Chinese Medical Exam From Oh! to Pee

When I went to the hospital for my mandatory Chinese medical exam, I wasn’t seen by just one doctor. Oh no, this wasn’t like going in for a physical. I had to stop by several different offices to see several different doctors who all ran me through their own wacky tests. I even had an X-ray and an ultrasound to make sure I wasn’t harboring any alien babies.

There were two things I found interesting about this experience. First, the clinic wasn’t very concerned with patient privacy, as a girl going in for a checkup was often in the same room as me. Second, the eye exam was just one character (山… or maybe it was an English E) repeated several times, but it was occasionally upside down or sideways. Instead of reading the letters, I just pointed in the direction the character was pointing.

Thankfully, one of the English teachers from the school went with me and was able to translate and explain a lot of what was going on. At the last stop—the urinary clinic—she handed me a cup and said, “Would you please… uh…” Taking the cup, I said, “Don’t worry, I think I know what to do with this.”

29 June 2008 | China | Comments | Home
tags: health

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