Program leads future doctors to villages

Responsibility and joy

Yang is one of those recipients. She spent a fortune－about 5,000 yuan－to buy a motorcycle when she started her career in the village, and quickly became a skilled rider.

"Villagers live far away from each other. Some live on the ranch, and some at the foot of the mountain," she explained, adding that riding a motorcycle is a very convenient way to visit her patients.

She has visited all 1,662 villagers and has established health archives for each of them.

When she started her career, Yang, who had dreamed of becoming a doctor since childhood, envisioned receiving pages from her beeper constantly, running in hospital hallways and entering and exiting operating rooms－the way doctors are often portrayed on TV.

But in reality, her job is quite different from the one she imagined.

She was disappointed at first but has gradually come to enjoy her work helping villagers.

As a village doctor, her daily duties include making basic diagnoses, regularly visiting patients with chronic diseases and offering health education in the village.

Through in-depth communication with villagers, Yang is very familiar with their health status and has gained their trust.

"They recognize me, trust me, thank me and treat me very well," Yang said, adding that was the fulfillment she was looking for as a doctor.

Zeng Qingxiu, an 80-year-old villager with high blood pressure, is one of Yang's patients and lives on the ranch.

She used to walk about two hours from her home to the village's health center to get her medication every now and then.

The situation has changed since Yang's arrival. She rides her motorcycle to visit Zeng from time to time, testing her blood pressure and bringing her medication.

"Doctor Yang is highly skilled, patient and also very caring. She is a doctor with a warm heart and is very responsible," Zeng said.