"Well I think that's all the questions I have for now." The recruiter smiled and put down her pen. "Is there anything you'd like to ask me?"
"Not right now..." I smiled too, pleased that I had clearly made a good impression.
"Lots of prospects for you I think... now if you'll just come this way?" She stood up and gestured to a door behind her desk, not the way I had come in. I was taken aback - I had expected a handshake and assurances of a phone call. Was there going to be another interview? I followed her through the door into a long passage way with a dark green floor.
There were several closed doors with a row of chairs outside. The recruiter handed me a thick file of papers.
"Now take a seat here and the doctor or nurse will be out shortly. Once your clearance is through, there'll be several jobs I'll be putting you forward for right away. Thank you so much for coming in!" She extended her hand which I shook out of instinct.
"Absolutely... thank you so much for your time." I was completely perplexed. Why was I seeing a doctor? How did I not realise that there was a secondary part to the interview?
As she walked away, I sat down nervously and opened the file she had given me. To my complete shock, it was my entire medical record. I flicked through, open mouthed - all my medical notes right back to my childhood were in this file. I reached into my handbag and fumbled for my iPhone, bringing up the exchange of emails with the recruiter. I knew I had signed a form for her to conduct a criminal record check and, sure enough, in the small print, I had signed away access to my medical records. Before I could scroll through the email properly, a middle aged nurse in blue scrubs stuck her head round one of the doors.
"Faye Allen?" I looked up, probably seeming like a deer in the headlights. She smiled blandly and beckoned me in.
"If` you pop your things in the locker and put on a gown please." She trilled. "Here's a hanger for your clothes and a bag for your underwear." She thrust them at me and went to exit the room.
Barely taking in my surroundings, I quickly stuttered "How long does this usually take?" Not wanting to reveal that I had no idea what was going on. I hate seeming stupid or uninformed.
"The prelims usually take around ten minutes and the physical examination under half an hour." She paused, considering me. "Yours will be slightly more in depth than a typical medical because your recruiter has very specific requirements for some of her clients. Nothing too complicated though!" She smiled, and cheerfully left the room, leaving me quivering slightly.
I felt a thrill of dread. I normally feel vulnerable in a medical setting but having this sprung on me entirely made me even more nervous. I thought about saying I wasn't prepared and asking if I could come back on a different day but the thought of the example salaries the recruiter had showed me quickly shut down that idea. I had made such a good impression and this recruitment company would be able to catapult my career into senior business management. Some of the jobs were overseas in glamorous locations... maybe that was why they needed to check if I was physically fit?
I started getting undressed, hanging up my suit and blouse on the hanger. I was wearing fairly plain underwear and black tights - I grimaced slightly at my stubbly legs and underarms, I would usually shave before any kind of appointment but I'd had no warning. My pubic hair was pretty untidy too but I figured the chances of them doing any kind of pelvic exam were non-existent for an employment physical.
I closed the locker and sat down on one of two chairs in the room. I glanced around - it was a pretty small room with a desk, an office chair which I assumed was for the doctor, the hardback chair I was sitting on and a medical couch. There was set of scales and height measurement pulldown next to the locker and a small sink. The nurse knocked and entered.
"Right then Faye," She said, sitting down and placing a glass of water next to me. "I'll do a few preliminary things before you head next door for the doctor's examination. Try and drink the water whilst we go through these questions. First of all, are you in good health generally?"
"Yes." I said without hesitating.
"Have you ever been pregnant?"
"No."
"When was your last period?"
"Umm the third of April was when it finished."
"And are your periods generally normal?"
"Yes."
"Do you smoke, drink or take drugs?"
"I drink socially but no smoking or drugs."
"Great, we'll do a pregnancy and drugs test later of course."
I thanked my lucky stars I hadn't tried the spliff that was passed around at the party I'd been at the weekend before.
"Do you exercise regularly?"
"I usually go to the gym twice a week."