Performance

A few days after the dinner, I was asked to take part in the clinical skill examination of our second year students.

I lunched with my friends BK and LS before the examination; they both did the same just a few days ago, and, knowing what I was going to do, they naturally gave me some briefing.

"You know, the whole thing is very artificial and it is quite impossible to fail," LS said, "They score one point by greeting the patient, another point by explaining what they are going to do, and another by washing their hands, and so forth. For my station, they hold their stethoscope and are supposed to listen to the heart - but I can never tell whether they could really hear anything, and, it really doesn't matter, because that is not counted in the marking scheme."

"Exactly. The entire business is very theatrical. It's just a big drama." BK added.

"Alas! I now understand why we don't invite students of The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (香港演藝學院) to act as surrogates for our clinical examination," I said to myself, "Because they are actually our students!"