Help Please: Anyone Work in a Doctors Clinic?

[uniquelyme]

So I work in a doctors clinic as a receptionist and I enjoy the work, however, I don’t know if the way that management treats me is typical of a clinic receptionist. This is my first time working in a doctors clinic so I have nothing to compare it to. Management gets very upset at small things. Monthly, we get reports with every single mistake we made that month and we are to correct these mistakes and write a report on what we can do better next time. Things that pop up on these lists range from forgetting to stamp a document “scanned”, to leaving a blank page in the EMR at the end of a scanned document, to marking a payment as paid by “visa” rather than “master card”. The manager goes over each mistake with us. I understand that these mistakes should be pointed out and corrected, but I feel like management gets a little too aggressive about making sure that we make 0 mistakes. We are human after all. My monthly audit pointed out 12 mistakes (none of which were catastrophes) and my manager said that if I make even half this amount of mistakes next month I will be fired because I am “easily replaced”. Is this normal for working as a receptionist in a clinic? If so, I will learn to manage the stress and keep the job I have. If not, I may consider looking for another place to work. I enjoy the work but I feel like the management of the clinic may not be the type of managers I’d like to have if possible. I’d really appreciate any advice. Thank you. 

[facet]

.

[SneezeManDE]

1 hour ago, facet said:

I mean, I don't think any of us can tell you whether you should keep a job or not, but if you're getting bad vibes this early on, it's probably not a great sign. Anywhere that tells you that you're expendable (even if it's true) is a major red flag. Imagine if you had a romantic partner that said that to you. Like... nah, mate.

That's just my point of view, and again, I am in no position whatsoever to tell you how to live your life

I agree. Do what you feel is right. All jobs have good and bad aspects, but you have to decide if the bad are worth putting upwith. I havent worked in a clinic or any medical environment, so i dont know if thats common or anything, but i know i personally wouldnt be able to work effectively in that kind of environment.

[murphy dee]

I can't think of anyone I know who's ever had to deal with something like that before. To get a big print-out of all your mistakes and being asked to write a report about what you'll do about it AND to get a talking-to from a manager?? And then to tell you right to your face that you'll get fired if you mess up again... that really breeds a stressful, unpleasant work environment. I could understand if you were a nurse and they'd want to make sure you were administering correct medication and taking correct notes, but to accidentally mark something Visa when it's Mastercard is so small potatoes (especially when anyone familiar with credit cards can look at the number and know right away which type it is).

Also aren't you new?? To expect someone new to the job to make only a handful of mistakes a month is completely ridiculous. I'm a receptionist too (for a music school) and I've been working there over a year now and I make at least 2 or 3 mistakes a week if not more.

Honestly, I say stick it out at least until you get another one of those mistake reports. If you flunk it and they fire you, at least you've been earning a paycheck up until then. If you do better, hooray! During this next month, though, definitely be searching for job alternatives just to have something to fall back on in case they let you go or you decide the job isn't worth the stress and ugly attitude from management. If you just quit without another job lined up it might be a while until you get paid again.

[uniquelyme]

Thanks so much for your comments and advice guys! It really helps. This wasn’t my first red flag that this job might be a little messed up either. When I was hired I was told that I was hired although I had no experience because they wanted to “train someone fresh who didn’t already have an idea of how their workflow should go.” but now I suspect maybe they wanted someone who had no basis of comparison to what an acceptable clinical work environment is. Of the five years that the clinic has been open, the longest employee (not including the owner who is also the manager) lasted a total of 6 months. Not a great sign. 

@facet I completely agree; I don’t see it as productive to play mind games with employees like that. Thanks for your concern about not wanting to influence this big  decision. Don’t worry though; I wouldn’t of asked if I didn’t already have my mind halfway made up. I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t mentally overreacting. Your advice really helps. 

@SneezeManDE Thank you for your input! Its really reassuring to know that I’m not the only one who’d feel uncomfortable in this work environment. Asking around here as well as through other networks Ive seen a lot of the same opinion- apparently this isn’t typical. 

@murphy dee Thank you for your comment as well! I’m really glad I’m not the only one who thought the print out, report, and 40-minute lecture was excessive. To make it worse, I was supposed to get off at 2:00 and had told my husband who is deployed that he could take his 10 minute phone call for the week to call me then. When he called at 2:00 my manager was still talking to me and despite the situation did not allow me to take the call. Its really reassuring to know that you, being a long-term receptionist, also makes mistakes every so often and have a work place thats tolerant of that. I am applying for other positions in the hopes that by the time I am likely fired I will have something to fall back on. As much as I hate being treated this way I still need to get a paycheck somehow. Your advice really helps.

Thank you so much those who commented; it means a lot. If anyone else has any input they’d like to give I’d love to hear from you; the more opinions the better! <3 

 

[SleepingPhlox]

I've never worked in a doctors office and I can kinda imagine that that sort of place would run a tighter ship than any other office but what you're describing is simply an incompetent management style.  Your manager sucks and has no clue how to manage staff.

Yeah sure they can keep filling the role to replace the oh so replaceable staff...and keep wasting valuable time training new staff constantly instead of having a long term knowledgeable employee.

Definitely be on the lookout for an opportunity to jump ship as soon as you can.  This is 100% their problem but it has the potential to really wear you down and affect your mental health if it goes on too long.

[Vetinari]

On 2/4/2018 at 3:52 AM, uniquelyme said:

I will be fired because I am “easily replaced”.

This is all you need to know. They are telling you they do not value you and never will. A really good receptionist is a valuable asset to any workplace, but especially in a clinic. If you have experience, your chances of getting another job have increased. Good employers value their staff and treat them with respect.

I agree with those who say look for somewhere else.