67.A week at the clinic.

orking in the outpatient department, especially in a specialty like respiratory medicine, is both arduous and tedious. Each day is spent continuously facing patients, with hardly any breaks in between.

From 8:30 in the morning until 6:30 in the evening, with only a two-hour break in between, and sometimes even less, there's no guarantee of leaving on time. Often, patients need to be seen even after the scheduled hours, extending the workday. Each doctor sees well over a hundred patients every day.

By the end of the day, every doctor feels physically and mentally exhausted, longing for the outpatient work to end and to move to the inpatient ward.

As Ye Ruixiu's days in the outpatient department accumulate, he gains a deeper understanding of the hardships and fatigue of being an outpatient doctor. Although he felt it on the first day, it wasn't as profound. As the days go by, the feeling intensifies.

Ye Ruixiu also experiences the monotony and tedium of outpatient treatment. Dealing with similar patients, similar symptoms, and repeating similar treatments can be challenging for a doctor like him, who seeks to challenge himself and enhance his medical skills.

Despite the hardships, Ye Ruixiu doesn't retreat or consider applying to return to the inpatient ward. Instead, he approaches each day with the same enthusiasm and dedication, knowing that his efforts will pay off. He sees this phase as crucial for his self-improvement.

Regarding the monotony, Ye Ruixiu is accustomed to it. From his encounters with the old man in his childhood to his medical training, his life has always been mundane. His medical skills developed amidst this monotony, with countless basic surgeries and repetitive exercises shaping his expertise.

Time flies by in the busyness. Before he knows it, a week has passed since Ye Ruixiu started working in the outpatient department. He works from 8:00 in the morning to nearly 8:00 in the evening every day, including weekends when he's often put on duty due to his colleagues' reluctance to work with him.

Ye Ruixiu understands the situation but doesn't mind. Each patient he sees adds to his experience, regardless of the simplicity of their cases. Additionally, working overtime on weekends doesn't bother him as he can spend his time at home studying medical literature and journals.

He believes in the principle of "the harder you work, the more you gain." Despite working harder than any other doctor in the department, Ye Ruixiu's progress is significant. His consultation speed has improved noticeably, and he's accumulating vast practical experience in respiratory medicine and other internal medicine conditions.

Ultimately, Ye Ruixiu's true gain from his time in the outpatient department lies not just in his increased speed or medical knowledge but in his holistic understanding of patient care and the human body.