please treat us like crap cause we're from other countries
I had the most terrible experience today. It starts with your usual stressful week at work and your everyday being screwed over by the University of Maryland. I needed to get a copy of these forms, but people keep sending me different places, bla bla bla bla. You know. So by today, I thought everything was straightened out, and I had an appointment at 1:40 to get a TB test at (dun dun duuuuunnn)...the Health Center.
There are a few places in which I have chosen to never set foot. The Health Center, Abercrombie and Fitch...you know me, I just love to be anti-stuff. But alas, when you can't take off work to go all the way home, you gotta do what you gotta do. In the midst of training my replacement in this last hectic week, however, I lost track of time. I got to the Health Center 15 minutes late.
I asked the lady at the front desk if I could still get it done, and she said they finish that at 2:00. But she called downstairs to see if they could fit me in with the international students. They said yes, so I went downstairs.
It was ridiculous. Tons of people in really long lines. So I explained my situ at one desk and got sent to wait in a line for another desk, where 2 ladies sat. One of them was pretty nice but still talking all loud and slow to make sure people could understand her. I wanted to hit the other one. She was so rude!!! Helloooooo! Did you fill this form out yet!? Why not!? I told you you had to fill it out or I can't help you. Sit there and wait for your name to be called. No, you can't go there yet! Aaah, I felt like I was in Ellis Island! And all these people were trying to come in and comply with what they're told, but it's so freakin complicated, and even if they speak pretty good English people are still just hostile to them!
There was one girl who turned in some form, and the nicer lady handed it back to her.
lady: This was completed in 94. It needs to be done in the past 12 months.
girl: It was. In Taiwan, the year 94 is 2005.
lady: Well I can give you a new one to be completed for $60 or you need to get this translated by a doctor.
Okay...she's from Taiwan. Where's she gonna find a doctor? You're the Health Center; you are her doctor. Aaaah, it was driving me crazy. They just turned her away and then what?
So then when I was almost at the front of the line, a bunch of us found out we were in the wrong line, and we had to go to an even longer line first. Since my situ was different than everyone else's, I asked the nicer lady if that was still the line I should be in. We can't possibly fit you in. Do you see all these people? This is for international students only.
So I left. I'm not sure why they said they could fit me in since they obviously couldn't. I seriously almost started crying. I was frustrated that things didn't work out for me, but mostly I just felt all gross for stumbling across the Ellis Island of College Park in the basement of the Health Center and terrible for the people stuck down there.
I just wish that for a minute I was a Taiwanese doctor.
posted by Änna @ 12:04 AM
3 Comments:
Ohh the Health Center makes me so mad! Last semester, I had the sinus infection to rule all sinus infections. I head over to the HC for some penicillin or SOMETHING so I could breathe. I try to call ahead, but no one answers. The woman at the desk berates me for not calling ahead. The nurse expresses total disgust when she looks down my throat and prescribes 5 different medicines. I wait for THREE HOURS to have the prescriptions filled. Finally, after passing over me twice, my order is ready. Except that it costs almost $400. Which I do not have.
"But what about my prescription card?" I wheeze.
"That's an insurance card," says the 'pharmacist.'
"Yes, but I have a prescription plan attached to my insurance."
"No, THIS IS AN INSURANCE CARD."
*repeat dialoge 3 times*
"I know.. but.. I'm sick." (I can barely stand up at this point.)
Long story short, I have to overdraft my check card and pay a fine. TWO WEEKS later, the Health Center finally sends my forms to the insurance company and it's all reduced to $30.
HEALTH CENTER BE DAMNED! I'M MOVING TO CANADA FOR THE UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE!
- Emily
Not to defend the Health Center, which seems a step below public high school clinics, but it might help to consider the amount of stress that those workers are under at the current moment.
They've got a ton of people to deal with and even more paperwork that has to be done in the weeks leading up to the start of school. Of course that's their job and they should be doing everything they can to make the experience efficient and as enjoyable as possible, but we also have to understand that they're only human and they have strict rules and regulations that they have to follow or they get sued out the wazoo (thanks in part to our government and "privacy" concerns.)
We shouldn't automatically blame the people involved in the bad experience without first considering where they're coming from, the stresses their under, and the requirements they have to meet to keep their job. (That's the compassionate way to handle it, right?)
We can't just leave that sort of situation thinking, "Wow those people were jerks and I was totally right in that situation."
Again, the Health Center certainly has it's share of problems and I'm not trying to defend the workers' actions -- because I don't doubt they were exceedingly rude and unhelpful -- I just think it's a good idea to consider their position, too.
As far as Emily's idea, I guess if you're interested in waiting obscene amounts of time for basic procedures and for getting mediocre (at best) health care, you could go to Canada.
True, they are under a lot of stress. To which I say...so what?
If you're in the health care profession, your job is stress. That doesn't mean you're allowed to give attitude to/yell at international students who are also under a lot of stress.
My job is stressful. I can still manage to be kind to people...even when they poop on my floor, break their contract, and blatantly ignore me. Not because I'm amazing, but because when your job is to help people, the simplest way to start is by not being a jerk. It amazes me how many people in customer service fail to realize this.
The one lady managed to give people a decent amount of respect; why couldn't the other one?
And as for Canada...uuh, I know nothing, so the 2 of you can talk amongst yourselves.
Post a Comment
<< Home