- Just because I am a ‘secretary’ doesn’t mean I work for the patients. I’m not here at your disposal, to type you letters, fax something or make phone calls for you unless it pertains to the bosses. My bosses ARE the doctors!
- I work in the medical field, yes, this is true but people assume that I know every doctor, hospital, pharmacy and laboratory in the city. Case in point, a woman came in with her son. I’ve never seen them before so they are not our patients but she asks me to find the number of her son’s doctor downtown. To top it all off, the name she gave me was so common; she may as well have told me to find Dr. Smith in Toronto! I am not 411 and frankly, I think people have some nerve to walk into an office to ask a stranger to find a number…PERIOD! UGH!
- I am not a doctor/nurse. I don’t need to hear every gory detail of your problem. I don’t need to know what hurts, what has a rash, what works or doesn’t work to make you an appointment. ALSO if you come in to book, you don’t need to show it to me! I ask patients what they’re coming for to make sure there is enough time for a physical. If it’s a knee problem, just say knee…no need for the history.
- You are not the only patient I have to do things for. Yes, the doctor said they would make arrangements to see a specialist but don’t call me the next day or the day after that to ask if it had been done yet! More likely than not, I wouldn’t have had the time to do it then. This also leads me to my next point…
- Calling all the time to ask if something has been done doesn’t speed up the process. In fact and other secretaries would agree, sometimes it motivates us to put it off even more. If it does work, which is rare, it’s because we want to get you off our asses!
- If the doctor is running behind, it is not my fault. It’s not because I’ve booked too many people and it’s not because I’m incapable of doing my job. I have been called every name in the book because of this and it’s ridiculous. I’ve learned the art of sarcasm. Someone calls me a bitch etc., I smile and say thank you. The look of surprise and the silence of the accuser is classic! If they tell me I’m incapable of running the office or something of that nature, I love saying “Well, I’ve been here for the last 12 years so I must be doing something right!”
Vee, you and me! LOL!!! Girl now you have given me courage to write the blog on my job, and the misgivings that are going on with me. Good read lady. Good read.
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