Just Another Routine Physical

The Japanese sure did live up to their notoriety for efficiency today. Over this week and the next, all employees at our company are receiving the mandatory annual physical. I think the best way to describe my experience this morning is that I got an 'Assembly Line Physical.' We could have just as easily been hunks of steel moving down the line in a plant, or cows being herded - poked and prodded along the way. I think my curiosity as an engineer to see how quickly and efficiently we were moved in a line from one station to the next en route to a complete physical kept me from being too shocked at the idea of being moved from one station to the next en route to a complete physical.

This morning I prepared for my 9:30 appointment by blocking off 3 hours on my calendar, and unfortunately I couldn't fill in the meeting location portion of the calendar entry because at the time I didn't know that we would be receiving our physicals in the lobby of our main building. Once my co-worker arrived at 8:30 we diligently began going through the health sheet that we were to bring with us. Basic information, how's your health, how's your stress, do you get enough sleep, do you eat breakfast, lunch, dinner, mid-afternoon snacks, how soon do you go to bed after eating, do you drink alcohol, smoke, exercise regularly, recent history of illness, etc. (Interestingly enough, there was a block of questions specifically related to stress - if I take it home, if I feel useful, etc - I think stress might be a problem here...?).

By 9:00 we finished our 'survey' and were ready to go. From here it was a blur, but I'll do my best. I left my desk sometime around 9:15. I was back seated by 9:52. So, in a span of a little over half an hour, I walked down to the lobby (5 floors mind you), got a complete physical - chest X-ray, urine sample, height and weight measurement, vision exam, blood pressure, blood drawn, 5 minute mandatory break to make sure the bleeding stopped, hearing test, quick session with one of the doctors to do that breathe in and out while he listens all over routine, and then walked back upstairs. 37 minutes.

Like I said, we might as well have been herded to each station like cows, but at least all the doctors and nurses (about 15-20 in all) had smiles. There were quite a few of us, but it went very smoothly considering the volume of patients. Japanese efficiency at its finest.

Think about it. Normally, we all dread a physical. You have to schedule it on a half day (or full day). Drive to your doctor. Wait in the waiting room for half an hour. Wait in the examination room for another 10 minutes. Then...then get your physical. Easily half a morning. Here I got my physical at work in less time than I probably would have spent in the waiting room back in the States. Amazing. I'm still not fully sure how the insurance and health industry works here. I think there is a bit of socialized medicine, but I also know we have company insurance. Either way, this didn't cost me a dime, and I didn't have to waste a vacation day!