The Student Polyclinic

Because I’m here for more than three months, I was required to get a physical examination at the infamous student polyclinic. It’s an old building, and most students don’t think things there are up to local standards. Such was the case at the infirmary in my undergraduate days too, but I’m pretty sure that clinical standards here start out at a more basic level than those in California.

My own trip was pretty uneventful. I’d heard stories about long lines, but the day I arrived everything was quite calm. They took my blood pressure and listened to my heart, and then they gave me a list of places I was to go. It was kind of a treasure hunt, except that I was supposed to present my own treasures in various places. They took three different blood samples. Then there was a chest x-ray, a knee-whacking specialist and a few others. I couldn’t believe it when Alla told me to bring a bottle of urine to the clinic the next morning. “Don’t you think they want me to urinate in their presence so they know it’s really my urine?” Nope. Just present a bottle of yellow liquid and you’re good to go. I don’t know what they’re checking for. I think narcotics may be one of the factors, but the dopers probably know enough to have a friend fill the bottle.

On two occasions I was whisked ahead of other people in lines. It appeared to me that I received this courtesy as a result of my citizenship, but I am not sure. I’ll comment on this in my next entry. Anyway, the whole thing was very quick, the only hiccup being my timing at the oculist. She went off for a break just as I arrived at her office, but once she returned we sailed right through the exam. (I read the last line on her eye chart with each eye and we were done.)

Last year one of my fellow-students told about his long and thorough exam, including being told that his glasses prescription should be different. In my case, it appears simply that they are assuring themselves that I won’t be a threat to myself or to my classmates and nothing more. It’s fine with me; that’s really all I wanted too.