On March 14th, Zhang Xuefeng addressed the incident of the suicide of a 25-year-old resident female doctor on Weibo.
He stated, "Will this news cause the entrance exam score for the medical profession to drop this year??? No, it won't!"
Zhang Xuefeng's implication is clear: to many, pursuing a career in medicine remains a highly promising path.
On February 23, 2024, Dr. Cao Liping, a resident physician at Hunan Provincial People's Hospital, tragically ended her life by hanging herself in the hospital's doctor duty room restroom.
In her suicide note, she wrote: "What's the point of taking leave? The medical records still need to be completed, and it's still me who has to do it. Taking leave only results in more overtime work, yet the workload remains insurmountable. How absurd."
Resident physicians, also known as standardized residency trainees, are medical students enrolled in a program established by the government to enhance the clinical competence and professional ethics of resident doctors. They undergo clinical practice at designated hospitals within a specified period and, upon passing theoretical and skills assessments, obtain a residency certificate and physician qualification.
During one of Professor Zhang Xuefeng's livestreams, a parent called in expressing a desire for their child to study medicine despite the child's objections. The parent sought advice from Professor Zhang on how to persuade their child to pursue a medical career.
However, Professor Zhang reminded the parent to consider the child's own wishes. After all, it's not the parent who will endure the hardships, but the individual studying medicine.
Professor Zhang encouraged parents not to make decisions on behalf of their children or pressure them into studying medicine. Instead, he urged parents to help their children understand both the challenges and advantages of a medical career and let them make their own decisions.
