The final exams finally came. The weather was getting colder and colder, and I was ill on the day of my Pathology final exam! Actually, I had a sore throat just 2 days before. But I had not paid much attention to it and I didn’t take any medicine. Unfortunately, it ended up with a headache 2 days after. I hurried to make a medical consultation and was found to have a body temperature of 39 degrees Celsius. The doctor immediately referred me to the emergency department. Then I was told that I was infected with influenza. At the emergency, I had a blood test and urine test. My body temperature remained high even though I took the medication. Hence, I had to stay in the hospital for the intravenous infusion until my fever was gone. Until 2 am the next day, my body temperature dropped to 38 degrees Celsius and I could be discharged from the hospital. Of course, I couldn’t attend the final exam and gratefully there was a supplementary exam after a few days. It is a unique experience for me to observe how the Taiwanese medical system works. The most surprising is the cost. I only had to pay 800NT$! I finally understand why Taiwanese people feel so proud of their health insurance system.
-Linda Lau