The GFCI exception in 517 is 517.21 "GFCI protection for personnel shall not be required for receptacles installed in those critical care areas where the toilet and basin are installed within the patient room."
Note that this exception is for critical care areas. See the definition of critical care area (under Patient Care Area) which reveals that these are not patient exam rooms, which is what you originally stated.
Note that in critical care rooms, the toilet and sink are typically in the patient room, not in a separate (with walls and door) room, with a curtain for privacy. Since this would technically make the entire patient room a "bathroom" by NEC definition, this exception was created to accomodate the unique use of toilet and sink in critical care patient rooms.
Look also at 210.8(B)(5) and its exceptions.