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

In the small conference room, after Chen Yang finished speaking, there was a silence that could be heard for more than ten seconds.

Qiu Yimin and Feng Huanzhang's voluntary admission of wrongdoing did not ease the atmosphere; instead, it brought the sensitive topic of "accountability" to the forefront.

All eyes were on Chen Yang, waiting to see how this young chief judge would characterize this sudden uproar and how he would deal with Xiao Jingyun, a renowned medical expert whose merits and demerits were both evident.

Mo Xinzhi cleared his throat, breaking the silence: "Director Chen, everyone, the incident has already happened. While holding people accountable is necessary, the more important thing right now is how to handle the aftermath. The patient's follow-up treatment and the competition's judging results all require us to come up with a plan as soon as possible."

Sun Zhiren nodded in agreement: "What Mr. Mo said is true. Mr. Xiao's mistake this time is well-documented and has had a very bad impact."

"According to the competition rules, the bottom line is that those involved in major medical accidents should be disqualified and all their results should be nullified. I believe that Xiao Jingyun's final results... should be invalidated."

Sun Zhiren's words were tactful, but his meaning was clear: canceling the results was the most direct and rule-compliant punishment.

"I agree with Professor Sun's opinion."

Li Liren said in a deep voice: "The purpose of the competition is to select talents and set benchmarks. If we turn a blind eye to such a serious mistake, how can we explain it to other contestants? How can we explain it to the public? The fairness and authority of the competition will be completely lost."

Qiu Yimin and Feng Huanzhang exchanged a glance, both seeing helplessness and a hint of relief in each other's eyes.

If the primary responsibility is placed on Xiao Jingyun, the responsibility of these judges for their oversight might be significantly reduced.

Qiu Yimin hurriedly said, "Professor Li is absolutely right. Rules are rules and cannot be changed because of a person's status. Although Elder Xiao is highly respected, he was wrong, and canceling his results is a necessary measure to maintain the seriousness of the competition."

Feng Huanzhang quickly added, "Yes, the results must be cancelled. Otherwise, it will be difficult to convince the public!"

Almost everyone's opinion was in agreement—Xiao Jingyun had no chance of winning the championship, and his results should be cancelled.

Gao Anliang took notes from the side, and couldn't help but sigh in his heart.

Xiao Jingyun overcame all obstacles and performed amazingly, but ultimately fell at the very place where he was most confident, and in such a way that it was almost like a "medical dispute," which is truly regrettable.

He looked at Chen Yang, wondering what Director Chen would decide. Given Director Chen's consistent emphasis on patient safety and medical standards, he was afraid...

However, Chen Yang tapped his fingers lightly on the table, his gaze deep, as if he were weighing something.

Instead of immediately seconding the motion, he asked a question: "Gentlemen, when we judge a doctor's skill, do we look at his perfect infallibility, or at his thinking, courage, and... his courage and wisdom to face and correct mistakes after they occur?"

Everyone was taken aback, not understanding why Chen Yang would suddenly ask such a question.

Mo Xinzhi asked thoughtfully, "Director Chen, what do you mean?"

Chen Yang slowly stood up, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, his voice steady yet carrying an undeniable power.

"Professor Xiao's plan is far-sighted and his diagnosis is accurate. His grasp of the pathogenesis of 'Yang deficiency with water retention, water retention affecting the heart and lungs, and blood stasis' is textbook-level. His use of Zhenwu Decoction combined with Tingli Dazao Xiefei Decoction and Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction is bold and insightful. If the patient had not had a special constitution and was already at the end of his life, this prescription would have been a good solution to break the deadlock and might even have created a miracle."

After a pause, Chen Yang's gaze swept across each judge present again: "We cannot deny the value of its theories and ideas entirely because of the failure in the result. The profound knowledge and ability to adapt classical prescriptions that Professor Xiao demonstrated in this competition are something that most participants, including myself, need to learn from and emulate."

"But, Director Chen..."

Qiu Yimin couldn't help but say, "In the end, it was a failure, and it almost caused a major disaster! This is an undeniable fact!"

"The facts cannot be ignored, but there are multiple perspectives on how to view them."

Chen Yang placed his hands on the table, leaned forward slightly, and emphasized, "Old Xiao's mistake was that he was too confident and ignored the 'special nature' of the patient's extreme condition. He was also too eager to win and showed off his skills, which violated the 'medical ethics' that I emphasized at the opening. This was his mistake, a big mistake!"

"but!"

Chen Yang abruptly changed the subject, raising his voice: "This cannot erase the extraordinary medical skills and comprehensive abilities he demonstrated throughout the entire competition!"

"In theoretical analysis, he draws upon classical texts, demonstrating profound knowledge; in clinical practice, facing such critical cases, he remains calm and composed, and his treatment plans are grand and impressive. This ability, this courage—ask yourselves, how many of the top 100 candidates here can match him?"

The conference room fell silent again.

The judges had to admit that Chen Yang was right. Xiao Jingyun's overall strength was overwhelmingly superior. If it weren't for a misjudgment at the last moment, the championship would have been a foregone conclusion.

"The original intention of the competition is to select truly capable and promising TCM talents."

Chen Yang said, enunciating each word clearly: "If we completely negate a doctor's abilities or even bring them down to earth because of a single unintentional mistake or a misjudgment of a complex case, wouldn't that contradict our original intention of 'appointing people based on merit' and 'not being bound by convention'?"

"not to mention......"

Chen Yang's gaze sharpened: "After the incident, Elder Xiao did not shirk responsibility or make excuses. He rushed to the hospital immediately, faced his mistakes head-on, and said 'I have learned a lot' to me, his junior. Isn't this courage to admit mistakes and this reverence for medicine and life an indispensable quality of an excellent doctor?"

Chen Yang's words were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirring up a storm in everyone's hearts.

They had never considered the issue from this perspective before. Traditional thinking dictates that mistakes should be punished, especially such serious ones. But Chen Yang broke free from the framework of rules, proposing a startling viewpoint from the more fundamental perspectives of "talent selection" and "medical professional development."

"Director Chen,"

Sun Zhiren hesitated and said, "Then in your opinion, how should we handle this? We can't just pretend nothing happened, can we? That would be too unfair to the other players."

"Of course we can't pretend it didn't happen."

Chen Yang stated unequivocally: "Punishment is necessary. I believe that Xiao Jingyun's score in the clinical practice segment should be significantly reduced, even to zero, because she made a major judgment error that harmed the patient."

"but,"

Chen Yang reiterated, "His performance in the theoretical analysis section and his comprehensive medical literacy demonstrated throughout the competition should not be completely ignored. I suggest that the comprehensive evaluation should take into account all aspects of Xiao Jingyun's performance, rather than using a veto."