An Interesting Experience

I went to the UPPM to be the patient for the medical students of the Faculty of Dentistry for their examination in last Saturday (14/5/2011). I was invited by my lung doctor in last month to attend the exam for the medical students of the dentistry faculty.

The exam was taken for half a day, it was from 8.30am until 12.45pm. When I reached the UPPM, a nurse lead me to the exam hall, it was similar to a ward. There were beds and I saw there were some patients there, mostly man. All these patients are same as I am, to be the patient for the dental students to examine. I also met my lung doctor in the exam hall.  So, I was informed by the doctor to go to the bed no.8 and next to my bed was an Indian man and opposite of my bed was a young Chinese guy.

After 10 minutes, I met another lung specialist whom I was consulted before, he is the Professor. He came to do a simple examine on me by just checking the colors of my fingernails and tongue.  After that another Malay doctor came to do the same checking to me. Later I found out that he is also the Professor, a Cardiologist.

By 8.40am, I saw those 2 doctors who have examined me before were leading a medical student went to see or check on the patient. So the 2 doctors who are Professor are the examiners for those medical students. Around 9am, the 2 examiners came together with a medical student who was a young Chinese guy came to my bed. The 2 Professors told the student to do some checking on me and then to reply them about my diagnosis illness. So the medical student was started to introduce himself to me and asked if I could let him do some checking and said “sure!” So he started to examine me, when he was holding my hands to check on my fingernails colour, I could feel that his hands were shaking as I know he was very nervous for his exam. I felt like wanted to tell him to calm down but I did not as I did not want to disturb him. So I just let him examined as per his request. The 2 examiners were also asking him questions while the student was examining me. I guess it is how the medical students to carry their practical exams. As I am the patient, I just showing them my fingernails, tongue and eyes. The reason was to let the medical students to see the colour of the fingernails and tongue in order to different the type of sickness of the patient.

I was examined by 5 medical students for the half day, there were 3 Malay ladies, one Chinese guy and one Chinese lady. All of them were nervous I could see and I realised one of the Malay ladies was better than others. This was due to she could answer all the questions from the examiners fluently, as some of them could not answer until the examiner was kind enough to give some hints or have to think for sometime to reply. Moreover, I also realised that the Malay Professor was communicating a bit of Malay with the Malay students. I was wondering if those Malays are hardly understand the English?! Or they just used to communicate in their own language instead?! I don’t know.

Anyway, besides being as the patient to let the dental students to examine, there were meals provided to us. Breakfast meal with 2 pieces of small kuih and drinks of mineral water and Soya bean. Tea break at 10.20am with a cup of hot Milo and a packet of cookies and then lunch meal, was Malay style chicken rice and mineral water. Besides meals provided, there was a monetary rewards to the patients as the compliments from the Faculty of Dentistry.

The exam was ended at around 12.45pm, after that I left the UPPM and headed home. Overall, I think this is an interesting experience for me as it was my 1^st time as the patient to carry out the exam together with the medical students. Lastly, I wish those medical students would have a good result for their exams and wish them all the best! J