What's the most positive, affirming, reassuring, or comforting comment you've ever received during an exam?

And who was the person giving it to you? How did you respond?

My pediatrician was a competent and compassionate doctor. I was terrified of medical professionals due to abuse in state custody. I saw her from age 11 until I graduated college at 22.

She seemed genuinely interested in my well being. I was damaged goods but her kind words had such a positive impact on my self esteem. I would step off the scale and should would compliment my weight gain (I was very underweigjht) and that I had gotten taller and more muscular. She praised me about my academic and athletic successes and how I appeared more confident and emotionally stable.

I thought my college admission physical at 18 was the end of the line and I was not looking forward to parting ways. She informed me that I could remain her patient until I was 22 as she accepted young adults in their college years. I was happy to hear that.

After I got my t shirt on she reached over hugged me and said she was extremely proud of the man I was becoming.

When I was 7 or 8 I had some puppy fat and when I was weighed by the doctor he spoke to my mother about me being overweight and how much I needed to lose. Over the following year I managed to slim down considerably and the next time I went I was kinda looking forwards to showing off my newly slim belly. After he asked me to undress to my underpants, he told me "well I can see you've a much slimmer tummy than last time I saw you, well done young man". It made me feel proud at what I'd achieved, and during the abdominal exam whilst I wasn't yet muscular there, it made me feel good knowing that the tummy he was going over with his stethoscope and palpating was hard rather than soft and wobbly.