Today is the last day for the The Other Psychiatrist. I don’t know why he is leaving. After meeting him in the interviewing process I never saw him again. He was scheduled to work in the PHX office on the days I was at MESA. This makes sense but it meant I never interacted with him. That’s too bad and now he is leaving. People come and go so quickly here. The Overlords had plans to expand services somewhat based on having him around; I wonder if these proposals are aborted.
I am peeved with the staff at the MESA office. Compared to the PHX office, it is a smaller space with more staff who sit closer to each other. I am only one of two people who regularly wear masks at work. Last Friday, when I was working in PHX, I was told many in MESA went off sick with something. Of course I am thinking covid. I am scheduled to work there tomorrow and I am half-tempted to work from home. You bet your flaming knickers I am keeping my mask on.
Technically what I am doing isn’t therapy but what do should always be therapeutic. I carry around in my head a handful of quick-to-say-I-hope-this-sticks statements that I give onto the med-check folks who could use some counseling. My latest one:
“Between the stimulus and your response is your humanity.”
This captures the sage advice not to immediately act on quickly-erupted emotions but to pause/think/evaluate before saying or doing anything foolish or regrettable. Indeed, most counseling is trying to convey this in some form or another. It may also result in something noble. No one can be judged for instantly feeling the impulse to run away, but maybe you will not do so but stay where you are to help others.
Another at-work item: I am about to take my first holiday and not lose income for doing so. The proviso at work has always been I can take off as much time as I wish but I won’t get paid for it. I know this is a factor towards me not taking time off when I should. Now I have two weeks paid vacation. Hot puppies! I will still have to call in/get messages/renew prescriptions etc. That hasn’t changed. I hope in time it will.
Spo-Reflections 
27 comments
July 26, 2022 at 3:23 AM
DwightW.
Paid Holidays are always nice . In my first job out of school I had thirty days of paid vacation and 5 days funded continuing education. It was a Federal job and everything went down hill from there . I think you have it right , make the bitches do the right thing but be nice about it (bitches not used in a misogynistic way)
July 26, 2022 at 6:50 AM
Linda Practical Parsimony
You cannot say something and try to make it less offensive by a disclaimer.
July 26, 2022 at 7:19 AM
Urspo
Indeed.
July 26, 2022 at 3:05 PM
DwightW.
Lecture me all day, It was a poor choice of words , but we are as always talking about the shadow areas of the Docs life not really knowing the specifics . To me all people causing a possible health crisis are bitches be they male or female. Maybe you should be more parsimonious in your criticism of me since you don’t know me from Jack.
July 26, 2022 at 4:42 PM
Linda Practical Parsimony
I will refrain from explaining it to you, but when you refer to me, call me Ms. Bitch. Thank you.
July 26, 2022 at 10:31 PM
DwightW.
We can debate all day “ in gay speak”, bitches doesn’t have a gender . I don’t think this is an exclusively gay blog, so thus my disclaimer! Peace to you!
July 31, 2022 at 3:53 PM
Sassybear
One of the few perks of being a civil servant is getting paid vacation. If I list pay every time I missed a day, I’d never take a day off. What a cruel system,
July 26, 2022 at 7:18 AM
Urspo
Happily I do not work with nasty people. All matters are processed with amiable interactions. What a relief this is to have a good boss.
July 26, 2022 at 3:28 AM
David Godfrey
It has taken me years to learn to leave the angry email in the draft box overnight and see how I feel in the morning. Recently I sent an email that said, I need to remain calm and think, we can work on this tomorrow.
July 26, 2022 at 7:20 AM
Urspo
I too have learned not to write a progress note on an interaction that left me disturbed. I wait until later after I have calmed down.
July 26, 2022 at 5:57 AM
BadNoteB
LOML works in an environment similar to your Mesa office in regard to post-pandemic Covid behaviors. Masks no longer mandatory, the only employees seeming to care about Covid safety protocols are within 10 years of AARP membership eligibility while the younger generation increasingly views the 5-day quarantine requirement as the latest gimmick for abuse of sick leave as paid vacation time at home. Not a week passes where we aren’t forced to engage in Covid Roulette, as we share 15 minutes of angst, hoping our personal lives won’t be disrupted by a positive result from his employer provided home test kit.
I spent most of yesterday morning in the waiting room of a renowned West coast medical teaching/research institution where patients are accepted on a physician-referral basis and, presumably, health compromised in a potentially serious manner. The lobby of the facility was decorated with posters encouraging Covid safety behaviors, hand sanitizer dispensers, and well-stocked bins of complimentary masks. It was appalling to observe the number of patients and accompanying family members passing through this area yet approaching the patient reception desk with unmasked faces. Staff was well-trained in compliance enforcement but I couldn’t help marveling at the capacity for stupid so eloquently displayed by these idiots.
Loved your creative phrasing of the “Think twice, speak once” adage. It provides a nice reveal of the rationale behind the advice. Like David, it took years for me to learn to sleep on the poison pen memos, giving time for emotion to settle so that wisdom might prevail. Unfortunately, that seems to be something that tends to develop with age.
July 26, 2022 at 7:21 AM
Urspo
There were so many problems that were revealed through the pandemic, one of them was an unclarity of rules but more important people were afraid to speak up to enforce the rules, lest people became upset etc. So people ended up doing what they wanted – and learned they can get away with things as no one will speak up. Bad.
July 26, 2022 at 6:59 AM
Linda Practical Parsimony
Tommy has never learned to take even a second before he explodes at me, saying nasty things. I just say nasty things in my head. He says I want to appear “so good.” ???
July 26, 2022 at 7:22 AM
Urspo
Yikes! That ain’t good. And good for you for not responding like with like. My family matriarchs would be proud at your dignity.
July 26, 2022 at 7:34 AM
Glenda
it’s too bad your other doc quit. why take a job if you won’t invest the time to try to make it work? It seems a mean attitude toward the patients. Will you now have to take them? I guess it was one of those too good to be true things
July 26, 2022 at 7:46 AM
Urspo
I do not know why my place of employment has challenges to keep folks. I suspect mostly it is money viz. they can earn more elsewhere. Just a theory.
Every time a prescriber (MDs/RNs) leave I often pick up their left-behinds. Presently there are two RNs working; perhaps the doctor’s patients will go to them rather (more openings perhaps).
July 26, 2022 at 9:28 AM
Old Lurker
Grr to the Mesa staff. Maybe they didn’t deserve homemade chocolate chip cookies after all.
Think before I act? There’s no time for that! One has to run just to keep up, so be decisive and go with your gut! In other news, I wonder why my life is such a mess?
July 26, 2022 at 11:25 AM
Urspo
#1: you have a nice sense of humor.
#2: our gut instinct must always be checked to see if it is right.
#3: Few at MESA eat what is brought in so what cookies I make go to PHX
July 26, 2022 at 9:29 AM
Robzilla, Native Of Slam Diego
Paid holidays are nice. I’m off one one today as a matter of fact. I did all of my errands on Sunday and Monday, so I can literally do whatever I want all day long. Please do the same.
About the turnover thing… something is definitely up. It could be the pay, the coworkers, or maybe the commute to the office? With the way rents are everywhere, it could be a combination of all of the above that’s causing the turnover.
July 26, 2022 at 11:27 AM
Urspo
The few I have talked to about ‘why are they leaving” have the common theme they can be paid better elsewhere. There isn’t anyone nasty here, an the bosses are accommodating, so it is the money until proven otherwise.
July 26, 2022 at 1:58 PM
Old Lurker
You know, it was a real mystery to me why the Other Psychiatrist would have left. But learning that you and he traded off locations is enlightening. Just imagine having to go through the following conversation multiple times a day with patients:
“Who are you?”
“I am your psychiatrist for today.”
“What happened to the handsome one? I liked him. Even when he was telling me nonsense about waiting before acting I could let my mind wander and ogle him for a while.”
“He’s still here. We trade off locations during the week.”
“Okay, I guess. Can you make sure I am scheduled with him next session?”
No doubt the pay considerations were also a factor, but playing second fiddle session after session surely couldn’t be good for one’s self-image.
July 26, 2022 at 7:17 PM
Urspo
I just had a look see at my schedule for tomorrow; on it I see I am seeing one of his patients. Once again I get the ‘dumps’ as it were. This burns my bacon some. It is the lack of mention that upsets me.
July 26, 2022 at 8:31 PM
Old Lurker
Oh dear. I’m sorry you patients dumped on you, and I hope the transition is smooth.
July 26, 2022 at 2:21 PM
Debbie W.
Paid time off is necessary for one and all, but especially for those in the “helping” professions. You need a chance to recharge, reboot, or whatever, without being concerned about lack of income. Meanwhile, those are very wise words about waiting before saying or doing something regrettable. I shall add those words to a little notebook I keep on hand for such helpful adages. Many thanks.
July 26, 2022 at 7:18 PM
Urspo
you are most welcome.
“When in doubt, don’t” is still a good rule to consider for the immediate decisions we face.
July 26, 2022 at 8:40 PM
Richard Portman
Off topic, but i want to mention that the monsoon rains are making a guest appearance. So refreshing. It has been so dry, even the nopal and tough old trees and bushes were dying.
In these parts, nothing is so discouraging as a drought and a heatwave. So we are good for now, and it might possibly rain again a few more times.
July 27, 2022 at 5:55 AM
Urspo
Today is overcast, cloudy – I love it so!