Chinese medicine: from rural hospitals to top three hospitals in Kyoto

"Director Chen!"

Gao Anliang knocked on Chen Yang's office door and went inside.

"The results of the preliminary round of the Medical Competition are out."

Gao Anliang placed a folder on Chen Yang's desk and said, "All of the dozen or so people you asked me to keep an eye on, except for Zhuang Qiwen, have advanced, and with good results."

"Zhuang Qiwen was eliminated?" Chen Yang asked in surprise.

It should be noted that among the dozen or so people Chen Yang asked Gao Anliang to keep an eye on, Zhuang Qiwen was actually the most skilled.

Zhuang Qiwen entered the list of famous doctors at the end of last year. He is currently ranked 91st on the list and is the youngest among the famous doctors besides Chen Yang and Xun Jiahong.

The list of renowned doctors is different from the list of outstanding doctors. Those who can enter the list of renowned doctors are all the best in the medical field, and each one of them is extraordinary.

Xun Jiahong was initially ranked 95th on the list of famous doctors, and then rose to 93rd. Even after becoming Chen Yang's apprentice, he made considerable progress during this period, but only ranked 92nd on the list of famous doctors, behind Zhuang Qiwen.

In other words, Zhuang Qiwen's level is even higher than Xun Jiahong's.

The top 100 doctors on the list would be considered top-tier doctors anywhere in the country. For example, Gao Anliang is a famous doctor from Sichuan who was recruited to Beijing by Chen Yang.

Of course, among the top 100 doctors on the list of famous doctors, there are likely to be other people who will sign up for this medical competition besides Zhuang Qiwen. The reason why Chen Yang noticed Zhuang Qiwen is because of Zhuang Qiwen's age.

The difference between the Qingyun List and the Famous Doctors List is not a simple ranking, because the Qingyun List only includes doctors under the age of forty. Once a doctor turns forty, they are removed from the list.

However, some TCM doctors over forty years old who are not on the list of famous doctors are even more skilled than some of the top-ranked doctors on the Qingyun List.

In other words, apart from Chen Yang and Xun Jiahong, there is a large group of people whose skill level is between Lin Yi and the bottom of the list of famous doctors.

Zhuang Qiwen is a renowned doctor who has made it onto the list of famous doctors. In this medical competition, it's not an exaggeration to say that Zhuang Qiwen will win the championship, but he will easily make it to the finals, and he will most likely be one of the top-ranked people.

I didn't expect to be eliminated in the preliminary round?

"What were your grades?" Chen Yang asked.

"Your grades are very poor."

Gao Anliang said, "This competition is divided into two rounds, with a total score of 200 points. Zhuang Qiwen's total score is only over 90 points."

"A total score of over ninety points?" Chen Yang frowned.

How can this be?

Considering that Zhuang Qiwen is a village doctor and his methods are unorthodox, some judges from Yunzhou Province might not approve of his treatment, but surely it shouldn't be this bad?

"Director Chen, there must be something fishy going on here."

Gao Anliang said, "There might be something wrong with the judges below."

Gao Anliang acknowledged Chen Yang's good judgment. Chen Yang had over a dozen people he was watching perform quite well, except for Zhuang Qiwen, who was so bad it was unbelievable.

"Ah!"

Chen Yang sneered: "The preliminary round was originally just an elimination round, so it was completely handed over to the provinces and cities below. I didn't expect that such a problem would occur in a preliminary round."

The main reason why the preliminary round organizing committee was completely handed over to the provinces and cities below is that there were not many vested interests involved in the preliminary round.

In other words, even if so many people register for the competition and qualify for the semi-finals, it's not very useful, as there are neither prizes nor honors.

In other words, only the top 100 people who advance to the finals in the semi-finals will be taken seriously. Even if they can't win the championship or be among the top, advancing to the finals is a symbol of their strength and will attract the attention of some hospitals.

Can it be a preliminary round?

Totally unnecessary.

Unexpectedly, problems arose during this preliminary round.

"Director Chen, should we call Yunzhou Province to inquire about the situation, or perhaps transfer Zhuang Qiwen's exam paper over?" Gao Anliang asked.

"no need."

Chen Yang pondered for a moment and said, "Help me book a flight to Hanping City for tomorrow. I'll go there myself."

.......

In a private room of a high-end teahouse in Hanping City, several people were leisurely enjoying tea.

Seated at the head of the table is Liu Qiming, Vice President of the Yunzhou Provincial Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine and one of the main persons in charge of the preliminary judging committee for the Yunzhou competition.

Liu Qiming was fifty-seven or fifty-eight years old. His hair was neatly combed, and he wore gold-rimmed glasses, giving him a scholarly air. However, the occasional shrewdness in his eyes revealed that he was not a pure scholar.

Accompanying him were Zhao Chen, the nephew of a powerful figure in the provincial health system, who currently serves as a division chief in the provincial health department, and Qian Fuhai, the president of a large private TCM hospital in Hanping City.

"President Liu, thanks to your help this time, my good-for-nothing nephew was able to advance smoothly."

Qian Fuhai smiled and poured Liu Qiming a full cup of tea, "I know his skill level. If it weren't for you..."

Liu Qiming waved his hand and smiled modestly: "Dean Qian, you're too kind. Young people should always be given opportunities."

"Besides, the written test score is only one aspect. We judges also need to consider other factors, such as education, professional background, etc. Someone like Dean Qian's nephew, who graduated from a regular medical school and works in a top-tier hospital, has greater potential."

Zhao Chen immediately chimed in, "President Liu is right! We can't select talent based solely on a single written exam. Some self-taught village doctors might happen to cure a few patients, but their theories are unsystematic, their stamina is lacking, and they're hardly qualified for serious competition. If we let such people make it to the semi-finals, or even go to Beijing, wouldn't that be a disgrace to Yunzhou Province?"

"Director Zhao's insight is brilliant."

Liu Qiming nodded in satisfaction and took a sip of tea: "For this preliminary round, we should prioritize stability and ensure that young people with good family backgrounds and potential are selected. As for those who are older or have less prestigious backgrounds... it's acceptable to control the proportion appropriately."

The meaning behind those words was perfectly clear to everyone present.

The so-called "appropriate control" is nothing more than weeding out people with no background or connections, but who may be quite capable, in advance, and reserving the spots for "our own people".

Qian Fuhai's nephew falls within this category of "one of their own".

"By the way, Chairman Liu, I heard that there's a guy named Zhuang Qiwen whose score seems to be a bit off?" Qian Fuhai asked casually.

Liu Qiming adjusted his glasses and said casually, "Oh, Dean Qian is talking about that village doctor in Heshan County."

“I vaguely remember his paper. His answer approach was too unconventional and didn’t follow the rules. Some of his prescriptions were used too recklessly and did not meet safety standards. It’s normal for his score to be low; it just shows that our grading standards are strict.”

Qian Fuhai laughed heartily: "Chairman Liu is right, that's exactly what we want – fairness and justice."

The people spoke in a grand and righteous manner, but in reality, they knew exactly what was going on.

The reason Zhuang Qiwen was eliminated in this formal examination was because his exam paper was replaced by Qian Fuhai's nephew.

In fact, Qian Fuhai's nephew is not bad either, but he is much worse than Zhuang Qiwen.

As a judge, Liu Qiming knew some of the inside story. The results of the preliminary round were indeed not that important, but it also depended on what kind of results they were.

Zhuang Qiwen's performance this time is among the best in all competitions across the country. The organizing committee will definitely take notice of such a result, and he will receive bonus points in the semi-finals.

Another crucial reason is that Zhuang Qiwen offended Zhao Chen.