Very dour medical personnel

debodun

debodun

SF VIP
Location
way upstate in New York, USA
Several of my last medical appointments, I've encountered some very cold individuals. At my cardio's office, the woman that showed me to the exam room and took my statement wasn't the least friendly, very brusque and business-like and never smiled and didn't make any response to my comments only to ask another medical question. It was like taking to a robot.

Yesterday went I went to the ophthalmologist's to make a co-pay for a recent visit, the receptionist was very much the same way. She didn't call me to the window when she was done with the person ahead of me, so I took it on myself to step up. She just stared blankly. I said I was there to make a payment. BLANK STARE. I handed her the check and she laid it down on the counter and made no effort to do anything else. I then said that I wanted a receipt. BLANK STARE. She finally printed one out than handed it to me like it was a huge effort.

What's going on with these seemingly quaalude personality people?
 

Last edited:
I've noticed that with dealing with people, too. The blank stare and face and talking like robots. I don't know what is going on with these people but it's kind of annoying. There are some though, that still act human. At least I hope they all don't turn to stone...😂
 

There's a lot of changes happening in health care. Maybe doctor's offices aren't pleasant places to work anymore. Maybe they're not getting the usual pay increase they expected this year, and maybe they're getting more work while they're not getting more pay.

They should still be kind to medical patients, but maybe they're bummed because the careers they worked to get into aren't looking so good these days.
 
You get all types as there are all types in humanity. And as mentioned, some in low paying jobs are having their own struggles to make ends meet. I am sure you have encountered some very nice people as well. I just had another MRI yesterday and the technician was very friendly. My previous MRI not so much. What matters most is that they do their job correctly.
 
I feel fortunate that when I had 7 weeks of treatment for what was broadly termed "head & neck" cancer, the people in the clinic of all ages were friendly & lighthearted. They walked down the halls, between tasks, joking & laughing. That was agreeable to me. They all treated me well.

I was anemic during part of the treatment, so I spent a total of three days in the nearby hospital. The staff there were great people, but they were more harried & some seemed tired. With many patients crammed in there due to Covid, they were working long shifts. But they related, and I found them pleasant.
 
Medical personnel probably see hundreds of patients a day. It probably gets mind-numbingly routine after a while especially if they have to do the same thing with everyone. Even if they don't really care about individuals, they should act like they do. It makes the patient fell better not to be treated like they're just a slab of meat to make $300 off the insurance company.
 
Last edited:
I have told doctors about their staff on occasion and the doctor has always, I mean always, done something about it. Maybe tell the boss, the doctor?
 
I had a similar experience last week. I was waiting and then called. It took me about 15 seconds to get ready and get up, and she barked my name again. "Coming". Sour look. Get in the intake. "Name". Then got my vitals, like I was a piece of meat. "She be in soon."...OK. what a welcome. It was my first time there. Then the Nurse Practitioner asked me questions from a computer. The computer gave the answers to my problems. She did personalize it a bit, but I don't feel like I visited a medical service facility, I feel like I was another number being checked off. I really do not look forward to going back.
 
Ruthanne said:
I've noticed that with dealing with people, too. The blank stare and face and talking like robots. I don't know what is going on with these people but it's kind of annoying. There are some though, that still act human. At least I hope they all don't turn to stone...😂
Click to expand...
Maybe they're aliens that were born in a pod. They're silently taking over.
body.jpg
 
debodun said:
Several of my last medical appointments, I've encountered some very cold individuals. At my cardio's office, the woman that showed me to the exam room and took my statement wasn't the least friendly, very brusque and business-like and never smiled. it was like taking to a robot.

Yesterday went I went to the ophthalmologist's to make a co-pay for a recent visit, the receptionist was very much the same way. She didn't call me to the window when she was done with the person ahead of me, so I took it on myself to step up. She just stared blankly. I said I was there to make a payment. BLANK STARE. I handed her the check and she laid it down on the counter and made no effort to do anything else. I then said that I wanted a receipt. BLANK STARE. She finally printed one out than handed it to me like it was a huge effort.

What's going on with these seemingly quaalude personality people?
Click to expand...
Sometimes when that happens to me I act like I do not notice their rude behavior and respond back like they had been friendly. Act like they should act whether it snaps them out of it or not......it feels good, not meek.
Quaalude personality...😅
 
Paco Dennis said:
I had a similar experience last week. I was waiting and then called. It took me about 15 seconds to get ready and get up, and she barked my name again. "Coming". Sour look. Get in the intake. "Name". Then got my vitals, like I was a piece of meat. "She be in soon."...OK. what a welcome. It was my first time there. Then the Nurse Practitioner asked me questions from a computer. The computer gave the answers to my problems. She did personalize it a bit, but I don't feel like I visited a medical service facility, I feel like I was another number being checked off. I really do not look forward to going back.
Click to expand...
If you didn't live so far away from my locale, I would say we went to the same doctors.
 
The doctor wants to keep his/her patients, not lose them for non medical reasons. The doctor is the boss of the business and wants things smooth.

You know what I pick up here? Fear. Fear of speaking to the doctor as a human. Fear. Fear of everything. A nation of frightened people is what we've become.

We would rather complain than do something.

As for me maybe I face things on Too Much. Go too far in the other direction. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Maybe I should learn to shut up more; find a balance.
 
debodun said:
Several of my last medical appointments, I've encountered some very cold individuals. At my cardio's office, the woman that showed me to the exam room and took my statement wasn't the least friendly, very brusque and business-like and never smiled. it was like taking to a robot.

Yesterday went I went to the ophthalmologist's to make a co-pay for a recent visit, the receptionist was very much the same way. She didn't call me to the window when she was done with the person ahead of me, so I took it on myself to step up. She just stared blankly. I said I was there to make a payment. BLANK STARE. I handed her the check and she laid it down on the counter and made no effort to do anything else. I then said that I wanted a receipt. BLANK STARE. She finally printed one out than handed it to me like it was a huge effort.

What's going on with these seemingly quaalude personality people?
Click to expand...

Sometimes, when you walk into a dark room, it's up to you to be the light.
 
Welcome to the new 'youth of today'! All raised on cell phones and online contact. They avoid human contact as much as possible, except to mate with one another. Mom's and Dad's wake up and get your kids off their phones...
 
I think several points are discussed here and many young people do Not understand basic smile business etiquette.... or interaction
they live like no one can see them facial expressions/ body language etc ..... yet believe me they are first to be rude in other settings if they think they are not treated nicely.

Doctors offices and any other medical/ dental setting is a BUSINESS..... but people do not like to make complaints or call it out....
it is ok to speak up and most will address staff and give them a chance to improve ...
this is why i think in my area several offices/ clinics all in one system send a survey that has you rate staff on specific points takes 10 minutes to fill these out as they really ask a lot .... never had a bad experience in that system because they will find out if staff acted like was described by OP.
 
I can say that I've had a few disagreeable encounters with medical personnel (doctors included) in my life, but not enough to need the fingers of one hand to count.

In my recent experience, the overwhelming majority have been kind & fully human people. One thing I do is to relate with these individuals humanly... for instance, when they or I first enter the exam room, I might ask this person how his/her day has been going. And usually they'll ask me how mine has been. If there's any ice to break, that seems to break it.

Yes, I have observed how some of the grew-up-wired-online generation can be socially awkward or vacant. But thankfully have encountered little of that at all among medical people in my province.
 
Out of 100% of the medical personnel I have met, a third of them are callous, antisocial, rude people. I don't think it's professional burnout, which is written about a lot. I think they were like that from the beginning.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top