Role reversal

Today we had our first clinical exam- we had to do different physical exam maneuvers as well as take histories from standardized patients (actors). One of the stations featured a woman who had come to see the doctor due to a prolonged cough/cold. I asked all of the typical questions (how long has this been going on, what makes it better/worse, any shortness of breath, etc.). Needless to say, being in midst of a bout of bronchitis myself, I was coughing and having a hard time catching my breath throughout the interview. By the time I was done I had apparently generated so much sympathy for my own health that both the SP and the evaluator wished me a speedy recovery. The irony of the reversal in roles was clearly not lost on the evaluator.