CHAPTER 71: 071 PRESTIGE SYSTEM

The next three appendectomies, in Liu Banxia’s opinion, were somewhat underwhelming. Although he performed them conscientiously, only one was rated Perfect, and two received a Flawless rating.

These three surgeries earned him 1,200 experience points. His Appendectomy skill proficiency increased by 2,080 points, Diagnostic skills by 530 points, Suturing skills by 480 points, and he gained 12 Glory Points.

Collectively, these three surgeries yielded only slightly more rewards than the first one. This is one Perfect and two Flawless procedures, and they only gave this little? he thought, surprised.

He pondered this during lunch. It might be related to the surgical difficulty. Also, the first surgery was his first time completing a small-incision appendectomy, so the rewards for that one were naturally more generous.

"Boss, I agreed so readily earlier today... I didn’t make a mistake, did I?" Liu Banxia asked during their lunch break.

Shi Lei smiled and shook his head. "Actually, you came out on the short end. You should have asked for more money. Chief Director Xu is quite shrewd; he could tell at a glance that you lack experience."

"No way, Boss! Five thousand yuan? That’s quite a bit, isn’t it? They probably don’t even make a profit on a surgery like this," Liu Banxia asked in surprise.

"Even if you’d asked for 7,000 yuan, Chief Director Xu wouldn’t have batted an eye," Shi Lei said.

"You worked in other hospitals for two years. Don’t you know that in grassroots hospitals like this, a single strong surgical specialty can sustain the entire institution?"

"Boss, those hospitals I worked at before... what even were they? This place, at least, is a Second-Class Grade A hospital, isn’t it?" Liu Banxia said, embarrassed.

"Ah, you. Sometimes you’re incredibly astute, and other times you’re hopelessly dense. You’ve researched small-incision appendectomy, so tell me, what are its advantages?" Shi Lei asked, shaking his head.

"The incision is small, which means less trauma for the patient. It also reduces the risk of complications, and the patient recovers faster. However, the procedure itself requires a certain level of skill, or else it’s difficult to extract the appendix through such a small opening," Liu Banxia replied.

"Exactly, right?" Shi Lei said, nodding with a smile.

"Currently, the common appendectomy procedures in hospitals are laparoscopic and conventional open surgery. Most patients who can afford it will opt for laparoscopic surgery because it creates a smaller wound and allows for easier recovery.

"However, while laparoscopic surgery offers various conveniences, it also has its drawbacks. The surgical field of view is limited, which means unexpected issues can sometimes go unnoticed, potentially delaying the timing for emergency intervention.

"Comparing the two, the advantages of small-incision appendectomy become even more apparent. It offers the safety of conventional open surgery along with the minimal invasiveness of a laparoscopic procedure. If you were the patient, which would you choose?"

"Boss, so that’s all there is to it? The research is done then!" Liu Banxia remarked casually.

Shi Lei shot him a glare. "Research? You think research gets done just by saying so? Those with time don’t have the cases, and those with cases don’t have the time. This is just a Level 1 surgery. With that kind of time, wouldn’t it be more cost-effective to study and familiarize yourself with using laparoscopic instruments instead?"

Liu Banxia blinked, frowned for a moment, and then his face lit up with a smile. "Boss, does this mean I’ve accidentally stumbled upon a really awesome skill?"

For once, Shi Lei didn’t try to deflate his ego. Instead, he nodded seriously. "I can perform it too, but definitely not as cleanly or decisively as you. I’ll give you that."

"Here’s a tip: you can do more research in this area and accumulate more experience. Then, mention it to Chief Director Xu. Ask him to share the patient data with you; you can use it for writing papers in the future."

"Hehe, thanks, Boss!" Liu Banxia said, grinning from ear to ear.

There used to be a jingle: "Exams, exams, exams—the teacher’s magic weapon. Scores, scores, scores—the student’s lifeline." It still holds true today. Even though Liu Banxia had graduated, if he wanted to advance in his career and earn professional titles, writing papers was unavoidable.

Take Liu Banxia, for instance. He needed to obtain his standardized residency training certificate before he could take the attending physician promotion exam next year, which was equivalent to an intermediate professional title in the medical field.

That part wasn’t a huge issue. As long as the hospital was willing to hire him as an attending physician, he would receive an attending physician’s benefits. If they didn’t? Even if he passed the exam, he’d still only have the status and pay of an ordinary resident physician.

However, to advance beyond the attending physician level, having two papers published in professional journals was crucial.

This was no joke; he had to get them done, no matter what. He also planned to pursue postgraduate studies, as his current level of education was a significant weakness.

Papers were essential weapons; advancement was impossible without them.

Previously, he had been quite worried. He knew he had to work on them but had no idea how to start. Now, Shi Lei had pointed him in a direction: he could focus on small-incision appendectomy.

Seeing Shi Lei close his eyes to rest up for the upcoming gallbladder removal and Anal Fistula Ligation surgeries, Liu Banxia sneakily opened the system and browsed his attribute panel.

Liu Banxia: Level 20 (25,245/25,530)

Title: A Somewhat Knowledgeable Doctor

Mentality: 62 (Increases comprehension, memory, and focus by 10.71%)

Agility: 60 (Increases stability, speed, and touch by 11.11%)

Strength: 47 (Increases power, equipment expertise, and equipment effectiveness by 9.30%)

Endurance: 44 (Increases resistance and physical strength by 12.82%)

Attribute Points: 2

Glory Points: 77

Wound Dressing Skill: Level 2 (11,398/19,999)

Suturing Skill: Level 2 (8,224/19,999)

Medical Diagnosis: Level 2 (11,500/19,999)

Anal Fistula Ligation: Level 2 (7,040/19,999)

Appendectomy: Level 2 (7,783/19,999)

He was a bit startled. I thought this reputation system was just about my personal standing or prestige.

But that’s not it at all. The reputation system must be a comprehensive measure, incorporating many factors. The higher its level, the more likely I am to trigger tasks and receive help.

Take my relationship with Shi Lei, for example. It’s always been very good, but that doesn’t mean he’ll give me special treatment, more surgeries, or trigger more tasks just because of our bond. A relationship is a relationship, and skill is skill. This reputation score must be a reflection of actual ability.

After thinking for a moment, he realized the system never gave anything away for free. So, what exactly is the purpose of this title?

DING! The title ’A Somewhat Knowledgeable Doctor’ provides assistance to the host during medical procedures. It increases the success rate for Perfect-level outcomes by 50% and Flawless-level outcomes by 80% (limited to Level 1 surgeries).

Liu Banxia rolled his eyes. No wonder the rewards from those last three surgeries were smaller. It’s probably related to this title. It’s a trade-off, I guess. As the overall success probability increases, the rewards for individual smaller achievements are appropriately reduced.

However, he didn’t dwell on this title too much, as it ultimately just affected probabilities. It’s like rescuing patients: even if there’s a stated success rate, the final outcome is always one of two things—success or failure.

Success rates are just for reference. The more significant purpose of this title is probably to help expand my network.