Chapter 220 The Morning Exam

Before she knew it, the night had passed, and the primary-level TCM physician qualification examination arrived as scheduled. Cen Yan got up before dawn and headed to the examination hall, as early as possible.

Last night, another light drizzle fell, like a messenger announcing the arrival of winter. The temperature and humidity in the air dropped by at least seven or eight degrees compared to yesterday, and the cold wind stung my face.

The Seven White Cream not only has a whitening effect, but also moisturizes and hydrates the skin. Cen Yan applied a layer of the Seven White Cream to her face and stood in the wind. She didn't feel any stinging pain on her cheeks; it was quite comfortable.

The exam for junior TCM practitioners is relatively simple, consisting of a practical skills test and a written test, conducted in the morning and afternoon, with each test being the same.

As the name suggests, practical skills are the basic skills that a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner should master, including observation, auscultation, inquiry, palpation, identification of medicinal materials, and acupuncture.

"The temperature is seven degrees today, not even the coldest time yet. Your hands are shaking like someone with Parkinson's while holding the acupuncture needles. How are you going to treat patients and save lives? You're out!"

"I'm a grown man, and you diagnosed me as six months pregnant just by taking my pulse? Have you lost your mind? Eliminated!"

"You're only showing me your tongue when you open your mouth. You think praising my white teeth will make me pass your test? You're out!"

"Your batch is truly the worst group of candidates I've ever seen, bar none!"

Only ten minutes have passed since we entered the examination room, and a number of people have already been eliminated.

But these basic tests were not difficult for Cen Yan. She was a nurse, and the most basic requirement for giving injections was a steady hand.

Holding the acupuncture needles, she inserted them into the prop doll quickly, accurately, and steadily, without hesitation.

After examining the patient's pulse, listening, questioning, and palpation, out of a rigorous and responsible attitude towards the patient, in addition to taking the pulse and observing the patient's appearance and symptoms of mental illness, she also used a stethoscope to confirm whether there was tympany in the lung cavity of the real patient, so as to prescribe the right medicine.

Next came the identification of medicinal herbs. There was a bunch of miscellaneous basic medicinal herbs in the examination room.

Candidates need to identify their target medicinal herb from among these herbs, based on their assigned number.

The medicinal herb Cen Yan drew was water celery, with umbel-shaped inflorescences and slender leaves. However, there were two identical piles of processed medicinal herbs in front of her, and you couldn't tell anything from them just by looking at them.

"Teacher, my exam is over. This is hemlock, and this is water celery. The two herbs are extremely similar." Cen Yan made up her mind and handed in her paper.

Immediately, an elderly traditional Chinese medicine doctor with gray hair strode over. "The two herbs look exactly the same. How can you be sure that the one on the left is hemlock and the one on the right is water celery?"

"It's simple. Water celery is fragrant and sweet, while hemlock is different; it's bitter and numbing. In just a short while, I felt numbness on the tip of my tongue. From this, I can conclude that the one on the left is hemlock, which is highly poisonous, while the one on the right is water celery, which can be used as medicine."

Hearing this, the old Chinese medicine doctor chuckled and handed her a glass of water to rinse her mouth. "In all these years of the primary-level Chinese medicine practitioner qualification exam, you are the first candidate who can identify similar medicinal materials and clearly explain their properties. Very good, you have passed the practical exam."

"Thank you, teacher." Cen Yan rinsed her mouth twice with water, and the slight numbness on her tongue gradually disappeared before she picked up her admission ticket and walked out.

When she got to the door, she saw a man in a white shirt, looking arrogant, glaring at her with his nostrils.

"It was just good luck that you drew this question, and it just so happened that it included hemlock and watercress, which allowed you to make a fool of yourself in front of the examiners. Remember, this is just your luck, not your ability! If I had drawn the same question, I would have been even better than you."