The following days were the New Year holiday, and Xu Qinghe didn't run into Shi Wenli again.
With only half a day off during the three-day break, she spent that time writing a self-criticism letter. She wrote it with genuine emotion and submitted it to the dean's office on the fourth, right when work started.
Even Dean Jiang probably didn't expect her letter to be a full three pages long.
It wasn't just reflections—it also contained some constructive suggestions.
The suggestions took up over two pages and two lines.
Dean Jiang was well aware of many problems within the hospital, but changing the current state was difficult.
After all, reform has never been easy since ancient times.
When accepting the letter, Dean Jiang said, "I have a meeting soon. I'll study it carefully when I get home tonight and seriously consider your suggestions."
As for whether the dean would actually study it, if she wanted to know, she could just ask Jiang Yang.
Jiang Yang's biggest virtue was that he never lied.
No matter what you asked him, he would either stay silent or speak freely.
When he stayed silent, it was self-explanatory—everyone understood what that meant.
Of course, Xu Qinghe wasn't idle enough to go ask about it.
She knew well that even if Dean Jiang studied it, it might not be implemented in the end.
She knew there would be no result, yet when writing the self-criticism that day, she still poured out so many suggestions freely.
On January fifth, Xu Qinghe's first anesthesia case was a cardiac aortic valve replacement.
The lead surgeon was cardiac surgery director Gu Changshen, with Shi Miao as first assistant.
She often worked with Shi Miao and had long established a smooth cooperation with the cardiac team.
The surgery went smoothly, right on schedule as expected.
After the heart valve was sutured and the air was vented, Director Gu said, "Release the cross-clamp. Anesthesia doctor, monitor the circulation changes."
Xu Qinghe: "Okay."
Zhang Xun stood nearby, carefully watching his senior sister's operation while recording the anesthesia record.
After the three-day New Year break, he had barely recovered.
In contrast, his senior sister had been on duty for two and a half days during the break, yet her complexion and energy were even better than his.
He envied people like his senior sister who seemed naturally energetic.
Soon, the patient's heart resumed beating smoothly.
The next critical step was confirming whether the new valve functioned properly.
That also determined the success of the surgery.
Xu Qinghe rotated the ultrasound probe, staring at the screen, repeatedly checking if the valve closed well and if there was any regurgitation.
This was Zhang Xun's second time following a cardiac surgery since starting his internship.
The first time he saw his senior sister perform transesophageal echocardiography in the cardiac OR, he thought she planned to specialize in cardiac anesthesia, since TEE was a core skill for cardiac anesthesia.
Who would have guessed that after spending a lot of time learning and mastering top-tier cardiac ultrasound skills, she would ultimately choose neurosurgery?
Of course, his senior sister was also exceptionally skilled in brain protection, intracranial pressure management, and neuroelectrophysiological monitoring.
Xu Qinghe adjusted the probe again. "Director Gu, the valve is functioning well, no significant paravalvular leak, only trace central regurgitation."
Until hemostasis and chest closure, the patient's heart rate and blood pressure remained stable.
Director Gu stepped aside and gestured to his first assistant Shi Miao. "You close the chest."
Both Shi Miao and Shi Wenli were extremely talented in surgery.
Perhaps it was genetic—their father and grandfather were surgical experts, and their grandmother was an anesthesia expert.
As Shi Miao finished suturing the skin, Director Gu stepped down from the operating table. "Good work, everyone."
He said that at the end of every surgery.
"Qinghe, for the subspecialty team assignment, what was your first choice?" Director Gu asked.
Xu Qinghe said, "Neurosurgery."
Director Gu teased, "Not choosing our cardiac team? Did Shi Wenli hold you back and force you to stay in neurosurgery?"
Shi Miao chimed in, "My brother and his team could totally steal people from us."
Director Gu: "Ask your brother to give her back later."
Shi Miao: "We might not get the person back, but we can sneak their boxed lunches after surgery."
Xu Qinghe laughed.
The surgery was over, but the anesthesiologist's work was far from done.
With insufficient staff today, Xu Qinghe also had to escort the patient from the recovery room to the ICU and hand over to the doctors there.
At the ICU, Shi Miao happened to be there too. She had come after her surgery to visit several recovering cardiac surgery patients.