'I dated a man who swears by one test to find your perfect match. He dumped me after I failed.'

As told to Ann Degrey.

Working at a hospital means you see people at their best – and their worst. As a nurse, I've dealt with everything from panicked first-time parents to stubborn patients who think Google knows more than me. And when it comes to dating? Let's just say the hospital often becomes a speed-dating circuit.

I'm not trying to sound full of myself, but I tend to get a lot of attention at work. Doctors, nurses, even the guy from admin once asked me out while I was elbow-deep in paperwork.

I've been on a lot of hospital-adjacent dates, and I thought I'd seen it all. There was the surgeon who spent the entire dinner talking about himself and ended the night with, "You're lucky…I don't usually date nurses."

Then there was the anaesthetist who got so drunk he fell asleep at the table before dessert arrived. That one was kind of poetic, in hindsight.

Watch: Mamamia Out Loud on dating apps. Post continues below.

So when this new doctor arrived from overseas, I wasn't immediately sold. But Dr Greg* was very cute and seemed like fun, a bit quirky too. He was polite, funny in a dry sort of way, and always asking thoughtful questions.

He didn't just compliment me, he noticed things. Like when I switched shifts to cover for a colleague or when I wore my favourite sneakers to survive a 12-hour day.

When Dr Greg asked me out, I was excited. Nervous-excited. We made a booking at a trendy little Italian place. I wore something cute but casual and even straightened my hair, which, on a nurse's schedule, is a big deal.

We sat down, ordered a glass of wine, and started with the usual small talk. He told me a bit about life in London, and I told him about my dog, and how I sometimes bake banana bread at 2am after a night shift. It was going well. I started to relax.

Then he pulled a small booklet from his jacket pocket and placed it on the table.

"What's that?" I asked, thinking it was a notebook or maybe something cute, like a travel journal.

"It's a personality test. I like to use it on first dates to make sure we're compatible," he said, deadly serious.

I laughed. He didn't.

"You want me to take a test? Right now?" I asked.

"It only takes ten minutes," he said. "It's based on Jungian psychology. Very accurate."

I thought he was joking. Then, he passed it to me, opening up the first page. The questions, to be fair, weren't all bad. Some were actually kind of entertaining.

There were questions like:

When faced with conflict, do you prefer to confront it directly or retreat and reflect?

Do you see yourself more as a dreamer or a realist?

On a weekend, would you rather hike a mountain, attend a networking event, or stay in and journal?

If a stranger left a suitcase of cash on your doorstep, do you report it or keep it?

Do you believe pineapple belongs on pizza? (Yes, no, or "not emotionally ready to answer").

I sipped my wine and tried to play along. Part of me was curious. Part of me just couldn't believe this was really happening. But I'd always liked filling out questions and most of them were quite interesting. Maybe I'll learn something about myself?

After ten minutes, he took the paper back and began scoring it like he was marking an exam.

"No, sorry. Not the best match," he said.

I laughed again. Surely now he'd laugh too. Nope.

He gave me a sympathetic smile and told me that while opposites can work, it takes a lot of effort.

"Are you actually telling me we're not compatible... based on a test... on our first date?" I asked.

"Better to know early," he replied.

I couldn't decide if I was more confused or impressed by the audacity. The rest of the night was fine. He wasn't rude or cold. But the vibe had shifted. I finished my pasta, declined dessert, and politely said goodnight.

When I got home, I texted my best friend: "You're not going to believe what just happened."

And I sent her a photo of the test he let me keep. To be fair, it was kind of fun to fill out. And later, we all did it on a girls' night for a laugh. Turns out, most of us were apparently "incompatible" with each other.

As for him? We never had a second date. He texted once to say, "I think you're lovely, but the results confirmed my doubts." I left it on read.

I saw him around the hospital a few more times. He was always lovely to me.

I wonder if he ever had any regrets about putting me through the test. Who knows?

Maybe Dr Greg had the right idea after all.

The author of this article is known to Mamamia but has chosen to remain anonymous for privacy reasons.

Feature: Getty.