospital right away. It's urgent."
At this point, the man already had difficulty speaking.
"He has already informed his family. They should be arriving shortly. I need to attend the standardized training exam, so I will be leaving now."
Before he left, Zhou Can briefly explained the cause of the man's symptoms and the symptoms he had reported.
When he left, his heart was heavy.
He hoped the man would be alright.
A few minutes later, he ran to the temporary site of the standardized training exam.
A few security guards were stationed outside the exam hall, probably to maintain order when there were more people around.
At this moment, not a single candidate could be seen.
Zhou Can checked the time: 8:21 AM, he was 21 minutes late.
"Hey, hey, what are you doing?"
The security guard saw him trying to rush inside and immediately stopped him.
"I am a resident doctor from Tuya, here for the standardized training exam. Sorry, guys, I was delayed by an emergency. Could you please let me in?" Zhou Can explained.
"To have such an important thing and still be late, you're quite something. We don't have the authority to let you in, but we can ask for you."
The security guards didn't give him a hard time.
They ran inside to ask for him.
Soon after, they returned with a middle-aged woman with glasses.
"This is Deputy Director Hu from the HR department, you can explain your situation to her."
"Director Hu, good day. My name is Zhou Can, and I am an intern at the hospital. I was delayed by an emergency on my way here, so I am late. Could you perhaps let me in to take the exam?" Zhou Can was very deferential.
When addressing her, he instinctively omitted the word 'Deputy.'
Generally speaking, people whose titles include 'Deputy' dream of having it removed. When addressing them by their titles, it's best not to call them 'Deputy Director' or 'Deputy Chief.'
Otherwise, it's a surefire way to annoy them.
"I don't care what you were delayed by, being late is wrong. Being nearly half an hour late shows that you don't take the hospital's recruitment process seriously. We put people first in our hospital, prioritize ethics and character. Candidates like you, who have no concept of time, actually don't need to sit the exam anymore."
Deputy Director Hu elevated the issue to one of character and tactfully denied Zhou Can's request to enter the exam.