break time!

So our project finally started today!  Everyone CHEER!!!!

To start off the day, the doctor in charge of the "Physicals" department (for annual physicals) crushed our self-confidence.  She told us that the "clients" here will be un-cooperative and that we likely won't succeed in getting many respondents.  Because, she reasoned, (1) our Chinese is obviously crap so people won't listen to us, (2) we're from Canada and people don't want to share their information with foreigners, and (3) we looked too young so no one will respect us - even tho we brought our white coats!!  We were so sad but decided to attempt it anyway.  Our supervisor came up with a shpiel for us to say (we weren't allowed to use the recruitment letter we so painstakingly translated!!!!) and proceeded downstairs.  Long story short, we got tons of responses!!!  YAY!  When the supervisor asks them, they're not so happy to fill it out (probably cuz they're intimated by THREE ppl standing in front of them, in white coats!)... but we ended up getting a lot of responses in just half an hour!!  Some are incomplete, but meh!  Our original goal was for an n of 200... but MW now thinks we can get 500!!!  we're going in at 8AM next time - we only have 3h/d!  The other doctor told us she'll bring us to the clinic next time, where they see 5000 people/day!!!!!!  *fingers crossed*

So here's what i learned today:
- China "Medicare" doesn't cover annual physicals, so everyone that goes there are either insured by their company, or privately, or they're paying out of pocket
- Only married women get a pelvic exam.  If you're unmarried and u want one, you have to personally sign a statement to say that you want one.
- HIV testing in China doesn't require a huge long consent process, even tho it carries the same, if not more severe, "after effects" - the Chinese CDC is contacted, cf. our provincial gov't.  
- You don't have to wait for MRIs - it only costs ~1000RMB for an MRI of your head, OR neck, OR abdo, OR joints... i should've asked how big their magnet is!
- In addition to MRIs, these healthy clients can also pay to check for cardiac enzymes in their blood... u know, in case they were having an asymptomatic heart attack or something.
- In addition to those tests, healthy clients can also check for the following cancer markers: CA153, CA125, CA199, CA724, NSE, CTFA211, FPSA, PSA, etc..
- As well, you can also pay for a TRUS (yay fun!), or pay ~10,000RMB for a PET scan.  that's right, a PET scan!!!
- Last but not least... the results of your physical will go to (1) YOU in a sealed envelope, (2) your COMPANY if they're paying for it!  How's that for confidentiality!

PS. "Jackie Chan is dead" newspaper dude was on the subway again today, selling the SAME newspaper.  (have i written about this??  if not, dude walks up/down the subway trying to sell this newspaper that says "JC is dead... domestic blah blah" with a picture of him on it!)
PPS. I made an awesome Excel sheet for our data entry and subsequent scoring/number crunching (its automatic!  Gr.10 programming helped with something!!!).  but boy oh boy does data entry take a loooong ass time!