The weakest link.http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2171259283937982137

I have mentioned this woman before ... but this was the last straw.
It's eight months down the line, and well to be honest, I'm feeling more despondent than ever. The more exposure I get to them, the more wary I am of my new colleagues. Often I wonder if they feel the same way...
Making new acquiantances is like a walk in the park for me, making true friends on the other hand takes me years and years. It's how I am, and although it makes a quick settle quite difficult, it's a trait I don't think I could change even if I tried.
So although I walk solo, I still try to do my job to the best of my ability. I often feel as though I'm being "checked out", which makes me even more determined to be the best. I don't lower my standards, or settle for second best, or allow anyone to cloud my judgement. And I can be quite painful about perfection when the need arises.
Yesterday was a public holiday. I was on call. At 9am I got a call for an emergency c/section. By 9:30 I was scrubbed and in the process of doing the spinal, when my mobile rang ... twice in succession I might add.
It's a common occurence in the medical profession to "have your hands full" or your "mind full" for that matter. Thus being unable to answer calls.
I was just pulling off my gloves after settling the patient, probably about 5 minutes after the missed calls, when my phone rang again.
This time, I could answer. An extremely distraught and irrate colleague wanted to know where the hell I was. He had been called by an even more distraught receptionist claiming that the anaesthetist on call had gone AWOL. The best is that she'd even called the "head" anaesthetist, (who had taken a much needed weekend away with her family, and thus been rudely awakened), as well as my home ... only to be told that I was at work. Still no warning bells went off in her empty mind.
Anyone who knows me, knows that I'm never late for work, especially not for emergencies. The fact that there was even the need for me to explain myself out this ludicrous misunderstanding, really pissed me off. When he finally got the message, and realised that I wasn't lazing around, and "frolicking on some beach", but actually at work all along, he calmed down.
But for me, the damage had been done. Everyone had doubted me ... everyone had taken the word of the thickest, most incompetent, receptionist to ever walk the face of the earth. Perhaps for the first time since joining their workforce, I know where I stand.
I'm good enough to work through the night - no complaints. I'm good enough to do all those patients nobody else wants to touch. I'm good enough to dope for all those surgeons that nobody else wants to work with. I'm good enough to help out when others are tired.
I'm also good enough to be judged first, and questioned later.
It's true what they say about the strength of a chain ... one weak link and you're screwed.
Seems it really is each man for himself, after all.