Things I've learned working at the OBGYNs office this week...
Heather661
member
So, I just got a job as a Medical receptionist at an OBGYNs office. Let me tell you, it has been an eye opener!! Here are some things I have learned this week (and mind you, this is from what I know in my office, but I'm pretty sure it is considered "normal" - so take it for what it is :-) :
1. 9 times out of 10, there are almost ALWAYS appts, availb the SAME day or next day, even for simple things like an annual appt or other problem. I have sched. patients for same day appts. for really simple things, as long as there is room. Emergencies are always taken right away.
2. The 3 OBs I work for, they sched. appts every 15-30 mins, and these are usually "double booked" - meaning, every 15-30 mins, there are 2 patients with the same appt time.
3. We do not take you back in the order of your appt. We take you in the order you arrived. So, a note to self, if you want, show up earlier than your appt. It MAY speed things along. Best suggestion: Get the earliest appt as possible (9am is our starting time) and show up at 830. Most likely, you would be the first person to be seen, even if the dr, is double or triple booked.
4. The receptionists CAN NOT give you advice or tests results. Nor can we tell you if you need to come in or not. (with the exception of if you call to tell us you are on the way to the hospital to have a baby or are going because of an emergency situation).
5. Mondays, Thurs and Fridays are the BUSIEST days....
6. We really do try out best to get you to the nurse if you have questions, but depending on how many nurses the office has, determines how quick they get back to you. Not only are they answering patient questions, they are also calling patients back for weight, blood pressure etc.
7. My drs. office sees patients soon as possible after a positive HPT. They dont make them wait 6, 8, or 10 weeks. They try to bring them in right away. I wish my OB dr did that :-/ I had to wait until 8 weeks.
8. We try to keep things moving as quickly as possible for the patients - we check you in, verify your info, give charts to the nurse/dr,, then we check you out, call to verify ins (if we havent before you came in), take phone calls (including messages for the nurses and drs.), answer calls from the hospital for patient info that they need, sched patients who call in for new appointments etc, We do a LOT on the front side of the office, and we try REALLY hard to make it go quickly - however, please please dont get mad at us :-( we can only go as fast as the Drs see patients...
9. Scrubs are the MOST unflattering and boxy/baggy articles of clothing created. Ever. On the plus side, they hide my baby bump :-) I still have NOT told them I am pregnant - Im still in my 90 days, and going to see just how far I can push it...I figure someone will figure it out, and if they ask, I'll tell them...
10. It is AWESOME working for an OBGYN - already this week I have learned how to read HCG blood levels, whats included in blood panel tests and how to read pap smears. I've also seen tons of sono pics of all sorts of random stuff...
11. One more thing, the Nurse Practitioner, is, in my experience (both in my office and where I go) more thorough and MOST likely they wont have as many appts. as the Drs. but are JUST as efficient.
So, thats it for now... :-) if you have a question, maybe I can answer it!
"Doctors are sadists who like to play God and watch lesser people scream." ~ From Juno
Re: Things I've learned working at the OBGYNs office this week...
Yea, its illigal for them to ask, but eventually I will be very obviously pregnant - I figure someone will say, "oh, I didint know you were pregnant! When are you due!" When they ask, I'll tell them...it will get around eventually...I just didnt want to tell them during the interview because I was afraid of not getting the job...but im just really going above and beyond with the job, being super helpful and stuff,,,so far have been getting rave reviews, so, they shouldnt have too much of a problem with it...but, GA is an at will state, and pregnant or not, if they wanted to fire me, they can...no reason needed...Dont think that would happen but, covering my butt anyway :-)
"Doctors are sadists who like to play God and watch lesser people scream." ~ From Juno
Our CEO told everyone at his birthday party about me being pregnant even after I told him and my supervisor that I wanted to wait. Some people are idiots.
THIS! Def Not the case for all offices - just the one I work in - So please, everyone, dont assume your office is the same :-) Just shared what I've seen this week :-)
"Doctors are sadists who like to play God and watch lesser people scream." ~ From Juno
I was going on job interviews earlier in my pregnancy and actually had one interviewer say "we normally hire girls your age but every time we do she ends up getting pregnant". I was only like 10 weeks along and I couldn't belieive that he said that out loud.
When I was hired (at another company) they fired me a week later because my prenatal appointment interfered with my work schedule. Of coarse, hey just said that "I wasn't putting my best foot forward". They knew I was pregnant before they hired me.
Sooooo illegal, but what can you do?