Medical obstacles to the MBA  

Posted by Dino in , , ,

I may soon join the MMR vaccination hall of fame that sits in the background of this picture. ©

"You don't need that - why do you need that for? You don't have rubella, mumps or measles", began my doctor. I could feel the weight of an already burdensome MBA matriculation process getting heavier. I need to submit my immunization records to Northwestern's medical center by the end of June. My medical practice does not have my vaccinations records for these early immunizations from my youth. Why? Because while all the other kids in the UK *were* getting their vaccinations as kids, I was in Sri Lanka. I'm not even sure I've had these vaccinations. My doctor was shaking his head - he did not think that the Northwestern medical center needed these records. I insisted otherwise; why else would they ask for them?

"Do you have lots of cash to burn?", continued my doctor, "because we can get lab reports done to check if you're immune to them, but it'll be expensive - very expensive". I wondered whether I had suddenly become some kind of science experiment for my doctor and his nurse. They had already spoken with great curiosity about the tuberculosis QuantiFERON test that Northwestern's medical center has required that I take. My doctor and nurse had never administered it before. To me, it seemed just like any other blood test - stick a needle in my arm and suck some blood out. To them it was out of the ordinary - tiny samples in three test tubes that needed to be shaken about a lot.

Wearing a slight grin, the doctor must have sensed what I was thinking. Maybe they had seen the I'm not a science experiment look before? "Instead of doing lab tests, maybe we'll just give you the MMR vaccination; it won't do you any harm and we can probably give it to you for free". At last, the weight seemed to lift. Could it be true? Would I finally be able to tick these medical immunizations off my matriculation to-do list? I could see a slight glimpse at the end of the tunnel. "Hold on", I said as I flicked through details on Northwestern's medical form, "the MMR test requires two injections at least 28 days apart - which will be after the end of June deadline for these forms". Blank stares followed.

After waving his head for a little while, my doctor gave a heavy sigh, shrugged and walked off - leaving me with the nurse. Come Monday, I'll be calling up Northwestern's medical center to ask for their permission to prolong this agony further. Oh, what joy.

Follow any responses to this entry through the

20 comments

Painful. Welcome to the United States Organized Crime - Medicine and Law are the Godfathers here, and the Lawyers and Doctors the Capo's.

I had to go through the same thing when I decided, after living here peacefully for several years, that I would like to become a Permanent Resident.

All of a sudden, away go the "welcome foreign taxpayer" banners, and out come the puritans, pointing and screaming at the "Alien Petitioner," hiding the faces of their children, lest they be afflicted with a transmitted disease via strange ocular means.

Still, look at it this way, with the incredible increase in viruses you'll be exposed to in the US, (could it be from their weakened immune systems?) you are inoculated against some of the more the serious ones, and you can't get sued by a wiseguy/attorney for carrying one.

Sri Lankans are cool, I grew up with some.

30 May 2009 at 22:29

Painful. Welcome to the United States Organized Crime - Medicine and Law are the Godfathers here, and the Lawyers and Doctors the Capo's.

I had to go through the same thing when I decided, after living here peacefully for several years, that I would like to become a Permanent Resident.

All of a sudden, away go the "welcome foreign taxpayer" banners, and out come the puritans, pointing and screaming at the "Alien Petitioner," hiding the faces of their children, lest they be afflicted with a transmitted disease via strange ocular means.

Still, look at it this way, with the incredible increase in viruses you'll be exposed to in the US, (could it be from their weakened immune systems?) you are inoculated against some of the more the serious ones, and you can't get sued by a wiseguy/attorney for carrying one.

Sri Lankans are cool, I grew up with some.

30 May 2009 at 22:29

Are you already in the states? I can't even get my TB test done yet until I go back... but I'm having "fun" trying to get my immunization records sent in while I'm abroad and nowhere near them :X

1 June 2009 at 07:19

Are you already in the states? I can't even get my TB test done yet until I go back... but I'm having "fun" trying to get my immunization records sent in while I'm abroad and nowhere near them :X

1 June 2009 at 07:19

@Fin: People don't really sue each other in the UK. I'm not looking forward to that. Sri Lankans would be cooler if we stopped the in-fighting!

@Businesscow: Wow. Yet another Kellogg blogger. What's going on...
Nope. I'm in the UK.

1 June 2009 at 23:55

@Fin: People don't really sue each other in the UK. I'm not looking forward to that. Sri Lankans would be cooler if we stopped the in-fighting!

@Businesscow: Wow. Yet another Kellogg blogger. What's going on...
Nope. I'm in the UK.

1 June 2009 at 23:55

I may be reading the form wrong, but it looks to me like the TB test must be done in the US to be valid...

And that's not surprising at all, Kellogg for its "warm and fuzzy" ppl, after all.

2 June 2009 at 02:56

I may be reading the form wrong, but it looks to me like the TB test must be done in the US to be valid...

And that's not surprising at all, Kellogg for its "warm and fuzzy" ppl, after all.

2 June 2009 at 02:56

DG: Be careful. I'm mexican and I did not have all the shots documented. So I had to ask my physician to take the blood tests as I had read and my phyisician has told me that it is very dangerous to take the immunizations twice as you may get infected with measles, rubella or rubeola.. the blood tests for the 3 of them should not be more expensive than 100 quids... and is worth it since you will be able to attend kwest in one piece! should you not have the immunizations send an email to the school with a scan of the tests and give them the programmed dates, they'll give you the extension since you'd have already sent the other vaccines in the document.

2 June 2009 at 06:18

DG: Be careful. I'm mexican and I did not have all the shots documented. So I had to ask my physician to take the blood tests as I had read and my phyisician has told me that it is very dangerous to take the immunizations twice as you may get infected with measles, rubella or rubeola.. the blood tests for the 3 of them should not be more expensive than 100 quids... and is worth it since you will be able to attend kwest in one piece! should you not have the immunizations send an email to the school with a scan of the tests and give them the programmed dates, they'll give you the extension since you'd have already sent the other vaccines in the document.

2 June 2009 at 06:18

@BusinessCow: I think you are right. I was in touch with the Northwestern Medical Center and they didn't say anything to stop me taking that damned TB test. I'm upset. Why do they even have the details on the form for the physician to fill in??

@Lorena: Both the Northwestern Medical Center and my physician seemed to think it would be ok to take the MMR twice. What a joke. Agh, what a pain!

2 June 2009 at 20:52

@BusinessCow: I think you are right. I was in touch with the Northwestern Medical Center and they didn't say anything to stop me taking that damned TB test. I'm upset. Why do they even have the details on the form for the physician to fill in??

@Lorena: Both the Northwestern Medical Center and my physician seemed to think it would be ok to take the MMR twice. What a joke. Agh, what a pain!

2 June 2009 at 20:52

Good luck mate and mind the hole in your arm! Regarding your suscriptors it might be half of your future classmates, I love your posts... they reflect in words the way I've felt during the past year!

2 June 2009 at 23:33

Good luck mate and mind the hole in your arm! Regarding your suscriptors it might be half of your future classmates, I love your posts... they reflect in words the way I've felt during the past year!

2 June 2009 at 23:33

When i spoke to a physician here in the US, he also was ok with doing the MMR shots twice. So i guess it should be ok to get that done again.
Are you guys planning on doing tetanus booster & tetanus series too?
I will be able to get the TB blood work done here in US. Also if i'm right you get a month extension after you come here to US to submit that TB result. So you can also get it done here.

2 June 2009 at 23:34

When i spoke to a physician here in the US, he also was ok with doing the MMR shots twice. So i guess it should be ok to get that done again.
Are you guys planning on doing tetanus booster & tetanus series too?
I will be able to get the TB blood work done here in US. Also if i'm right you get a month extension after you come here to US to submit that TB result. So you can also get it done here.

2 June 2009 at 23:34

I'm getting the tetanus booster & tetanus series done too. There are three shots. The second is done after 28 days. The third is done 6 months after that. The med center said they'd give me extension to get the 3rd one done later in the year.

5 June 2009 at 11:50

I'm getting the tetanus booster & tetanus series done too. There are three shots. The second is done after 28 days. The third is done 6 months after that. The med center said they'd give me extension to get the 3rd one done later in the year.

5 June 2009 at 11:50

Bummer, I agree the form is terrible. I spent a fortune on international calls to find a physician to fill it in and sign it, until my mother pointed out to me there is small print on top of the first page that says to skip part ii if you can provide a copy of the records.

I'm going to use the grace period to get my TB test done in Evanston as well.

I was in a wicked knife fight last year, and as a result of my injuries I had a tetanus booster so I'm good there. Ok, actually, I just got grievously injured by a car door, but the end result was the same. :P

5 June 2009 at 13:55

Bummer, I agree the form is terrible. I spent a fortune on international calls to find a physician to fill it in and sign it, until my mother pointed out to me there is small print on top of the first page that says to skip part ii if you can provide a copy of the records.

I'm going to use the grace period to get my TB test done in Evanston as well.

I was in a wicked knife fight last year, and as a result of my injuries I had a tetanus booster so I'm good there. Ok, actually, I just got grievously injured by a car door, but the end result was the same. :P

5 June 2009 at 13:55

Post a Comment