I remember being nervous about the exam.
The proctor called us all to attention for pre-test instructions then said,
"You may begin."
I cracked the seal on the exam book, opened to the first page and saw this...
Q: 以下是一些有關發現胃潰瘍(胃壁受損及出血)成因的事件:
A 一些人發覺胃痛與進食時間有某些關係。 B 一些科學家提出胃潰瘍是由於胃酸分秘過多所致。醫生以抗酸劑醫
治胃潰瘍病人。然而,很多病人康復後會再患上胃潰瘍。
C 一些科學家在人胃內找到細菌,但大部分科學家認為這是污染所 致,因為他們認為細菌不能在胃內生存。
D 約翰(John Lykouidis)成功以抗生素醫治自己的胃潰瘍。他於一個在 希臘舉行的會議上發表他的抗生素治療方法,但當時的醫療機構都 不理會他。
E 沃倫(Robin Warren)觀察到一些胃潰瘍病人的胃內,都有一種稱為 幽門螺旋桿菌的細菌。後來,馬歇爾(Barry Marshall)遇到沃倫,他 們共同提出一個有關胃潰瘍病的新假說,他們根據這個假說,成功 地以抗生素治癒胃潰瘍病人。
F 世界不同的團體都開始埋首隔離幽門螺旋桿菌和重複沃倫和馬歇 爾的研究。最後沃倫和馬歇爾獲得諾貝爾醫學獎。
What the F*&^!!!
Why is the test in CHINESE!?!?
I looked around and saw all my classmate busy answering questions, writing on their scrap paper or turing pages to continue with their test - unphased while I sat there, stunned!
F*** it! I did the best I could do - answered "C" for all the questions and left passing to the Fates!
Afterwards, in the student lounge, everyone was talking about the test, the questions, their answers, other people's answers, figuring what they got right, what they got wrong, which questions they would challenge - and then I chimed in...
"Hey, did any of you guys noticed that test was like all in CHINESE?"
"Of course it was, idiot - it says in the syllabus that the final would be in Chinese. The professor said so in class the first day! HA HA HA"
"Oh, I must have missed that..."
A whole semester of med school ruined because I didn't know we'd also be expected to learn Chinese for that exam.
I'll never forget how painfully real that dream was. I even remember waking up thinking I need to get crakin' on that Chinese!
As a attending physician, (who's since learned Chinese, I might add) I no longer have anxiety dreams about med school exams in foreign languages.
Nowadays, it's recurring dreams where I'm struggling to remember all the things I leaned and need to remember...dreams about math.
Find all 6-digit numbers 685xyz that are divisible by 111
Oh, God! I know there's a formula for this, I remember learning it once...
...in med school.