The story of a young, idealistic doctor and his on-the-job training as a rookie surgeon. Dr. Heiner Sommer moves to a small town in the GDR where he will complete his training under the senior physician, also named Dr. Sommer.

Coming with high ideals, Sommer II wishes to establish more trust between the patients and hospital staff, and he is soon presented with the opportunity to demonstrate his plans:  he intervenes when he senses that the young nursing student Emmylie is in danger of being used as a cleaning lady. However, when Sommer II informs a patient that his condition is terminal, the patient commits suicide, and the doctor must rely on the experience of his colleagues to overcome this incident.