- Joined
- May 9, 2008
- Messages
- 50
- Reaction score
- 3
So on the first day of my clerkship, my classmates and I meet the secretary of the department. She is very friendly and helpful, but most of all talkative. She says, with a smile on her face the whole time, how unsatisfactory the current medical students are (who are from another medical school), and she gives anecdotes about how stupid and bad they are. We all laugh.
Fast forward to today. I now realize that those same medical students are actually good, hardworking people. That should have been a warning sign that this secretary acts like she is so friendly but is actually vengeful, and she talks crap about you behind your back.
The other day I missed a lecture because I was doing rounds with an attending, and didn't know about the lecture until too late. The residents don't care, and the attending who gave the lecture doesn't care, but the secretary DOES care. I think she takes it personally when you miss one of the lectures, regardless of your excuse. She has actually said that she will go down to the OR to pull you out of a surgery if there is a lecture scheduled. She really doesn't care about an excuse.
She has particular high access to the clerkship director, who doesn't get out much. I am worried that she will talk behind my back negatively about me with him, which affects my grade.
I went to apologize to her the day after. She kind of deflected it and passive aggressively denigrated me, avoiding eye contact and smiling while looking away.
How can I fix this? Is it even possible to repair this damage? Maybe I can bring some sort of pastry for the department. It sure is frustrating to deal with a person as childish and petty as this secretary.
Fast forward to today. I now realize that those same medical students are actually good, hardworking people. That should have been a warning sign that this secretary acts like she is so friendly but is actually vengeful, and she talks crap about you behind your back.
The other day I missed a lecture because I was doing rounds with an attending, and didn't know about the lecture until too late. The residents don't care, and the attending who gave the lecture doesn't care, but the secretary DOES care. I think she takes it personally when you miss one of the lectures, regardless of your excuse. She has actually said that she will go down to the OR to pull you out of a surgery if there is a lecture scheduled. She really doesn't care about an excuse.
She has particular high access to the clerkship director, who doesn't get out much. I am worried that she will talk behind my back negatively about me with him, which affects my grade.
I went to apologize to her the day after. She kind of deflected it and passive aggressively denigrated me, avoiding eye contact and smiling while looking away.
How can I fix this? Is it even possible to repair this damage? Maybe I can bring some sort of pastry for the department. It sure is frustrating to deal with a person as childish and petty as this secretary.