Saved by a stroke of a gesture by Camba

[Chigozie Anuli Mbadugha]

Have you ever narrowly escaped a tight spot? This is a short story about a medical student's examination adventure. Comments are welcome.

Saved by a Stroke of a Gesture
It was my final year Internal Medicine clinical examination. Well, repeat clinical examination actually. Passing the examination meant graduating on time with my class; failing meant an extra year in medical school.I dressed carefully for the examination: my white clinical coat had never been whiter and there wasn't a crease in sight. I wanted to impress my examiners and make them wonder why I was repeating the examination in the first place. I was planning to 'shine.'

Twenty students were repeating the examination. We sat opposite four examination rooms in a spacious area adjoining the female medical ward and were called in one after the other by the examination chaperone. I noticed that the two candidates who had come out of the fourth examination room were in tears and did not stop for a chat before leaving the examination area, unlike those who came out of the other three examination rooms. I muttered a prayer to God asking that examination room four should not be my lot.

Shortly after, the chaperone called out my examination number: "Candidate 614!"

I picked up my bag, stood to my feet and stepped forward. My knees buckled when she pointed in the direction of room four and told me to go in. Instantly, I developed palpitations. My heart was thumping hard and fast, as though it was enclosed in an undersized rib cage. I took a deep breath and sauntered into the room, almost losing my balance in the process.

At the sight of the disdain and coldness in my examiners' faces, my legs froze and steadied themselves. The chief examiner was an elderly man. He sat on a chair close to the foot of the patient's bed. The other two examiners stood on the right side of the room peering at a mini score board. My patient was a calm elderly man placed in cardiac position.

I answered my questions to the best of my ability, and I was thankful when the chaperone announced that my time was up. As I prepared to leave the room, the elderly examiner asked me one last question:

"Tell me one bedside examination you can do to confirm your diagnosis"

I had no clue.

"Young lady, if you don't answer my question correctly in two minutes, you will certainly not graduate with your class next month!"

My knees buckled and to steady myself, I leaned on my patient's bed. Inadvertently, my hand touched his wrist. I quickly looked at my watch to know how much time I had left. To my surprise, the elderly examiner suddenly sprang to his feet.

"Brilliant!" he exclaimed, "You are the first candidate to answer me correctly today! Examining the patient's pulse is the correct response. Congratulations!"

I left the room quickly, hoping no one had noticed that I had been saved by a stroke of a gesture!

[Butch Acuna]

Every day, anywhere, most especially in Asian and other developing countries but also in the First World, the are dangers of doing or saying something wrong that might result to a disaster. As narrated by the author, preparation, self confidence and luck are essential ingredients of escaping failure and disaster, but luck and failures may not be negative results as they could be valuable writing prompts for writing a good story. Thanks for the lessons.

[Chigozie Anuli Mbadugha]

Thanks for your very insightful comments! Deeply appreciated!

[DATo]

It is amazing how often a career can be crushed by a simple mistake of no consequence on a test. Some people are gifted at memorizing facts and parroting them back on tests, but in a crisis would not be able to think outside the proverbial box to innovate a solution to a problem. An institution must have SOME criteria to go by but unfortunately I don't think the classical method of testing is the only adequate manner in which to affirm or deny a candidate's competence.

I think your story deals more with a coincidence than what I have written above. I like your story. Just as a suggestion, had the student done something unusual to save the elderly man's life, if the test turned into a crisis situation, I think it would create a more dramatic and affirming story. I mean, how would one feel knowing that a person has graduated owing to a coincidence who should have failed and that this person is now attempting to save a loved one's life? You see what I mean? The story is good but the individual has become a doctor as the result of a coincidence - what you call "gesture". This leaves a slightly sour taste to the ending in my opinion.

But like I said, overall it was still a good story and well written, and I enjoyed reading it very much.

Thank you for sharing it with us!

[Chigozie Anuli Mbadugha]

Thanks Dato.
You have made very good insightful contributions to this story and the theme. You are right that the classical method of assessing knowledge is often not adequate even though most examining bodies are generally updating and upgrading assessments all the time. A lot of times however in clinical examinations, it is very difficult to give every candidate equally difficult cases as part of the assessment. Sometimes chance and coincidences determine who passes and who fails I am afraid; but ultimately the training has checks and balances that ensure most medical graduates are safe doctors.

Thanks for the tip. I will explore your suggestions. I am glad you enjoyed reading it. I enjoyed writing it. Blessings!!

[Kxr3536]

This short story brings me back into the room where I was taking my state board test to become a certified nursing assistant. I had about all the same symptoms before walking into the room as the main character in your story. It was very relatable and realistic in my opinion. Many times as a student we our extremely nervous of these examinations that determine our chance at success even more than the long nights of studying, all the countless hours of internship, and the worst of all a big fat debt if you did not have sufficient financial aid . The pressure of all these truths become scary and during the examination students forget or become immobilized . The student in this story was very lucky most freeze-up , do not get to pass and are left having to do the exam all over again once they pay again to take the examination. I really enjoyed reading ,one thing that I would say coming totally just as an opinion is trying to see if you can come up with a different tittle maybe even Saved by A Gesture or Saved by A Stroke . Thanks for the flashback.

[Chigozie Anuli Mbadugha]

Thanks for your comments. I am glad that you were able to relate to the story and thanks for the advise on the topic! Awesome contribution! Blessings!