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Should I stay or should I go? I took a job at a local doctor's office as - Miserable
Posted: Jun 16, 2012
a scheduler/receptionist. I took the job because I wasn't making anything typing at home and I thought it would be nice to get out of the house and sharpen some different skills apart from just transcribing. Plus the office is 5 minutes from my house, days with weekends off, and it's a steady paycheck that does not fluctuate because there's no jobs available or I'm having an off dat, but I hate the job! On my third day, the lady who was training me had to leave work because her mom died and she hasn't been back for two weeks. I was actually just thrown into the job and told to do the best I can and ask questions which I've done, but my anxiety level is through the roof. Not to mention the skinny bird-like office manager who has decided to call me out on every single mistake I make even though everyone else in the office is understanding of the fact that I've basically been thrown into something I wasn't ready for. I've caught on quick to the scheduling software, but there are so many little things that came with the job. Like the office manager insisting that if it has been a year or more since we've updated paperwork on patients, I MUST make them fill out new paperwork. I explained to her that I was told by the lady who had been training me to simply verbally verify that the information is the same and just forget about paperwork unless the patient has had a change in address or insurance. The reason I was told to do it that way was because I was so new and updating information in the computer was time consuming and the front desk is so busy that if I have to update everyone who needed it, I would be way behind in getting patients checked in and to the back. BUT NO! The office manager insists it be done and actually has sat up there at the desk with me two days in a row making me do it.
When the office manager is actually in her own office, she will call me every 15 minutes to tell me something I didn't do or should have done, like I didn't check mark a patient's ethinicity when I entered it into the computer. I would think that she would give me a little slack based on the fact that I've been doing this job by the seat of my pants.
So anyway, I want to quit and I want to come back home. It only took me three days to remember why I hated working in the office. I do not miss interaction with people! I do not miss ringing telephones, dressing in office attire, and the morning routine of putting on makeup and doing my hair every single day! I feel like crying! I'm afraid of letting my family down because everyone has been so supportive for me taking this job and my mom even encouraged me to do it especially in light of the fact that working from home I wasn't making any money.
So what should I do? Tough it out and feel like my stomach is being eaten inside out from anxiety or come back home and hope that whatever job I take, I can make money at?
Sounds like an insecure, INEPT office manager! - Dont quit just yet - sm
[ In Reply To ..]Here's what I would do:
First, I would nicely explain to the Off. Mgr. what you wrote here.. that you were supposed to get more training, but an unforeseen situation of your trainer having to leave suddenly has thrown you into something you're desperately trying to learn all at once. Chances are, if your training-person had still been there, she'd have been teaching you things one or two at a time, not all at once! See if you can gain some sympathy from the Off. Mgr. by asking her for help in getting you up to speed.
If that doesn't work, and she's still acting like a _________, (fill in your own expletive), then likely she's insecure in her own job. Maybe she even sees you as a threat... someone smart and skilled who could eventually get moved into her position. (Wouldn't that be great for you if that happened?)
Sometimes I just tune people like that out, say the old, "Yes, Ma'am... uh huh... will do...", and then I do it my own way. If you can't get away with doing that, and it's really bothering you, is there someone above her you can go and have a heart-to-heart talk with? I think that person may already know that woman is ineffective in her job. If not, then maybe they SHOULD know.
I agree with the other advise and also... - see message
[ In Reply To ..]I doubt very seriously you will be letting anyone down if you do decide you need to quit...and above all take care of yourself and do what's best for your health...I would try to resolve the issues by having a heart-to-heart as the above poster said and if that doesn't work then you can hold you head high and know that you gave it your best and it just did not work out! Either way I hope things get better for you!
Office job - alex
[ In Reply To ..]Please remember that your emotions pass. You might feel completely different next week in the same position. NO-ONE "loves" their job after 3 days unless they are a freak. lol It's tough, but we all go through it. Just be upfront with the manager--you can be direct w/o being rude.
I would get - rid of the
[ In Reply To ..]anxiety. It is obvious that no matter where you work there is a learning curve. Frankly I think I would try to keep the office job. The at home stuff is getting really bad. Some people are good trainers and some aren't. Sounds like the office manager isn't. If she started flooding me with everything at once, I would tell her that I can only learn so much in a day and am doing my best. You could tell her that it would be helpful if she could write you a list of duties and you will work on learning them. If she points out a mistake, make sure you understand the mistake and then move on with what you are doing. Dont' let her see that you are upset. Some people get off on seeing people squirm. I would also tell her that your main duty is getting the patients set up and scheduled and you will work on learning the other duties as you can. The main thing is be confident in yourself and don't let someone like that bully you and make you feel incompetent. Keep your head up and if you are really trying, things will fall into place.
I agree - Inquiring minds
[ In Reply To ..]Three days is not long enough to give it a fair trial. As an MT, I know those scheduling jobs seem like a piece of cake until you're on the other side of the desk. If nothing else, consider the paperwork. Payroll probably is not going to be thrilled about paying you for 3 days, and you would need to find another job unless your former employer agreed to hold your old one for you. In regard to updating the paper work once a year, that's common. I get asked the same tiresome questions every time I go to the doctor, even if it's only been a week or two, but it is much easier if you can do it in the computer. I think the privacy/HIPAA forms need to be done once a year. I've been thrown into new jobs myself, have come into a mess or a backlog of work. It's tough to have to swim or sink but things have a way of smoothing out. Most places have a 3-month trial/probation period. I would suggest reevaluating after your trainer gets back, maybe even listing the pros and cons on a piece of paper. After that, maybe you'll decide to hang in there a little longer.
Agree, and recommend focusing more on - Customer Service
[ In Reply To ..]I agree with dropping the anxiety. All new situations can produce anxiety. Unless you intentionally want to become overwhelmed by it and chronically unemployable, your best plan would be to drop it.
I also recommend that you start seeing your job as an opportunity to provide customer service. Right now, you seem to see it as an inconvenience -- you have to fix your hair daily, for gosh sakes. Your boss is also forced to sit with you for not one but TWO days to monitor you. Why? Because she does not think you are doing what she NEEDS you to do. What are you dong instead? What YOU want to do.
She is on your case because nobody cuts her and the doctors any slack. If you fail to do that paperwork, divulge patient information illegally, or upset a patient, they suffer and the patients suffer. Because of your actions, they violate some law, or cannot get paid, or incur some other consequence. They cannot get around it by saying that the regular person is out. There are no excuses for them, so when she perceives that you are not working out, she has no choice but to monitor you.
I agree that you should ask for clarification and an explanation of what to do. But I also think it is important not to excuse yourself from the responsibility of doing things correctly. You have to see that there is a reason for doing them the way they need them done.
If you focus more on wanting to provide good customer service instead of focusing on how much you hate having to get up and go there and on how skinny the office manager is, you will do better and be able to take some satisfaction in your job.
I think you will be lucky to find yourself employed on Monday. Go to work with a different attitude and without the anxiety. If you find that they have not fired you, apolgize to the office manager and ask for her help in learning your job.
Office scheduling is a very low, entry-level position. If you cannot handle it, something is wrong. Your claim that you cannot stand working with people is a clue in that regard. If they fire you, you need to hook up with a job retraining organization that will provide testing and counseling and which will help you understand employer expectations and how to fulfill them.
Your working success depends upon YOU and nobody else.
First and foremost, I have been working for the office for nearly two weeks, a week and four days - Miserable
[ In Reply To ..]to be exact. Second, exactly how does one "drop the anxiety." My personality is such that I am an anxious person. I bite my nails, my stomach churns when I'm nervous and I'm nervous in new situations, meeting new people, etc. So simply "dropping the anxiety" is really easier said than done.
Finally, I didn't say I wasn't catching on or that I'm messing things up. The doctor has told me repeatedly how glad he is that I'm there. The patients have been telling the doctor how nice the new face is at the front desk instead of the rude old one. So I guess that would mean the patients like me as well.
The only problem I have been having is the office manager and let me clarify who exactly this particular office manager is. The practice I work for has two doctors. However, six months one of the doctors bought her half of the practice. So she is one entity and the other doctor, the one I was hired by and work for, is the other entity. The office manager, who is driving me crazy, not because she's skinny, but because she's, as one fellow employee nicely put it, intense, actually works for the other doctor. I am paid by the doctor I work for. His office manager has pointed a couple of things out to me a couple of times which I immediately and corrected and hasn't had anything more to say to me, but friendly hellos and good mornings. So as far as the people I ACTUALLY work for, I'm doing great.
So I'm not worried about being fired on Monday when I go back to work because as far as the guy who signs my checks, he's happy and as far as the other people on his payroll, they are happy and understanding that I was thrown into a situation I wasn't ready for, but had to accept nonethless. This office manager, who is paid by the other doctor and who is technically NOT my boss, is driving me nuts because I'm not perfectly executing every little minute detail of my job after only three days of actual training and one week of doing it by myself.
Also office manager that is my actual boss is an older lady, near retirement age, who happened to tell me the other office manager was a "dumb a$$" who doesn't know half of what she's talking about. So as you can see, I'm caught in the middle.
I would like to point out that while you consider office scheduling to be a "very low entry level position, which is by the way completely condescending to say the very least, it's not the scheduling I'm having a problem with. As I said, I learned the scheduling software fairly quickly. It's not any one particular aspect of the job, it's all the many, many tasks that I have to do all at once that I'm stressing about. Answering the phone, verifying insurance, scheduling referral appointments, tests, and procedures, learning and remembering each and every insurance plan we accept and don't accept, remembering that if the patient is having a Pap or well child exam or coming in just for lab, don't collect a copay and if the patient is coming in for a Pap or is a new patient, allow 30 minutes for the visit, but DON'T schedule 30-minute appointments back to back and only schedule a couple in the morning and one in the afternoon. If the patient is coming in for a procedure, such as a mole removal, don't collect a copay, and schedule those appointments at noon, but make sure the surgery room is free and that the other doctor isn't using it. Also remember with certain tests like MRIs some insurance companies require preauthorizations before the patient can have the test and some insurances don't require preauthorization, so I have to remember those differences. Also if this person or place calls, absolutely pull the doctor out of a room for the call, but only if they say this or that. And if you get a fax with lab for an INR and pro time on a nursing home patient, pull the corresponding book and file the lab paper under the patient tab and take it back to the nurse. Nevermind that the lab sheets never specify that the patient is a nursing home or not, so have to look each patient up individually in the computer to sort that out. All the while, I'm supposed to be checking in patients, making sure their address, phone, and insurance hasn't changed and that it hasn't been more than a year since they've filled out paperwork. And if they have to fill out paperwork, I have to enter the new information on about five different screens before I can actually check them in and get their chart ready for the nurse whilst having the nurse breathing down my neck saying "why isn't Mr. Smith ready to go yet?"
So this very low, entry level position has many facets that you cannot possibly fathom. Also consider that a 20-year vet MT, I am used to sitting quietly at my computer and typing period. No phones ringing off the hook, patients to check in, insurance to verify, office managers to contend. Just me, my computer, and my expertise in medical transcription.
So in other words, bite me! It's a stressful situation and I have every right to feel a little anxious.
Quite a - post
[ In Reply To ..]for someone asking advise and people trying to give it. I'm one that told you to drop the anxiety. I didn't say you didn't know what you were doing, just that you have to learn to drop the anxiety. No, it's not easy, but in every job you have to allow yourself a learning curve. I thought everyone was trying to be encouraging and helpful, so bite me!
Agree and if she had explained all that to begin with - Bite Me 2
[ In Reply To ..]I agree with you. I would like to add that her second post paints a completely different picture of the situation.
I was wondering if calling it a low-level job would provoke some anger, and it did.
So, Ms. Miserable, ANGER TRUMPS ANXIETY. That is the lesson here.
If your boss and his office manager are happy with you, you woul be foolish to quit. If you approach Ms. Skinny Bird with some healthy righteous indignation --which is what you feel now--there will be no room for anxiety. Just be respectful and cooperative.
Talk to your boss about developing some standard operating procedures to prevent future disagreements. You research the issues and write them up. Present your justifications.
Consider this. . . if your OM is retiring, Ms. Skinny Bird may want that job. If you look really good now, she may worry about you getting it. That could be driving the harassment.
Miserable - Inquiring minds
[ In Reply To ..]A week and 4 days, but who's counting? Didn't you know anything about your duties before you took the job? Certainly these things must have been explained to you at your interview. What you describe is what receptionists/schedulers do. As I stated in another post, I've always known I couldn't be a receptionist, I'm a terrible multitasker.
And just think I saw a job ad posted the other day - IMANMT2
[ In Reply To ..]where you can do ALL of that PLUS transcribe from home (presumably when you're not verifying insurance or dealing with the patients. Only I don't remember the pay but my mipression was it looked like a run-don't-walk kind of job ad for an at-home MT. If that's what we still are.
I feel your pain - SassyMT
[ In Reply To ..]I'm an anxious person too, so I understand your situation. I do believe that the office manager is basically a control freak and/or a jerk, but hey, that's just my opinion. Some people don't do well with any sort of power and she clearly seems to be one that likes to throw her authority around. Honestly, if you have given it your all and you hate it that much, I would do one of 2 things. I would either speak to her privately and ask her if she has a problem with you personally and let her know that the doctor thinks you are doing a wonderful job. Or, pick up another position from home and kiss that office job good-bye. Life is too short to let someone else's issues stress you out. Of course, if going back home isn't an option and talking to her openly doesn't work, you could just smile and try your best to ignore her. Good luck!
Your trainer should be back this week, no? (nm) - And things should settle down for you
[ In Reply To ..]x
Give it more time ... - Morgan
[ In Reply To ..]I know how awful it feels to have a critical person looking over your shoulder, but hopefully she will be off your back when the person returns who will be training you. I'd give it that much time. Once you learn everything, she hopefully won't have a reason to pick on you and things will be so much better.
I'm looking at the long run. You are so much better off getting out of MT, which only seems to get worse with time. However, if after a couple of week you are still under that much stress, you will have to choose between money and security or being happy with less stress. Good luck to you!
Time - rt
[ In Reply To ..]I agree with those who said to give it more time. MT jobs are being phased out by technology, and updating your skills is essential to future employment. You are close to home. Give yourself time to adjust as it is a big adjustment which time should help. I have a friend who had almost the same experience; she is in week three of being a receptionist/desk clerk at a busy family practice; she cried daily the first week, but is now just seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.
Before I did anything I would try to figure out - if the office manager
[ In Reply To ..]was trying to be critical of you or just trying to make sure that the routine you get into is the right one. I am a very routine person. I also work in a doctor's office at the front desk. It can be pretty overwhelming at times, but if I start out doing something wrong, it is much harder for me to break the habit if it is not brought to my attention. When she comes to you to tell you that you did something wrong, I would watch the way I responded also. For the first few weeks even, I would say something along the lines of, "Thank you, I want to make sure I do it right." Just something to show that you want to do it correctly.
There are certain things that can be very, very important if missed, especially for billing. The ethincity is part of the EMR incentive if the office has just switched or is trying to get the reimbursement. I know that it seems like nit-picking to you (and I understand why), but it sounds like she actually does her job and is making sure that things get done correctly. A lot of offices do the new paperwork yearly and also if they switch systems.
I would at least wait until the other person comes back before I made any decisions.
In all honesty, I do think this office manager is just trying - Miserable
[ In Reply To ..]to make sure I don't develop bad habits. I don't dislike her personally. I don't think she is being malicious. I do think she's a perfectionist and that she could have cut me just a little slack given that I had three days of training before I was expected to fly.
Thank you for being so kind in response unlike the person above who basically said I should get fired and that scheduling was a very low, entry level person.
I would look at the positive side of things. - She is very
[ In Reply To ..]trying to help you, which to me means she probably wants to help you. A lot of office managers are not that great with things like that and would just let you sink or swim. I actually think that she gets that you haven't been trained properly and is trying to make up for it. I work for a doctor who is a perfectionist, and his wife is the office manager. They are great to us, but sometimes it can be hard when every little thing is nit-picked to death. I have worked there for over a year, and I still get told every time I do something wrong, as do the ones that have been there upwards of 10 years. I would never want to do his transcription. As a matter of fact, until we got EMR, he was doing almost all of it on his own.
As far as scheduling being a low, entry-level position, I found that when I decided to work outside of the home that being an MT actually hurt me. I had always worked in doctor's offices before, and I found it to be almost looked down on, like I was lazy and didn't want to work outside of the home. I had my own doctor in an office visit ask me why I was doing transcription, wasn't I over qualified for that. So, understand that the misconception goes both ways. MT is not an easy job, but neither is working in a doctor's office in pretty much any position.
I cried when I had to work in-house again... and I LIKE my job! (sm) - just me
[ In Reply To ..]The lights seemed so bright and everything was so loud. I think it's par for the course for most of us after working at home for so long. Stick it out, as your trainer will soon be returning.
office manager - cr
[ In Reply To ..]Nine office managers out of 10 are power-huungry jerks! I sympathize.
Some really great - advice here
[ In Reply To ..]Wow. You guys have given great advice here. My advice would be to stick it out. IMO, the days of working at home as an MT are quickly ending (or so low paying as to be nonviable), and it sounds like you're working close to home. Dressing and grooming daily are good habits to acquire and improve self esteem and discipline (not that MT doesn't require mega-discipline).
I have an issue with only one piece of advice mentioned above, to "have a heart-to-heart with the office manager." The kind of emotional transparency suggested here has always bitten me in the backside when I've tried it. Not only is it too much information, but these are presumably people who live locally, and you don't want a reputation of being emotionally fragile or prone to meltdowns. I think you might be better off using a brief prepared spiel, expressing your appreciation for her supervision and your desire to meet expectations. If you give her the respect that her office demands (even if she herself is overbearing), maybe she'll back off; it could be that she just wants acknowledgement as your superior.
Take lots of notes - Don't repeat any mistakes - sm
[ In Reply To ..]Tough it out.
Additionally - Inquiring minds
[ In Reply To ..]I posted earlier that I wanted to add that this might be a good lesson not to take a job strictly because it "gets us out of the house." Some people know their strengths and weaknesses, and while I have respect for schedulers and receptionists, I'm not a front office person because for one thing I'm terrible at multitasking. I work as an MT at an office but I've never understood what the big deal was about getting up and making oneself presentable. I have worked at home and while I didn't dress in office attire, I never worked in my pajamas and treated my home office as if it was my place of business. If hair and make up are stressing you out that much, it's time to simplify that process. Find an easy care hairstyle and discover shortcuts for makeup. If you hang in there, you will have a sense of accomplishment for having done so, and it may lead to another position in the office that you really want. It may seem that the office manager is out to get you but she's just doing her job. She probably answers directly to the physicians and we know how demanding some of them can be.
Great observations - sm
[ In Reply To ..]You're SO right that taking any position at all can be jumping from the pan into the fire. Watching my MT career go down the drain, I interviewed for a ward clerk position at my local hospital. I interviewed with 3 people, and I thought I did pretty well, but they selected someone else. In retrospect, I realize I would have melted down very quickly. For one thing, all the people I talked to thought doctors ruled the universe
I'm very impressed.... - (please SM)
[ In Reply To ..]I'm impressed by the good and thoughtful advice that many here have taken the time to give the OP. You've all made some very good points and hopefully will help the OP make a decision on what to do.
Just one thing--maybe I'm mis-reading the OP's post, but I get the impression that she's been there for over 2 weeks now....not just 3 days(?). Unless I'm mistaken, I read it that the trainer's mother died when the OP was only on her third day and has been gone for 2 weeks now. Just wanted to point out that maybe she's been toughing it out for more than just 3 days.
I agree with the advice, though, to wait and give it a little more time after your trainer returns. Remember, of course, that person may be a little off her game for a while, too--still processing the grief of losing her mother--so try to give it some time. It's always taken me at least a month at any new job to really feel like I know the job backward and forward. As they say in commercials, "Actual time may vary!"
It has been one week and four days that I've been toughing it out. - Miserable
[ In Reply To ..]Thanks to everyone who posted with kindness. With the exception of one post, I found all the advice very helpful. I have decided to give it more time. Hopefully, my original trainer will return this week and I can relax a little bit.
It is a steady pay check, daytime hours, close to home, weekends and holidays off. I don't have to get up too early because I'm so close and I've actually enjoyed clothes shopping for my new job.
I do want to point out that while I mentioned dressing up and doing my hair in my list of things that are stressing me out, what I meant was that the job itself is stressing me out and on top of that stress, I have to get up, get dressed and fix myself up when in the past all I had to do was put on a pair jeans and sit down at my desk.
It's not that one thing that stresses me, but an unholy combination of all the things I've had to change when I took this job. Change is hard for everyone, some more than others, and I'm one that has never liked change. Lately, within the last six months, I have had mountains of change and that is probably one of the reasons I'm having such a hard time with my anxiety now.
I was laid off from a hospital job, I had to fight for my unemployment, I filed for divorce, I've been struggling financially, had to get food stamps and medicaid for the first time in 20 years, totaled my car, my son has had legal issues...
Right now it just sucks to be me and I've been having a little pity party I guess. This job is the first good thing that has happened in a while and I guess I was hoping it would just be a breeze and it's not, but I'm sticking with it.
I'm so glad to hear it! Good for you. You're through the worst, - after all, and headed toward the days when
[ In Reply To ..]your fingers will once again work automatically. BTW, your office manager is the boss, so what she wants is what you want. I find it very encouraging that she's invested all this time in you. She must be seeing in you what she wants the person in this position to eventually provide.
True. You've made it through the worst of it by now. sm - JustMe
[ In Reply To ..]BTW, I have worked front desk in a clinic, and I appreciate how very difficult and even stressful it is. Lots of balls being juggled, and it never ends. Takes an act of Congress to be able to get away just to go to the bathroom, and it was at that job where I learned to "pee fast." So whomever said it was "very low level" can also bite me, too, and remain miserable in her sweat pants that don't even fit anymore. At least you are taking action, and I commend you for it.
Toughing it out - Inquiring minds
[ In Reply To ..]Thanks for sharing all that has been going on in your life, I'm sorry you have had to deal with all of that. Certainly, you must have known that you couldn't go to the office in jeans, I'm still not grasping why you consider having to get up and get dressed an issue compared to everything else in your life.
Almost exactly a year ago I was dealing with major stress too. I thought I was on the brink of losing my job when we converted to EMR. I had been searching for months for something else, just waiting for the other shoe to drop. Then, I fell and messed up my ankle, had to have surgery and was off my feet for 3 months. I had invitations while I was recovering to go on interviews but couldn't. I worried the entire time I was on medical leave that I'd get back on my feet, get back to work and get fired. None of that happened, I still have my job and I'm completely recovered. I look back on all of it and can only say that things happen for a reason; maybe I needed a lesson in patience, maybe I needed to learn to depend more on my friends; I certainly see now that I am where I was meant to be. You may not see the reason why things are happening for you the way they are, but chances are in a few months you will be able to look at your situation and see things more clearly. We all have circumstances that we need to overcome in our lives. If you think it sucks to be you, I can tell you that there are many far worse off than you who choose not to have "pity parties."
MD office managers - sm
[ In Reply To ..]Why is it that almost every office mgr for MDs that I have come across are such hateful witches? Is it insecurity? - or power? I turned down a really neat ortho transcription job (tapes at home) because of the nasty office mgr attitude and also one for transcription in house and multi-tasking. (The MD was lurking behind the door, listening to the interview). I just wonder if the MDs hire them because of their nastiness so they can look all sweet and caring??? They have to know how they are.
I took an office job. I, too, got very little training, - made some
[ In Reply To ..]stupid mistakes, but the better paycheck is enough to keep me going in every day. I don't find it that much harder to put on slacks and a blouse instead of jeans and a T-shirt. I vote for staying a while and see if it get better. You can always go back to typing at home if it doesn't work.
advice from the other side of the fence - Maxs mom
[ In Reply To ..]I guess I will be the minority here and say if you hate it, why stay? I'm sure there are other jobs in your city you can apply for that you might be happier with. That being said, I have walked in your shoes. Before becoming an MT, I worked in a doctor's office too. I had the same problems you are having, and let me tell you, it doesn't get better. The nagging office manager will keep nagging no matter what you do. The chaos of working the front desk just isn't worth it.
Other side of the fence - Inquiring minds
[ In Reply To ..]I see your point, I probably wouldn't have taken the job in the first place, which is what I don't get. This person doesn't want to get dressed for work, hates the job and hates her office manager. When applying for jobs, I've usually had a pretty good idea of what my duties were going to be, and I've worked in offices as an MT and been a patient long enough to know how busy that reception desk can get. There are jobs that MTs are better suited for than others, and receptionist may not be one of them. We've all had to deal with difficult managers and difficult coworkers but most of us develop the skills we need to survive in the office. It doesn't look good to tell potential employers that you quit because your manager was on your case, especially in job like reception that requires people skills.
Inquiring Minds - Maxs mom
[ In Reply To ..]I totally agree with you. When I worked as a front desk receptionist, I grew to hate it. I disliked the patients yelling at me about stuff that totally wasn't my fault, the incessant phone ringing, and I could go on....I realized that was something I wasn't cut out for, so I moved on to work doing referrals and test scheduling, which was a bit more low key. There wouldn't be any way in the world I would go back to being a receptionist. I've learned I like working more independently, and if I ever end up not being an MT, I would probably work for a housecleaning service or something that wouldn't put me back in an office situation.
Office Job - krst
[ In Reply To ..]I feel your pain. After 21 yrs. in transcription world, I quit after having neck surgery, just couldn't sit at keyboard all day anymore. Took a job in a clinic as a receptionist. At the mention of "answering phones" on the interview, I really didn't want the job because I knew what that would entail. However, since I had not worked for over 4 months following my surgery, was completely broke, and the fact that they did offer me decent money, I took the job. I hated that job from day one, cried often when I got home, and didn't know how I would last.
It was multi-tasking to the hilt for 5 providers, phones never stopped, faxes never stopped, and the co-workers never stopped complaining, although I did love the doctors. We were consistently understaffed because when they hired someone new to take on the same job I did--there were 5 of us in front office--they never lasted. I never saw anything like it. The stress level and anxiety took its toll on me day by day wearing me down. By the time I got home, I was exhausted and didn't really feel like doing anything. My social life was suffering as was my health and well being.
I stayed at that job for 3-1/2 years, for the last year saving every dime I could so I could quit and take my time to find another job. I finally quit and took a couple months to recoup. I am now back in the job hunt, and believe me not much out there, but I do not regret quitting that job, however, I do not regret the experience I gained from it.
Hang in there and whatever you decide to do, I wish you the best!
Stay or go? - Adjusting
[ In Reply To ..]I took a job (non-MT) at the local community college 18 months ago after doing MT at home for 10 years. I have gotten used to dressing up and going out every day, but I'm still adjusting to the people aspect of my job. I forgot what a mine field working in an office can be, and found out the hard way that you can't really trust people because they often have a hidden agenda. I am learning, but it is so hard. I have good days and bad days. On the plus side, my paycheck is always the same and always on time. However, there are many days when I wish I could stay home and work in my pajamas and not have to deal with the rest of it. I know I was lucky to get out of MT when I did, though, because it doesn't sound like things are getting any better. I think you need to give the new job more time, at least a couple of months, before you make a decision.
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