Geelong is currently suffering a shortage of general practitioners. About 40, I hear. And with Deakin’s new medical school just around the corner, we’re still nine years away from getting fresh new doctors, and that’s assuming they want to become G.P.’s and wish to work around here at all.

As a medical receptionist, currently working in Geelong, I can say the following:

We’ve closed our books. That means, NO more new patients. Except for one exception, if you’re new to this area and your post code is 3216, Dr. Notini will see you.

Why have we closed our books? Because Dr. Notini and Dr. Cummins work 16 hour days five days a week and then some on the week-end. Dr. Notini’s regulars have to wait a minimum of a week to be seen if they’re unwell, Dr. Cummins’ have to wait upward of a month. With 2,000 patients each to look after (that’s double the amount G.P.’s are supposed to have), it makes juggling the regulars with the severely sick quite difficult here, at the front desk. But it’s a good challenge, I enjoy it!

What I don’t like is when snot-nosed punks guilt trip me to the point where I’m trembling and crying because I have to say no to them. And I’m not rude. I don’t talk down to people.  I recommend other doctors they can call and I give them phone numbers for those doctors. I apologise for not being able to help them more and I wish them good luck before I say farewell. I’m doing my job. Mum and dad are doing thier jobs. Every receptionist and G.P. is doing his or her job to do the best they can and there are only so many hours in a day.

And people out there have the audacity to blame ME for not being seen?

It’s not my fault your grandfather died. It’s not my fault your grandfather spoke both English and Italian and translated for your grandmother who only speaks Italian. It’s not my fault your grandmother can’t understand her English speaking doctor. It’s not my fault that YOU now have to cater for her needs and that YOU don’t speak Italian. It’s not my fault that G.P.’s throughout the Geelong region have closed thier books. It’s not my fault that you live in Geelong West.

Whoever you were that called me today, how dare you. How dare you speak to a stranger so horribly. I did all that I could. I gave you a number to a doctor that lives closer to your grandmother than anyone here does, that also speaks Italian. And you talk to me like I’m this heartless bitch who doesn’t give a shit about you or your grandmother. I did  the best that I could.

No one deserves to be talked to like that.

I understand that you’re scared and worried about what to do and with every receptionist who says “sorry, we’ve closed our books” you take it just a little more personally. It’s no ones fault. I heard how upset you were. But you have no right to take it out on me.

You rude, guilt-tripping, talk-to-me-like-I’m-a-dog-from-the-safety-and-anonymity-of -your-phone f*cwit.

WHOAH! I got really angry there, didn’t I? Got it off my chest though. Probably a healthy thing to do.