A blip on the radar of life

It's a blip on the radar of life. It may seem like a small one, but for someone who is trying to get her life back on track, it could have been momentous.

For the past month and a bit I've been in training for two jobs. One is as a scheduler for a health care company sending out nurses and PSWs into people's houses. The other was as a medical office admin at a medical centre/walk-in clinic. I was hired at both (part-time), or so I thought.

The health care coordinator position is going well. I've learned so much and seen my confidence build. It was what was needed after a long road of obstacles and battles. The medical office gig was an exercise in futility. I had 36 hours of training over four days, and I was getting better, faster, more confident. That confidence was potentially shattered after finding out that a) the training was unpaid; and b) after a short training session, I was told that I was not yet fast enough to handle the plethora of patients on my own. I countered that remark by saying that I felt I would get faster with a little bit more time to learn the ropes - a new computer system, new procedures and the exact way the doctors and the managers liked for the work to be done. I filed, I billed, I directed patients to the appropriate rooms, I handled calls, I handled patients, all with a smile and the intent to do better and better. I was a hard worker who deserved more of a chance. Unfortunately, not everyone saw the potential that I saw in myself. In three days, I learned the inner workings of a very busy clinic. I managed people's case files and billed the services to OHIP, insurance companies and individuals. I mastered a very full paper filing system.I booked and confirmed appointments, sent out results and updated patients' health records. I learned a lot, and for that I will be forever grateful.

I was not grateful, however, for the lack of professionalism shown by the manager who could not give me a straight answer and who decided that I didn't deserve a return phone call or email when it came to making a final decision on whether I was to remain permanent or be on my way. I know the no answer approach was the answer, but I had hoped for a bit more class, and a chance to prove myself.

What I came to realize is that I wasn't getting the chance no matter what I did, whether it was to work faster, ask more questions or not be tired after a 10-hour day with a 10-minute break. It was unfair, but life is unfair and I can't expect everyone to uphold the rules that I live by: to be upfront and honest, and to offer professional courtesy even to someone just starting out. It's 36 hours I could have spent securing better employment, and 36 hours to which I was entitled to some payment for my work. And work, I did.

It could have been a huge setback for me mentally. Thankfully, it was just a small blip, and I remind myself that this was not a place I'd like to work anyways, a place where communication is not respected or practiced. Now I'm onto better and brighter opportunities, but I still have that worry in the back of my mind. I don't think it will ever go away, but at least I'm working on it.