At twenty-three, Shen Zhiheng has graduated with a bachelor's degree in clinical medicine. After failing the postgraduate entrance exam, she can't afford to take another two years off to try again, so she goes straight to a top-tier Grade III Class A hospital in the provincial capital to become a resident doctor in standardized training.
She originally thought it would be simple: get through three years of training, earn her certificate, find a job, and settle into a life that was at least stable.
But it isn't until she puts on a white coat that she realizes medical school taught her what diseases are, but no one told her whom to save first when three patients arrive at once. No one told her that some patients can't be saved, no matter how hard she tries. And no one told her that after finishing her residency, she might not simply “become a doctor,” but face another round of exams, job applications, academic requirements, and endless night shifts.
Others have entered the hospital alongside her: Chen Jiashu, who's terrified of dying but keeps threatening to quit the program; Zhou Yuan, a top student accustomed to standard answers; Luo Jing, a resident from a county hospital; and the doctors and nurses whose temperaments have already been shaped by the emergency department.
They'll argue, make mistakes, and grow tired, yet at three in the morning, they'll still find themselves back at the resuscitation bed.
At first, Shen Zhiheng only wanted to make it through three years here.
Later, she began to truly want to become a doctor.
Theme: A record of ordinary young doctors growing amid ideals, reality, and responsibility.
