Examining exam

Frankly-speaking, I was feeling rather quesy having to be included to plan the long case exam for the medical students.

Gathering, persuading, calling and confirming patients for long case exam, then making sure the students and patients at the right place at the right time is really sucking the energy out of me.


Of course, everyone in the team worked very hard as well and made it an exciting and good experience.

Still couldn't get over the 'bad' joke of asking one of my colleague going in as a patient with primary amenorrhea. I am sure there will be quite a lot to be discussed given her physical appearance. My bad.

There were two nerve-wrecking moments. Firstly, when the airconditioner in one of the examiner's room not starting and we had to take over another dept's house officers' on call room as a substitute. Of course, with blessing of the other dept's Consultant. Yet, something puzzled me. I always thought house officers are all running shift system right now.

Secondly, it was the major black out for a good 10mins. Basically, no electricity in the entire building. Sunshine substituted the artificial light that went off. The room temperature remained cool, heavily upon the residue air-conditioned air of the close room. Presentation to examiner and clerking of patients continued in the semi-dark condition.

Reminds me of the time when I had to perform C-Section in the dark when the lights went out in the Maternity theatre. No emergency lightings. So much for developing country and first world facilities.

I am pretty sure Bryan Mills won't be holding up Marko of Tropoja here. No constant continuous electrical current.

I wasn't in the room when the examiners drilled and grilled the students. Thus, no exam bloopers to brag about.

Yet there was an awkward moment when a student was clerking a patient.

Med student (MS): Hi, can you take the BP? (She was speaking to the house officer who is co-invigilating the exam)
House officer (HO): (Bring the sphygmomanometer to the MS) Here.
MS: Can you take the BP?
HO: (Stunned and speechless for 10secs) Err... No.
MS: (Took the sphygmomanometer and appeared lost for a while)

I told the HO. Perhaps you should have asked the MS: How much?

I am not surprise at all that this incident happening because I used to have referrals from house officers in their sixth posting, meaning 4 months away to being medical officers, telling me:

"The BP is 163/95. I swear I took it manually with the BP set"
"Pardon, what is the BP?"
"THE BP is ONE SIX THREE over NINETY-FIVE"
"And that's a manual BP?"
"Of course."
"Well, you see manual BP only shows even number."
"But it is really 163/95 manual. Really. So how, admit or not?"
"Admit, then." I put down the phone and whispered to myself "Admit to re-check BP."