Recommended Words
@玉庐 raised a question that can be used for daily self-reflection: correct your faults if you have any, and encourage yourself if you don’t.
Original Link
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/_QeXueuikvNlGQzMnzzvbA
Main Text
New readers, please read in advance the 《Reading Notice for This Public Account》 and 《Who Am I?》.
Follow to never get lost~
Please indicate the source when reposting.
Written at the very beginning:
Although the author has clearly stated in the 《Clinic Information Announcement》 that WeChat is used only for treatment appointments, some people still add this WeChat to ask for learning something.
Please do not do this.
Currently, several people have already added the author’s WeChat calling him “teacher.” If there are still more, the author will continue to reply like this:
The specific reasons are as follows:
- The author does not have that capacity to teach anyone, and cannot be anyone’s teacher. The author just has somewhat broad knowledge and shares some insider matters from the circles to chat with everyone.
Everyone doesn’t have to take it too seriously; consider it a joke after drinking, just for fun~
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The author believes that what he has learned is nothing remarkable. About 70-80% of his knowledge points come from textbooks, the remaining 10% come from books available on the market, and the last 10%-20% might require some other approaches, but those are rarely used and not worth “losing the forest for the trees.” If you really want to learn Chinese medicine, it is recommended to start from Chinese medicine textbooks, which are really easy to read!
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Most people cannot fully understand some of the author’s learned knowledge. For example, the author has a “simple” Word document on nephrology diagnosis and treatment with only a few hundred pages. It might look something like this:
The content here is summarized from the AJKD Renal Pathology Atlas (https://www.ajkd.org/content/atlasofrenalpathologyii), “Nephrology,” “Renal Biopsy Pathology,” and other materials. These materials can all be accessed for free, and you can try to read them first. Honestly, if you don’t understand these resources above, it’s impossible for you to understand, let alone master, the author’s approach to treating kidney diseases.
This is also why the vast majority of Chinese medicine practitioners in China dare not list kidney disease among their “specialized illnesses,” while the author dares to.
So, please stop adding the author’s WeChat asking to learn something.
Okay, let’s get back on topic.
Before the main text begins, let’s set some ground rules:
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None of the following content targets any individual. All stories are “fictional”; if similar, it means you also mix in the circles~.
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The author tries to describe the phenomena objectively and not to side with anyone. If some readers still feel offended, you are most likely a related stakeholder.
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Before doubting the author’s motivation and position, please read 《Reading Notice for This Public Account》.
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This article is mainly aimed at some students newly entering Chinese medicine schools and those preparing to enter the Chinese medicine industry.
Alright, let’s officially start.
First, define what the “Ah Q Victory Method” is. According to the author’s understanding of Lu Xun’s “The True Story of Ah Q,” the Ah Q Victory Method or Ah Q spirit refers to a kind of self-deception or self-comfort behavior, commonly showing as self-delusion and arrogance.
What is the Ah Q Victory Method in learning Chinese medicine? Simply put, it is the mindset of “because of factor XXX, my mastery of Chinese medicine/my Chinese medicine skills are definitely better than others.” As for factor XXX, roughly speaking, it can be divided into the following types:
1. Family Tradition/Apprenticeship Factor
According to the author’s own observations, students with family tradition or apprenticeship backgrounds indeed have an early advantage in learning Chinese medicine, commonly called “winning at the starting line.” However, learning Chinese medicine is a marathon, a test of endurance rather than sprint power.
The author also knows many students with family tradition or apprenticeship backgrounds. According to statistics around, those who genuinely rely on their backgrounds to lead all the way and surpass their peers clinically and otherwise can be counted on one hand. Some students with family tradition tend to become proud and arrogant because of their background, eventually performing worse than those who study Chinese medicine steadily.
To those with family traditions, the author wants to say: learning Chinese medicine is your own matter. Your elders can only help you temporarily, but not for life. Before the 1980s, few medical practitioners had the concept of “lifelong learning.” Your elders’ ideas on disease prevention and treatment are likely outdated. If you emphasize too much on family tradition/apprenticeship, it may limit you.
Of course, students with family tradition/apprenticeship might still shine when finding jobs later, writing slogans like “Family Tradition Chinese Medicine” in their introductions. The author has met some who, despite having deceased medical elders before their birth and never receiving family tradition education personally, still put “Family Tradition Chinese Medicine” in their promotional slogans. This feigning is disdainful. Yet since “Family Tradition Chinese Medicine” is so common in the market now, it gradually becomes a seller’s market, and this “brand” is less useful and sometimes even backfires. Students are advised to consider carefully.
2. School Factor
There are fewer such people around the author, but he has heard that some students from top Chinese medicine schools ridicule or mock students from non-“Old Four Schools.” The author has nothing to say except: learn to be a decent person before studying. Those who do such things are generally reckless youngsters.
3. Teacher Factor
This factor frequently appears, so much so that some long-time professionals in Chinese medicine sometimes inadvertently or deliberately show the “Ah Q Victory Method” in their words or actions.
This is more common. Due to some friends/classmates of the author being involved, he cannot say too much, so he summarizes a few points.
- Chinese medicine teachers inside institutions. Mainly some famous teachers like academicians and National Medicine Masters.
Everyone knows academicians’ teams mostly do research. But many might not realize the inside situation of the National Medicine Masters’ teams. Therefore, many people out there wield the title of “students of National Medicine Masters.” What is the actual situation?
The first type is “learning classes” under the name of National Medicine Masters. These are common nationwide and it’s the easiest way to get the title of “disciple of National Medicine Masters” simply by paying some money.
The second type claims to be “students or graduate students” of National Medicine Masters. This depends on the person’s age. If the doctor is middle-aged or older, they might be disciples admitted by the master in earlier years, possibly having truly learned from the master.
Within this second type, there is a sub-type who became disciples after the master was awarded the title of “National Medicine Master.” This type is often more superficial. In most cases, these students (often jointly trained) mainly serve as “consumables” for their supervisors’ research projects, essentially doing mouse and cell work. If you ask what real experience they gained from the master during graduate study, honestly, they might say they had little direct communication with the master, mostly with their small supervisors in various labs.
The reason is that under the current domestic evaluation system, many National Medicine Masters are already very old when awarded, and managing weekly outpatient clinics is tough; they have no energy to teach students face-to-face. Moreover, their award is based on scientific achievements, summarized experiences in papers and books. By the time of the award, the masters have probably already written most experience summaries. So much experience currently attributed to the masters is often “fabricated” by junior supervisors under “survival pressure.” Everyone knows this clearly. The masters at that age cannot proofread every paper of their juniors. With no review mechanism, journals and publishers find it easier to accept and publish those manuscripts. Those who understand this know; the author will not elaborate further.
Therefore, if you aim for a certain National Medicine Master or some famous teacher, it is better to research well beforehand.
The third type, which is extremely rare, involves genuinely “true” so-called private disciples, close-door disciples. But for the vast majority, this is impossible. For example, can you bypass the unified graduate admission exam to get an extra quota approved by the university or institute to be personally mentored by the master? This is only one method among many. If you know these ways well or can actually do this, you probably wouldn’t be reading this article.
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Chinese medicine teachers outside institutions (including folk practitioners). If you are especially interested in clinical Chinese medicine, this is indeed a better path. Hence, many students following outside institutional teachers develop an “Ah Q Victory Method,” feeling superior because they think they have learned something. Still, as said, learning is a personal matter. The author has seen different skill levels among students of the same outside teacher even when taught the same content. So the teacher’s level, like the school’s strength, is indeed a resource, but if you don’t learn well, you won’t benefit in the end, and that’s on you.
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Some Republican era (early 20th century) masters. Many claim to be retransmission disciples of a certain Republican master. Like National Medicine Masters, how much of these claimed inherited experiences are true or fabricated? Would those masters “jump out of their coffins” knowing their names are used like this? These questions remain a mystery.
The author once followed a teacher who was a colleague and student of a famous early 20th-century Chinese medicine classical formula master, known for joint liver disease research (details undisclosed), so has some understanding of that era. Many people learn some information through books and boast about that era’s matters. Even when these people happen to echo some of the author’s views, they really mean different things.
Simply put, if you are a Chinese medicine student, it is best to properly understand before choosing a teacher. If you really want to do research, choose research-related teachers; if you want to learn traditional Chinese medicine, find the corresponding teachers.
The author heard of a case in Beijing outside where a Chinese medicine university-affiliated hospital department had long been engaged in clinical teaching and was favored by students wishing to work clinically. However, after one year, the department suddenly shifted direction to vigorously develop research. Graduate students entering then were shocked. Since then, the department’s atmosphere among graduate students worsened; some directors still don’t know why their student quality plummeted and keep pressuring students daily.
Some research students might feel dissatisfied reading this. The author thinks:
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He respects students who do well in research and writing papers; those views were reflected in earlier articles;
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This article mainly targets readers who want to engage in clinical Chinese medicine, who form the majority of the public account’s audience;
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Most research students might not believe it, but some peers of yours spend more on learning clinical skills externally for one year than you spend on a year’s National Natural Science Foundation project funding (excluding lab equipment), but this really exists. So there’s no need for unnecessary confrontation. Heaven rewards diligence; everyone works hard in different directions, no right or wrong. But some chances missed are hard to make up for in a lifetime.
4. Educational Background Factor
Does a higher education level necessarily mean better Chinese medicine proficiency? The author need not explain; everyone knows. Take the author himself—among friends who often discuss Chinese medicine, nearly half are undergraduates. The author often tells undergrads that these five years are the best time to learn Chinese medicine. Once graduate school arrives, most people have little time to study Chinese medicine. Undergraduates have time to observe diagnoses everywhere, and many teachers are willing to teach undergrads. As for the author, an “old geezer,” trying to follow some teacher is more fragmented in time, and many teachers politely refuse due to the author’s age and apprenticeship background. It’s safe to say many people’s peak Chinese medicine proficiency occurs during their senior undergraduate years. Therefore, the author enjoys discussing many basic Chinese medicine topics with undergraduates.
This is getting a bit too long; readers might lose patience if more is written now, so let’s pause here and add missing points later.
Written at the end
The author wants to say to many Chinese medicine students:
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The author does not oppose comparison but prefers comparing meaningful and comparable things;
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Hope everyone can improve themselves through comparison, not compare just for the sake of comparison;
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People in pain always carry arrogance and prejudice, while happy people often have more tolerance and compassion. A broader mind can accommodate more interests, attitudes, and viewpoints. Please remember, a gentleman harmonizes but does not unify.