Episode Transcript
[00:00:01] Lizbeth Marquez: If you ever left work and immediately had to text somebody like yo, you're not going to believe this. This podcast is for you. Welcome to Work Drama, the podcast where we unpack workplace stories people whisper about trauma, bond over and still think about years later.
I'm Lizbeth. I come from the medical world so I'm here to bring context, logic, and the questions people should have asked before someone hit reply all.
I left my in person job for remote work and realized something real quick. I don't miss the commute, but I definitely miss the Dr.
So we fixed that. Sharon may be out of the office today, but don't worry, I brought in a special guest to help unpack today's mess. With a fresh perspective, we'll be breaking down anonymized stories from offices, hospitals, and everywhere in between, calling out the nonsense, reacting in real time, and figuring out if something was actually toxic or just wildly mishandled names changed, jobs protected, opinions very much included. And for legality purposes. This is not legal advice. Alright, work bestie, let's get into it.
Picture this. You're new to the field, you're learning. You show up, you do the work, you keep your head down.
And every week another meeting, another correction, another thing you did wrong delivered at the worst possible moment. And somewhere in the back of your mind you start asking yourself, is this how it works here? Or is it something else going on?
And then one afternoon, something happens in the hallway that turns a management problem into a patient problem. And suddenly it's not about the meetings anym.
[00:01:35] Dr. Darian: Hey work besties.
[00:01:37] Lizbeth Marquez: Liz here. Sharon is out of the office today, but don't worry, I did not come alone. And honestly, today's guest might be one of my favorite bookings yet. And I'll tell you why in a second. I found her on TikTok, which if you're not on her page yet, go fix that. Right now. She's at Dr.
Queend and I'll put that in the show notes. And what she's building over there is something really special. Now let me just read to you her intro because I want to make sure I get this right. Dr. Darian Dozier is a resident physician working to become a cardiologist. However, in her free time she has grown a modest social media presence. She hopes to be a big sister, mentor, friend, and everything in between, which I absolutely love. Her content covers a variety of topics from how to get into medicine to how to live your best life outside of work and everything in between. So work besties, please welcome Dr. Darian Doger.
[00:02:29] Dr. Darian: Hi.
Thank you for having me.
[00:02:31] Lizbeth Marquez: Of course. Thank you for kind of like answering or responding to my comment and being like, yeah, I'm down. Because I was like, oh my God, you don't know how excited I got. I was like, yay. Like a real.
I mean, not that my other guests weren't real, obviously, but just like, I can build this.
[00:02:46] Dr. Darian: Yeah. Around you.
[00:02:46] Lizbeth Marquez: Right. And like, sort of thing and really get your perspective. Because I like the. The post that I found was you were talking about kind of like office politics and stuff. I'm like, oh, this is perfect.
[00:02:55] Dr. Darian: Yeah.
[00:02:55] Lizbeth Marquez: I related a little bit about you, about kind of how you landed with like the TikTok page so that our work besties can hear a little bit about you.
[00:03:04] Dr. Darian: Yeah. So I grew up in Kansas City, was there for pretty much my whole life. Then I went to Tulsa River College, and then I went down to Houston, Texas for med school. So kind of just made my way down south and then returned back to Kansas City for residency. So that's what I'm doing now.
You know, TikTok is so funny because during the pandemic. Well, even before the pandemic, it was kind of like this like, silly little app that was made for like Gen Z. And so I was like, no, I have a functioning brain. I don't need Tik tok, you know. Right. All of the stereotypes that go along with it. And during my first couple years of med school, I was really trying to like, build a social media presence because I created this blog called Melanated and Educated. And I was like, the best way to get this out there is to kind of like blow up on social media. So that's what I spent a lot of the pandemic doing, just trying to build that website.
And then once I started med school, like, obviously I got pretty busy, but was still trying to grow that presence. And like my third year of med school, I just started taking it really seriously and just trying to post. And you kind of have to get through that grind of having like one or two likes.
[00:04:14] Lizbeth Marquez: Yeah, yeah.
[00:04:15] Dr. Darian: But then, you know, I had a couple videos, 200. And then I had a couple videos that got 600. And when I had a thousand and then like it just kind of slowly kept growing.
And so now I've got, I don't know, I think 77, 7800 followers. It was a grind to get there. But it's nice cuz like this community was specifically curated based on like my journey. So I feel like I have like, really great interactions with a lot of my followers because, like, they're following me specifically for this journey.
[00:04:44] Lizbeth Marquez: Right, true. And so you'll get people that kind of relate to. And the way that your posts are, it's really relatable. Like, it doesn't feel like I'm talking to somebody that is credential wise, out of my league, and I'm just kind of like, don't, can't relate. That's what I really liked about you because I actually also come from the medical field, and there was always that kind of distinction of like, okay, this is the doctor or this is the PA and they're above me. And, like, we don't really hang out kind of thing.
[00:05:06] Dr. Darian: Right.
[00:05:07] Lizbeth Marquez: So I like that relatability, too, that you brought to it. So I think you're doing something.
[00:05:10] Dr. Darian: Yeah, I'm always, like, telling people I'm like, outside of work, like, please call me Daria. I'm like, I'm just a regular person. My job just happens to be doctor. Yeah.
[00:05:20] Lizbeth Marquez: Because you worked hard for that doctor.
[00:05:22] Dr. Darian: I did work hard.
[00:05:24] Lizbeth Marquez: Yeah.
[00:05:24] Dr. Darian: Yeah. I'm like, let's. Let's be relaxed. Let's not be too formal. And also, it's just like, you know, doctor is very serious. It's very serious career. I am not the most serious person. So it's like, outside of work, like, I want to be able to, like, kiki key on TikTok or, like, go out with my friends and my family. I don't want to be, like, relegated to the super serious physician role all the time. So.
[00:05:47] Lizbeth Marquez: So do you want to go just by Darien today?
[00:05:51] Dr. Darian: I thought I'd be great. Are you sure?
[00:05:53] Lizbeth Marquez: Because, I mean, I can.
[00:05:54] Dr. Darian: I'm just like, girl, you said doctor. I would.
I know so many people who are like, I'm never calling you Darian again. I'm like, oh, my God.
Seriously, it's whatever you're comfortable with. It's whatever you're comfortable.
[00:06:08] Lizbeth Marquez: Well, I. I feel like I've already been calling you Dr. Darian. I just like the doctor part of it.
[00:06:12] Dr. Darian: That's gonna be the name of my real. My TV show in the future. So we'll go with Dr. Darian.
[00:06:16] Lizbeth Marquez: Okay, I'm gonna go with Dr. Darian. I just feel like not only disrespectfully, but you worked hard for that. Like, let's. Let's use it.
Well, well, like I said, I come from the medical world as well, but I was a medical assistant, so I worked kind of like, technically under the providers, and. And for a long time for, like, 20 years, honestly. I mean, I started in the medical field when I was 15. Just kind of doing charting and stuff, and then just kind of tried to
[00:06:39] Dr. Darian: work my way up.
[00:06:40] Lizbeth Marquez: Didn't get to where I wanted to. I. I really related to kind of when you had mentioned maybe you can touch on this a little bit on kind of your schooling and how you kind of got the reject.
I tried to become a PA and I went three years of being rejected, basically because I didn't even get an interview.
[00:06:57] Dr. Darian: And it was so hard.
[00:06:58] Lizbeth Marquez: And I was seeing people around me that I actually went to college with that were getting in that.
That I knew. And I saw their grades weren't working as hard as I was. And so it was hard to be like, you know, is it because I'm a minority or is it, like, knowing that I have a grade? I did all these. I had lots of years of medical experience just, like, as a medical assistant, all these things. I tried to build up my resume and application to look really great and didn't get any. It was really toug. So tell me how that felt for you, because I know for me, I went into, like, a mild depression for a couple months because I didn't have a plan.
And so. Yeah, I'm just curious.
[00:07:30] Dr. Darian: Yeah. So I actually, like, I knew I wanted to be a doctor since I was 15. When I went to college, I was under the impression that if I have, like, a bunch of extracurriculars and I was really involved, then that would really help my case because, like, I know they want doctors who have, like, other experiences outside of just being in the classroom and things. So I was very busy in college. I was, like, the women's basketball manager. I was the head manager for my last three years of college. So I pretty much went on every single trip. So between, like, November and March, like, I was missing class like, two or three times a week. And then on top of that was in the sorority. So that took up a lot of my time. I tutored. I. I had probably two or three jobs because I like things. I like to go places, and I needed money.
And so I honestly put my academics on the back burner. Like, I just maintained, like, I always maintained above a 3. 0. I graduated with a 3.
But, like, my science GPA was like, a 2. 9. And, like, science has never really been something that's come particularly easy to me. Like, I've always had to grind a bit extra to, like, really get it and understand it. And at the time, I wanted to be a Psychiatrist. I was like, why do I need all these things? Like, I just need to know the mind. The mind kind of like psychology came really easy to me. And so, yeah, I essentially put my academics on the back burner. And when it came time to apply, I took the mcat, which, you know, is a test to get into med school.
I mean, you want at least a 500, but, like, for most schools you want like a 508, a 510, 515. The highest score is a 525. So I was like, in the middle of that exam, literally breaking down and crying because I was like, I don't know these things. And, like, even preparing for the MCAT was so crazy because I was working a full time job, and so I would literally come home at night and study or like, study on the weekends for like two months. Like, that's what I did during the summer, and I took it at the end of the summer. And that's not how you prepare for the mcat.
Next two times I took it.
That's not what I did. And so I'm ending a disappointment. I'm like, I cannot answer these questions. And then I was like, oh, my gosh, I'm gonna have to take a gap here, and that's gonna push all my plans back. Like, in the middle of the exam, I'm having all these thoughts, and so I. I've never told this story before. This is so funny.
[00:09:47] Lizbeth Marquez: So getting it.
[00:09:52] Dr. Darian: So I am, like, crying, like, in the middle of this exam, I was like, okay, you still have, like three sections left, sister. Like, you gotta get it together. So I give myself a pep talk. The exam. And so when I get my scores, like a month later, I got a 501. So to me, I was kind of like, you know. Yeah, exactly. And I was like, okay, we're just gonna apply. And so I kind of knew, like, I was applying with a prayer in a wish.
And so I could not get an interview either. I got nine straight up no's, and then I got my last one in, like, April. But I kind of had a bit of a backup plan because I was like, okay, if I don't get in, I'll take a year, I'll work, I'll increase my gpa, all that. Jaz and I had already kind of been talking to the head basketball coach about coming on staff after I graduated, blah, blah, blah, blah. So I get my last rejection. I'm kind of relieved because I'm like, okay, at least I know for sure. I'm not going to med school next year, and I can start working on what my next step is. I go and talk to the basketball coach. I'm like, you know, I didn't get in. Like, I have my resume. I'm dressed nice. And she's like, I don't have anything for you. Like, just straight up. Like, we did just have this conversation two weeks ago, and I was like, excuse me.
[00:11:06] Lizbeth Marquez: You know how hard I work.
[00:11:09] Dr. Darian: I think you have nothing. I just need a paid position, like, you know, and I was moving somewhere that was like, the rent was like, 500, so it wasn't anything that was, like, super expensive. So I was like, I just need, like, a little bit of income. I don't need anything, like, egregious. And so she's like, yeah, I have nothing for you. So I go home and I just lay on my bed and stare at the ceiling because I was like, what am I gonna do? Like, I graduate in a month with a psychology degree. Like, what am I gonna do during.
So I literally had, like, I don't know, probably an hour of just, like, despair and, like, just being distraught because I was like, I. I didn't know. And so I kind of just had, like, this little inside pep talk. And I was like, listen, you know what you want to do. You know, you didn't put your best foot forward. So, like, you need to take a year, really grind, really focus on grades and test scores, because that's what they want. You need clinical experience. So, like, you need to find a job that has clinical experience. So it actually kind of worked out that I didn't get hired on with basketball because it would have really busy. I would not have really had time to do any of the clinical stuff. I needed to get in.
And so I applied, applied, applied, applied, applied, ended up getting this job as a behavioral health tech.
Very interesting experience, rewarding experience. But it was really nice because the schedule. At one point, my schedule was like, Friday through Monday. I mean, I went to class Tuesday, Thursday, and then I studied all the rest of the time.
Ended up bumping on my MCAT to 504, which is not spectacular, but every point up you go is good. Yeah, Got, like, always in my. I took, like, three classes, bumped up my gpa, and then I applied again, and I was like, you know, if I don't get in this time, I'm just going to pursue college coaching. That was kind of like my plan B.
And I ended up getting three interviews at that time. I also kind of changed, like, my application strategy and just decided to do things differently.
And then, yeah, I ended up, you know, getting in at Sam Houston. So the rejection process was a bit hard, but it wasn't completely unexpected. It's not like I worked my tail off and didn't get in. Like, I knew that I probably could have put a bit more effort into the academic side and not really the social side. And I was just like, on paper, I know it looks a bit sketchy, but when you interview me, you'll see me.
[00:13:35] Lizbeth Marquez: Yeah.
[00:13:35] Dr. Darian: Like, you'll want me. You'll want me taking care of somebody's grandma. So, yeah, when I finally got to, like, when I got like my first interview, I literally, like, cried. Like, I was. Remember I was nannying and I was like, in the kitchen of this house I was nanning at and the email came through. It was like, interview invitation.
[00:13:52] Lizbeth Marquez: And I was like,
[00:13:54] Dr. Darian: just been like,
[00:13:55] Lizbeth Marquez: pinching myself,
[00:13:58] Dr. Darian: started crying because I was like, I didn't even like, make it to this point last time. Like, it was just. It was really nice to know that, like, I. That year I had spent grinding actually was paying off.
[00:14:09] Lizbeth Marquez: Yeah. Oh, I love that. I love that. And I, you know, it's something I didn't because with PA school, I ended up having. I would apply through this protocol called capsa. Capsa. I remember that correctly. And you just kind of fill out the applications through this platform and then kind of send them all out. So I just kept sending some different schools. I think there was only one school, I'm in Connecticut, so it was Quinnipiac that I really wanted to go to. That's the only school that I applied like multiple times and tried like the same. I. I tried to like, take another class in the summer, maybe better my gpa. Like, I was doing extracurricular and stuff like that too.
But I also wasn't like your average student because I had. I was a single mom. Also. I had to move back. I went back to school for a degree in biology to go off for PA school.
I, unlike you, I actually really like science. Like, science came really easily to me. So I'm like, well, if I don't get in, then maybe I could do research, right? But really my plan was I want to be a PA that also did Alzheimer's research. And so that kind of was my plan. So I'm like, I want a degree in biology. That did not work out, so, so which is fine. I feel like I was just kind of like, led to another path. It took me a little bit to kind of Realize, okay, this is not your path. Right.
And. And then I ended up kind of just pivoting, starting my own business, kind of using my biology degree to formulate some products and stuff like that. So that's kind of like where it took me. But I love that you kind of like double down. You're like, okay, like, this is what I got to do. I know that, you know, maybe I didn't give it my all, like, let's
[00:15:29] Dr. Darian: give it a little more.
[00:15:30] Lizbeth Marquez: And like you.
[00:15:31] Dr. Darian: Yeah. Because it's just one of those things where it's like, it's so competitive at all levels and you work so hard just to get in, then you're in and then you work so hard just to stay in. Yeah. It can be very brutal. Like sometimes I'm jealous of my non medical friends because I'm just. You don't have to do. I mean my fiance, construction management, he'll leave at 3pm like, oh, today was exhausting. I'm like, I'm like, well, I still have four more hours at work, so I'll talk to you later.
[00:16:03] Lizbeth Marquez: Yeah, and the difference between like his job and your job too is like the medical field can be just like mentally taxing. Right. Because you are thinking all things and trying to diagnose and all those things.
[00:16:12] Dr. Darian: It's like my brain is on all day.
[00:16:14] Lizbeth Marquez: Yeah. Because even for me as a medical assistant, I'm running around for the provider and doing all this stuff. Right. But then also I have to keep all these things in mind. And my providers especially early on, they knew that I wanted to become a pa, so they were always testing me, like telling me like diagnose it, like what is it and what medications do they need? Because they were, oh my gosh.
[00:16:29] Dr. Darian: Yeah.
[00:16:30] Lizbeth Marquez: I would go home. So mentally maxed.
[00:16:33] Dr. Darian: Yes. And then she was like, you always have someone who is like, I don't know if it's just this desire to teach, I don't know if it's an ego because I don't know what it is. But someone is always quizzing you and you're like, not today, okay? Like we give it a break. Right? And like, honestly, like sometimes I feel bad when we have medical students on our like rotating with us because like, you know, one I'm trying to reflect on my experience as a medical student. And it's like I hated when someone would just turn around and randomly be like, so let's talk about allergies. And you're like, okay, like we don't have any patience with that. Like, and it was just something that they knew and they knew well, and they wanted the chance to exercise and talk to you about it. But like me, I always have stuff to do as a medicine. I was never just sitting there twiddling my thumbs, going on Instagram. So I'm like, no, I'm actually working on a paper, and now you're randomly talking to me about something that, I'm sorry, I don't care about right now. It's not. Not relevant to any patient we have. And then, you know, you have some make you stay the whole day. Like, you know, and it's just like, I get that I'm paying for this and you want to make sure I get my money's worth, but, like, I don't care about that.
[00:17:37] Lizbeth Marquez: Like.
[00:17:37] Dr. Darian: And so, like, when we have mad students, I really try to, like, balance, you know, making sure we're teaching them and involving them and they're not just feeling neglected all day. But then it's like, things do get really busy and they, you know, need something to do or you're supposed to be teaching them. And it can be really challenging when someone is like, hey, hey, hey. You're like in the middle of like a million. You're like, write it down.
[00:18:00] Lizbeth Marquez: We'll get to it down time if we have some.
[00:18:04] Dr. Darian: Wow. It'll be like 3:00pm I'm like, you want to go home? Yeah.
[00:18:07] Lizbeth Marquez: It sounds like you can use it, right?
I know, and that's so true. I like that at least you mentioned you had said, like, you want to be like that big sister, that friend, that mentor, like, in the workplace, which I absolutely love, because those were the places where I felt a lot more comfortable, where I can really get along with my provider and other people. In the office. Right. Where we were working as a team, like, collaboratively, like, I worked for of the time in urgent care, so we really had to be a team, especially when something went down. We had an emergency, we had to be a team. So I love that. And I'm just curious in that when you start mingling with the other staff and being that kind of, like, friendly person, that can bring some. Some more drama in your life as well. Within the office politics and all, I. I'm curious, how does drama show up in your life?
[00:18:50] Dr. Darian: Yeah, honestly, my life is very boring because I now have healthy coping skills. But I have not always been this way.
So I think one thing that's really help is I'm. I'm very. I'm a big compartmentalizer. You know, I'm like, this is my work friend, this is my non work friend, this is my family. Like, everyone's coming out their boxes and I think based on what box they're in, that's the side of me that they see.
So, you know, if I am interacting with just like nursing staff who I don't know very well, I'm not going to like gossip about some other nurses. Right. Because I don't know if they know each other, if they're best friends. Like, you know, you don't, you, you get comfortable with people, but you just don't know.
So I, but before I would have like, you know, muttered something to someone and they've said something to someone else and now everyone's mad at me. Even though he's true, sometimes I hear you.
And so I just, I'm very clear about what parts of me I share with, you know, certain people, some people who've been in my house, some people who have not. And you know, this conversation is going to be very interesting because it's like I am engaged in planning a wedding and it's like, which one of the people that I work with do I invite versus not. Which can be like really hard.
Like, it's not a first grade pizza party. Everyone can't come.
So it's just like, I think I mostly avoid it because I kind of distance myself. Like, so funny. I have this job once and this guy was like, you know, I just realized I know nothing about you. And I was like, I know, right? And I just walked away.
[00:20:25] Lizbeth Marquez: And then.
[00:20:27] Dr. Darian: All right, bye. Yeah, it's like you just gap about things that don't really matter. And people think like, you're really open and you're really friendly, but like when they sit back and think about it, they really don't know much about you.
And I'm just like, I'm sitting here watching you trade stories about all of our other co workers. Why would I tell you any of my personal business?
[00:20:47] Lizbeth Marquez: You start to not the person I want to tell certain things to because you see how they move. Yeah.
[00:20:52] Dr. Darian: Yes. And then it's like if I have one negative interaction with you, like, I, I do run a strict program and it's not like I'm cutting you off, but I just move around you. I'm not like, we have someone in our program who's a bit wild whenever it's time to go out. I went out with her one time, I've not gone out with her again because I'm just like, you really showed out and I didn't I didn't like what you did. And other people have continued to go out with her and they keep having the same story. I'm like, wow, wow.
[00:21:20] Lizbeth Marquez: Isn't that what we call insanity?
[00:21:23] Dr. Darian: Yeah. I'm like, okay, how many times you have to pick up a snake and invite you before you stop picking it up? Like, I don't. I don't get it. So I think, you know, people are probably like, wow, you just, like, really cut people. I'm like, no, I just don't need to give someone multiple opportunities to pull something crazy. I already got you.
[00:21:40] Lizbeth Marquez: Yeah.
[00:21:40] Dr. Darian: Yeah. So I think I probably. I'm just like, very periphery because I don't really get that close to people who probably could stir up some drama. I mean, I'm just very selective about what I say to who and all that stuff.
[00:21:54] Lizbeth Marquez: Okay, that's really good because, yeah, it's hard when you're working with these people day to day. Right. And not form connections, but also when to set boundaries. Right. That's really big. Yeah, for sure. The same way, especially this last job that I had, it urgent care, it was really hard to. I was there 10 hours a day, four days a week, and it just felt like it really took over my life because then on the weekend I'd work on my business. So I wasn't really, like, hanging out and stuff. So they were like my people, I guess.
And it was a lot. It was a lot to try to just set boundaries and things like that. So I totally get that part.
But I remember we kind of discussed a little bit of a story while you were in residency. I'm curious, can you share that with the group chat?
[00:22:31] Dr. Darian: Yeah. So basically I was a first year resident. So when you're a first year, you work with another first year and either a second or a third year, they're senior residents.
And so you are the team. And there's like an attending who's just kind of like overseeing, but, like, you're primarily supposed to like, run the service.
So what's really difficult when you're an intern is that your week is subject to kind of like the demeanor or the temperament of your senior resident. And I am a very independently functioning person. Like, that's what all of my comments and reviews say. You know, like, really takes charge of her patients, really likes to independently, etc. So, like, that is something that I pride myself over. And so anyways, I was working with one senior resident who was like, very microman. Like, you know, I would go in to, like, see my patient Review them, start putting in orders. And, like, they would have already put in all these orders. And I'm like, okay, well, then what am I here for? Like, and what's funny is, like, I actually like my job. My job is fine. The fun stuff is, like, figuring things out, putting in order, seeing if you helped the patient stuff. The worst part about my job is writing notes. So I'm just like, you are not seeing your gung ho to write my notes, but you're going to put all my orders in. And so, like, the more she annoyed me at work, the less I could talk to her about anything that was, like, not work. And so I would just genuinely not really speak pretty much the whole day unless it was about a patient. And then I would also be a bit more apprehensive about saying, like, hey, you should reconsider this for this patient. Because she's like, yeah, I'll put that in. And I'm like, I'm not asking you so you can do it. I'm asking to get your thoughts so we can chat about it. And so it was just a bit too much much for me. And then we have this patient who had this kind of, like, weird swelling or growth or something. So I had ordered an ultrasound. They were like, oh, it could be this, it could be that. And it looked like it might have been something that needed to be drained. And so, like, the surgery teams are kind of kicking it back and forth about who wanted it. And so my attending was like, listen, if they're not going to do it, you and I can just go in there and drain it. And she was like, I can drain it. I'd actually love to drain it. Okay, well, then you go find your own infected leg and you go drain that leg. I worked this one up. I. This is my leg. And so that, like, just annoyed me. Anyways, we only worked together for a week, so I was like, okay, cool.
Two months later, I get this eval, long paragraph. All the other evals are, like, two sentences, long paragraph. About, like, I had significant difficulties on that rotation. And, like, I was, like, disrespectful toward the team members. And I had, like, extreme knowledge gaps and, like, all of these things that just genuinely, no one has ever written about me before.
So I'm not one of those people that's out always, like, that's not me. Like, if it's me, that's me. But, like, nobody else has ever said these things. So I'm like, it's you, right? And we're supposed to Be anonymous one
[00:25:22] Lizbeth Marquez: week that you spent with her.
[00:25:24] Dr. Darian: Correct.
[00:25:24] Lizbeth Marquez: Okay.
[00:25:24] Dr. Darian: Now, mind you, no feedback was given to me the whole.
[00:25:27] Lizbeth Marquez: During the time. Yeah. Yeah.
[00:25:29] Dr. Darian: So this is anonymous feedback two months later. What am I supposed to do with that? Yeah, So I, of course, knew who it was, and I hit them up, and I just changed my. Because I. What I really want to say was, like, you know, what the hell? Like, what's. What's your problem? But I was just like, you know, I'm gonna take the, like, very politically correct way. And I'd already kind of talked to, like, my boss about what was going on even before this. This eval that came out, which I was actually glad that I kind of got ahead of it. And I was like, oh, see, like, because she emailed it to me. I was like, this is what we were talking about in our meeting. And she's like, yeah, I wouldn't worry about it. Blah, blah, blah, blah. Like, she, like, was very supportive. But anyways, I, you know, texted the homegirl. I was like, hey, like, I saw your eval. Like, I'. They're supposed to be anonymous. I'm pretty sure this was you.
You know, I was like, I'm very sorry if you felt that way. Like, I wish you would have said something during because I would have been able to talk to you about it and kind of flesh it out. And I just was really trying to hold my own and make sure I wasn't putting too much work on your plate. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And so then she texted. She's like, yeah, I'm sorry, too. I learned a lot of things from that rotation, like, midweek feedback and this, that and the other and whatever. So we of kind. Kind of, like, I guess, squashed it. But every time I log back on to look at my evaluations, it pops up and I get mad again.
[00:26:49] Lizbeth Marquez: Right. Just puts it right back in that place, like.
And has it still been the only one that was like that?
Yeah, that's crazy. So, yeah, obviously a her thing.
[00:26:59] Dr. Darian: And. Yeah. And, like, you know, there have been a couple of times when it's like, you know, I struggle to ask questions, but, like, here's my thing. I don't know what. I don't know. So. And, like, one of the worst pieces of feedback I think people can give is, like, overconfidence. Like, yeah, it's one thing to have someone going around sticking needles and people and doing all these things, but it's another thing for, like, you to ask me a question. I answer it confidently. I'm Confidently wrong. But like, I don't know I'm wrong. And then you turn around and you're like, no, actually it's this. And I'm like, okay, now I know that me answering you confidently is like, not overconfidence, because what's the alternative? I'm like, super meek and I can't say anything even if it is the right answer. Like, that's not useful. And so I, I got the comment of, like, overconfidence or like, not asking questions, like, when I should, and I'm like, well, I don't think that I don't know these things, so all I need from you is correction. And then now I know those things.
[00:27:49] Lizbeth Marquez: Yeah. Oh, well, that, that is really annoying to have somebody like, micromanaging, because just in any, in any field, right? Just the micromanaging is. Is a lot and it makes you second guess yourself sometimes. And it's just like, for the most part, I know my job. Right? But like you said, I don't know what I don't know. So like, when those moments pop up, it's a teaching moment. Right? Just like.
[00:28:05] Dr. Darian: Right.
[00:28:05] Lizbeth Marquez: Like, don't just go writing notes behind my back and just got no feedback. I've been working for weeks for another like, what, eight weeks without knowing that this feedback was something I'm have needed. Right?
[00:28:16] Dr. Darian: Right. Like whenever I give feedback, like, it should never be anonymous. Like, you know it's me because I said these same things to you.
[00:28:22] Lizbeth Marquez: Yeah, Yeah.
[00:28:23] Dr. Darian: I just think it's like, very cowardly to like, hide behind an anonymous feedback form.
[00:28:28] Lizbeth Marquez: And the fact that you went to her like, hey, pretty sure this was. You didn't deny it. You're like, girl, let's talk.
[00:28:33] Dr. Darian: My mom was like, you're not supposed to do this. This is an HR violation. I said, girl, no, cuz I can't let you get that one out. I'm so sorry.
[00:28:41] Lizbeth Marquez: She won't do it again.
[00:28:43] Dr. Darian: Yeah, I'm like, hr and I'm just gonna have to chat, guys. I can't let you get that one off.
[00:28:49] Lizbeth Marquez: Oh my God, that's hilarious. I love that. I love that energy. Well, what you just described, honestly, you know, the focus on almost like you're weaponizing this.
[00:28:57] Dr. Darian: Right?
[00:28:57] Lizbeth Marquez: Like, okay, what did he really. What was behind this. This message, Right? Yes. Really takes us into the story for today. Okay, so, Dr. Darian, are you ready?
[00:29:06] Dr. Darian: Yes.
[00:29:07] Lizbeth Marquez: All right, let's get into it.
This story comes from a dermatology practice. Our workman save the day is Simone. Simone is in her first real Job in the medical field. She's actually a medical assistant here. And I'll probably be saying ma. So just for the group chat, medical assistant is ma.
So she's actually nine months in at this derm office, which is enough time to learn the flow of the practice, get comfortable with the patients and start feeling like you actually know what you're doing. But nine months is also just long enough to start noticing things.
And Simone was noticing things. The office runs on meeting two, sometimes three a week, and the notice almost non existent. Simone would be actively on the phone with a patient, a real life patient, trying to schedule an appointment or ask about prescriptions or any medical questions. And someone is signaling her to wrap it up right now. They've got a meeting. All right, Dr. Therian, so in a patient facing medical environment, what kind of constant interruption like that does that actually do to the quality of care?
[00:30:06] Dr. Darian: Yeah, I mean, it's actually pretty dangerous because you've kind of got this training thought of like what's wrong with the patient, what do they need? What do you need to order, what do you need to communicate to who have someone interrupt that thought process. It just leads you to forgetting things, losing your train of thought, misremembering something, writing something down incorrectly, putting it in a wrong order, and it can cause serious problems down the line. And so there really needs to be this like protected time where you are, you know, streamlined on a patient and then whatever needs to happen can happen when you're done with that particular patient.
[00:30:41] Lizbeth Marquez: Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. And I think too, from like the MA side of it, I feel like I'm a big part of it is like building the trust with your patient as well and delivering whatever message the provider says. And so when you're being rushed off the phone, the patient doesn't know that the meeting is going to happen. They just hear you like I'm being rushed and. Or being rushed. Right. And then now they lose some trust in the service.
So yeah. Yeah. So those meetings themselves, they weren't training sessions, not practice updates. Mostly just with the mask wrong that week and then moving on. No recognition of what was going right, just corrections delivered to the group and then everyone goes back to work.
Now on top of the meetings, Simone also had to complete a two page written report every few months. Areas of improvement or areas for improvement, how she plans to address them and what she's doing well and plans to continue. Sounds reasonable, right? Professional development, accountability. Except. Except there's one problem she's not really supposed to Let that interfere with work. So a lot of times she's not able to do it at work. So now she's working off the clock.
So as a former ma, I know what those hours kind of look like, right? Ruining patients, taking vitals, updating charts, like prepping stuff for the providers.
Somewhere in all of that, you're supposed to find time to write up a two page evaluation. That's crazy. Like between everything that we have. I mean, it's funny because you mentioned with your OR residency, that conversation is helpful, right? To have that. But when it's becoming like this routine, constant, constant feedback, constant, like this is what you have to fix. How do you get that?
[00:32:16] Dr. Darian: I dislike it. Yeah, I just like it. I really, I mean, here's my thing. I think I'm a big person on like constructive criticism. Like, obviously we can't always be telling someone that they're doing great. But I also understand from like a psychological perspective, like you need people to have good morale and want to be there and feel empowered, like they're doing a good job. So even if you think they are the worst employee on earth, if you have any hopes for them of improving, you have to give them some positive feedback. Like, this is not the devil is product. We're like, you want everybody like running off of just like straight insults and fear. If you want like the most effective environment, you really need that like psychological trust. And when someone only hears the negative and they never hear positive, they don't have that psychological logical. They come in every day trying not to make a mistake, instead of trying to do things really well and then just understanding, yes, mistakes happen. So yeah, I don't necessarily think you need to sandwich it because I think people don't really hear. I actually just listened to this podcast the other day. It was Emma Greed's podcast and she had this like communication expert on there and he was like, start with the bad news. Like, he was like, when you come in and you say all these positive things and then you go, but everything before the butt is just like now discredited. But if you come in, you're like, hey, I've got some news that's not so good. And then you say, these are some real major issues. Then you can say, I don't want you to think that you're only doing things wrong. Here are the other things that you've done well, it's important that you continue doing those things and that we also fix these other things. And then that way, you know, they feel like, okay, I'm not just coming in here jacking things up every day, but then they're also still hearing you do have these areas of improvement.
[00:33:58] Lizbeth Marquez: Yeah, I love that. I. It's funny because you hear the opposite of, like, good or the bad news first. I mean, the good news first and then the bad.
[00:34:07] Dr. Darian: Yeah.
[00:34:07] Lizbeth Marquez: So that's. That's really interesting. I love that take on it, and it makes a lot of sense. Yeah.
Well, here's what was sitting in the back of Simone's mind through all of this. She's new to the field. She's not just new to this office. She's new to be in an MA altogether. She doesn't have a previous practice to compare this to. She doesn't have a colleague from somewhere else saying, hey, that's not normal.
So she's doing what new people do, just assuming. This is how it works, Right until the afternoon in the hallway. It's a regular Tuesday, busy. The kind of afternoon in the derm office where the rooms are full, the team's moving fast. Simone just finished grooming a patient.
Everything done, vitals, history, chief complaint, all that stuff is logged. She steps out of the exam room, pulls the door mostly closed behind her, the way you do when a provider is on their way in. And right there in the hallway is Renee. Renee is the office manager. Now, Renee is the kind of manager who always seems completely reasonable on the surface, measured, professional.
The type of person who would describe every single thing she does as just doing her job.
But what Renee chose to do, right there in the hallway, steps away from a closed exam room door with a patient sitting on the other side, was pull Simone aside to talk. Now, mind you, Renee is the person that's doing all these meetings and all these kind of, like, things. So she seems kind of professional now, but she's doing a lot of things that are just not helping the team. What Renee chose to do right there in the hallway, steps away from the closed door, was pull Simone aside to talk about a priority authorization request from three weeks ago. Not a patient emergency, not something that could have waited until the end of the day. A prior off from three weeks ago.
Okay, so, Dr. Darian, I need your reaction. Because, I mean, well, I was a medical assistant, right? And for me, I mean, every office is different, right? I didn't really have to do prior authorization. Prior authorizations. Unless they were a busy office or unless it was, like an emergency PA and somebody couldn't work on it. But what do you feel about being somebody being pulled in the middle of patient care, right? I mean, they were just done. But usually the ma's job is then to go get the provider. Right. And keep the office moving.
[00:36:11] Dr. Darian: Yeah, I think like people get so kind of pigeon holed in their own workflow and they forget that others have a different workflow. So for this office manager, she was probably going through them, saw it and was like, oh, this needs to be addressed and just completely disregarded. Like, it does not have to be addressed right now. Like, write it on a sticky note, send an email that says that's set for Senator. That does not have to be addressed right this second. Set up a meeting that we can talk about the things we need to talk about. But people just get so streamlined in their own thing and it's like, it's like a little kid. Like when something is important to a little kid, they don't care if you're on the toilet, they don't care if you're having a mental breakdown. Like, they need their fruit snacks right then. And like sometimes, like adults are the same way. Like, they're like, this phone call has to happen right now, does it? Or do you just want me to do it right right now?
And I think that can be really challenging for people to ask their managers because it's like you want to be cool with them, but like also they are not understanding your workflow whatsoever. And so you're trying to go get a provider, trying to keep the day moving. And now you're being one, like just time wise, interrupted. But two, like mentally now that's all you can think about. And like you're, you're at higher risk, like forgetting things, making a mistake, whatever, because now you've got this other burden on you.
[00:37:28] Lizbeth Marquez: Yeah, that's so true. And because just how I know I, at least in my office, and I don't know if you have to deal with an MA now. Do you deal with like medical situations?
[00:37:35] Dr. Darian: I mean, we, we have them like in my primary, in our primary care clinic, but I don't have any sort of like supervisory role or anything.
[00:37:43] Lizbeth Marquez: No, but they kind of come to you with patients, they ruin your patients or something, right?
[00:37:46] Dr. Darian: Yes.
[00:37:47] Lizbeth Marquez: Affect you when you're delayed. Like now they're having this conversation now. You don't know that your patient is ready, right?
[00:37:52] Dr. Darian: Like you're like sitting there and you're like, okay, it says arrived 20 minutes ago. Like, what's the hold up?
[00:37:59] Lizbeth Marquez: Sounds like you might use ep.
[00:38:01] Dr. Darian: Yes, yes, I'm ready to go. Because it's like for me, clinic happens once a, once a week. Or sorry, once a month.
And so that week is like our kind of easy week. We have like four half days and then we have some other half day clinics that we have to do. So it's like you're trying to get out of that office as quickly as possible. And also, you know, you have those 1 patients who are yappers and are going to take up a lot of time. Someone's going to need a procedure, maybe someone needs to go to the emergency room. So it's like you already have all these unexpected delays, delays that could really just set your day off. And to have one of these type of delays that is unnecessary. And now you've got the Emily all frazzled, 10 minutes in the bathroom, and that's going to cause even more delay.
[00:38:50] Lizbeth Marquez: Right, right. I know. And I, I know that even though like she was in the room taking the notes and everything and putting it in epic, a lot of the providers don't read that right away. Right. So usually they're like going off of what you're saying now. I know I would have forgotten like half of the stuff. I'm like, what did I just.
[00:39:02] Dr. Darian: Yes.
[00:39:02] Lizbeth Marquez: You know, so y corrupts everything. It's just like a bad moment.
[00:39:07] Dr. Darian: 100.
[00:39:07] Lizbeth Marquez: Yeah. Well, here is where the story takes a turn. The patient in that room, she had been waiting on test results. The kind of appointment where you sit on a paper covered exam table and every minute feels like an hour. Your mind has already run through the worst case scenario before the provider even knocks. And through the door, she hears it. Prior authorization, oncology services, but doesn't hear the context. She doesn't know that Simone and Renee are standing in the hallway talking about a completely different patient from weeks ago. She hears the words that have been living in her head since she made the appointment. And she assumes it's about her. So the provider walks in. Within minutes, the patient brings it up.
She asked about the prioritization, wants to know what the oncology referral is for, asked why nobody told her directly. And now the provider has to stop everything, has to figure out what this patient overheard, why she heard it, and how, how to walk back. The anxiety that has been building in this room since the hallway conversation, that takes time, that takes patience, and it completely derails the appointment.
So after the visit, the provider goes to Renee, not Simone, to Renee, the office manager, to find out what happened in the hallway. And here's where you would hope, you would really hope that Renee would take some accountability that she says, I shouldn't have had that conversation location. In that location, I put my staff member in an impossible position, and I'm going to handle this directly and privately. That's not what happens. The next staff meeting, the incident comes up and in front of every MA in the room. The way it gets framed, unprofessional conduct. A reminder to staff about HIPAA adjacent conversations and where they should and should not be happening. A note that everyone needs to be more mindful going forward. And Simone is sitting there knowing that she was the one who had just stepped out of the room, that Renee was the one who stopped her there right outside of the door.
And that part Simone keeps coming back to, the part that keeps turning over in her head, is that nobody talked to Renee. Not about the hallway, not about the meetings, not about the reports due off the clock, not about any of it. Renee is still running the same meetings, still pulling staff mid shift, still stopping people in the hallways. And Simone is still there, still showing up, still. Still doing the job, not entirely sure if what she's experiencing is her problem or a Renee problem. And honestly, the fact that she's still asking that question nine months in and who knows, today might be the most telling part about this whole story.
All right, so let's dive into a little bit of like hipaa, Right, because that's really kind of what it here as well. It's like this office manager should know those rules. Right. And right for this patient, this poor patient, to now think that these oncology services and whatever was about her. And although maybe they didn't say a name specifically since she didn't know who was like, how do you feel about those conversations happening, like in the office where.
In the accountability around it? Because you can get some really big fines with HIPAA violations.
[00:42:05] Dr. Darian: Yeah, yeah. I mean, honestly, everything medical is just so sensitive.
And so things should really happen in closed face. Just bump into someone and you are like, oh, I'm glad I ran into you. I have to talk to you about this.
And you try to be as coy as possible, like, hey, you know that patient I messaged you about yesterday? Here's an update on them. And that can be a bit risky. So, yeah, those conversations should really be happening in private areas.
Sometimes it's difficult because you kind of see someone in the hall and you're like, oh, hey, by the way. And you want something to them just because you see them. It's really important to just really try to maintain those conversations. Relations in a private area.
[00:42:49] Lizbeth Marquez: Yeah. And what do you feel about Renee addressing it to the group. As if it wasn't all her. She doesn't sound like she's taking well.
[00:42:57] Dr. Darian: I actually genuinely dislike those group reminders after you've done something. I, I actually have a huge pet peeve about that because it's like, dang, it was that big of a mess up. You had to send out a whole grouper.
But then like her kind of framing it as if she was not the one who made that. I think not good management practice. And maybe that's just like poor recognition that she did break and, you know, she's like just not self aware that she was the problem, which is like so terrible for everyone involved because I think a good manager has some accountability and they're able to say, like, please make sure we're being more mindful about X, Y and Z. I want you guys to make the same mistake I did, which I think is like very important for building morale.
[00:43:41] Lizbeth Marquez: Right. I was thinking that too because. Because like you said, first off, the, the biggest issue I felt like also was bringing it up in a group as if it was like something that's happening a lot. Or even if she wasn't calling Simone out like, specifically, but she could have had that moment of just kind of like building more trust with her team and being a little more relatable. That would have made it less like just blaming. Right. And. And also showing that she's human and. And she also makes mistakes. But I think that.
[00:44:06] Dr. Darian: Yeah, exactly. And unfortunately, just being the lower ranked was at risk for being thrown under the bus.
[00:44:13] Lizbeth Marquez: Right. That's so true. Yeah. And that was probably a big part of it too. It's like, yeah, let's just blame the ma. Like they're always messing up anyway. Right. Because that's what. That's all the meetings were about, where the mas apparently.
[00:44:21] Dr. Darian: Yeah.
[00:44:23] Lizbeth Marquez: But yeah, I.
[00:44:24] Dr. Darian: That happens with us. Like, you know, our attendings could want to do something and then someone yells at us because we're residents. I didn't think to do that. Following orders. So yell at that person. Don't yell at me. Right, right, exactly.
[00:44:38] Lizbeth Marquez: Like, and talk to them privately. Maybe correct us. Right. Like, it's just like this whole thing of not having communication and that's a big thing in the medical field. Just communication. Yeah. What do you feel about those, like MAS and the staff, it has to do this report and then they can't really fit into the workday. Like, what do you think about taking that.
[00:44:55] Dr. Darian: Yeah.
[00:44:56] Lizbeth Marquez: That work home with you? Basically? Like, I know you had mentioned about leaving things at the Door. I think it was more kind of like when we were chatting beforehand, leaving things at the door. Right. And not bringing it home with you. Like what do you feel about these mas now they're taking these issues. Right. Whatever problems have to work through it at their own time.
[00:45:11] Dr. Darian: Yeah. I mean, I really hate unpaid work. Yeah. I think the medical system thrives off of unpaid work.
And so this is something that's going to be required. It's just like a training like that should be paid. Right. I also think a two page reflection for feedback of yourself is crazy. Why am I writing essays about myself every couple of months?
Send me a little Google form, a little self evaluation form twice a year. I'll fill it out, we'll meet for our semiannual review.
That's it, right?
[00:45:45] Lizbeth Marquez: That sounds so reasonable.
[00:45:47] Dr. Darian: Yeah. I don't need to be doing anything else outside of that.
[00:45:49] Lizbeth Marquez: That's so true. And yeah, I didn't even think about that, like not being paid. I remember I was at a job where I had to clock out. I would get in trouble if I couldn't finish answering all the voicemails and like all my work within like the eight hours in the office that I was in. It was really hard. It was a primary care office, but it was kind of like a.
I don't know if you can call it community health center type of vibe.
Very busy, lots of walk ins, lots of people coming in late and it was just crazy and hectic and the phones were crazy. And this was back when, well like the oxycodes and the percocets were a thing. We had a lot of patients like addicted to their meds and it was kind of like, yeah, that was shifting and we were taking weaning people off. So we had a lot of anger calls. It was impossible. I would crack out and go back to my desk because if I came back and I had voicemail meals, I get in trouble for that. But I literally couldn't get through my workday. So I literally worked probably like a total of 50 hours or something for free. It was insane.
[00:46:44] Dr. Darian: No, that's crazy. That's okay. Like, you know, it's so funny because sometimes for like our awards for residency, they'll be like so and so always stays late. They always come early. No, no, no.
You're paying me for a certain number of hours. Okay. I don't even make minimum wage sometimes without. Frequently I'm working. So I'm so sor.
When I'm here. I'm gonna give you my best. I'm really gonna show up and, like, get things done.
And, like, I already have to do things outside of work, such as, like, research and things like that. So it's like, I'm already using my free time to try to help my career in the long run.
I'm not, you know, I'm not checking patient, like, people coming, like. Yeah, I was, like, scrolling through the patient. Why?
[00:47:29] Lizbeth Marquez: Yeah.
[00:47:30] Dr. Darian: You don't have anything else to do? I. I mean, I don't know. Maybe that's how people prep for the day so they feel as extra. So when they get there. Me, when I hit that door, I'm gonna find out what I'm dealing with and we' on there.
[00:47:40] Lizbeth Marquez: Yeah, there's that aspect of it too, where you want to decompress. You need to decompress because, like, some of these patients are yappy or sometimes they have, like, real things going on, and you just have to, like, step away from it to bring that home with you and still be, like, stressed. And if you have families, sometimes. I know for me in urgent care, like, I'd have some crazy days.
You know, One time I had, like, this patient that OD'd in the parking lot. And that, like, affected me really. Like, I. After all the adrenaline kind of went down. I started, like, just emotions came over me that I didn't even know were there.
And I came home and I remember my. I think my mascara was kind of, like, messed up because it happened at
[00:48:13] Dr. Darian: the end of the day.
[00:48:13] Lizbeth Marquez: And my fiancee was like, hey, are you okay? I'm like, I can't even talk about it. Like, I just need to put on, like, something on Netflix or something. Like, I need to decompress. So, like, to have that.
[00:48:21] Dr. Darian: Yeah.
[00:48:22] Lizbeth Marquez: With you is just. It messes with you. Like, you. You need 100 the boundaries. I feel like you need the boundaries.
[00:48:28] Dr. Darian: And I think that's why I'm always, like, you know, just commentarian, because it's just like my doctor role comes with so much, and it's just like, well, I'm not on the clock. I tried to, like, decompress that much of as much as possible that part of my life just to, like, have some separation.
[00:48:43] Lizbeth Marquez: Yeah. Seriously. Well, if you had any advice for Simone.
Simone. I don't think this is normal. Definitely not normal.
[00:48:51] Dr. Darian: No. What would you give?
[00:48:53] Lizbeth Marquez: What advice would you give her?
[00:48:55] Dr. Darian: Look for a new job.
[00:48:56] Lizbeth Marquez: Exact.
[00:48:57] Dr. Darian: I mean, because here's the thing. Like, I think you kind of have to, like, pick your battles. And if this is somebody who. This is the way they operate, they're not looking for feedback, they're not looking for change.
You are just going to burn yourself out thinking that you can change this person or change the culture of the workplace.
What's worse is when you like, everyone's kind of muttering in the break room and you guys are like, come on, let's start an uprising. And you're the only person uprising and everyone else kind of leaves you hanging like you look crazy. So it's like if you don't have kind of like a confidant, someone who has some sort of authority over her and say like, hey, I think that this is not working, or if you're not in a flexible workplace that's looking to kind of grow and always improve their practice for everyone, then it's, it's wasted efforts. And you shouldn't waste your efforts on that. You shouldn't stick things out just for the sake of sticking them out. Like you spend so much of your life at work.
Why would you want it to be miserable?
So it's not normal.
Find the job that works for you. I know we all have parents who stay at the same job for 45 years and they complained about it for 45 years.
Do I complain about my job? Yes. But overall I'm very happy with where I work. I think, you know, our schedule is awesome. I think our faculty and staff is awesome. You can't let a couple bad apples ruined the bunch. But like if the whole environment is sort of that toxic and the head honcho is like not somebody interested in like improvement or feedback or anything like that, that's just not an environment where like you putting your effort towards getting people to change is going to be fruitful and you should probably consider doing something else.
[00:50:34] Lizbeth Marquez: Yeah, for sure. And I think the first sign and the first red flag is that you're even questioning, questioning it yourself. Right. Like is having to question whether this is normal or not. It's probably not normal.
[00:50:44] Dr. Darian: Yeah. 100. And I don't know what her long term goals are. I don't know if it's school, I don't know if it's what.
But there's plenty of ways to get there. There's like more than one way to skin Cat. So do not feel like you have to stay somewhere and be miserable because like it's leading to an angle. Like that's not true. There's too many. It's like a relationship. You don't have to stay in a relationship because you want to get married even though you're miserable. Like there's so many other opportunities and things to get what you want. So if it's not conducive to you and it's something that's actually harming you and you're. And out in life outside of work, like, don't do it.
[00:51:20] Lizbeth Marquez: Yeah, yeah. Protect your peace in that way. Because. And as an MA there, you can go into so many different specialties and stuff like that too. So it's like, yeah, something else. And I. I can also get a sense too, of, like, I remember early on when I first had, like, my first MA job is sticking it out to get enough, you know, like, experience. Right. To be able to apply to another job. So she probably feels a bit of that weight. But I mean, I think once you're, like, certified and you're in it and you. You have some experience, like, just apply, Right. It doesn't even hurt.
[00:51:48] Dr. Darian: Yeah.
[00:51:48] Lizbeth Marquez: Get your foot out the door.
[00:51:49] Dr. Darian: So, yeah, switching jobs, you know someone. I mean, I think people overestimate how, like, people asking, like, oh, I saw you were an MA here and then MA there. What made you change? Like, people really are not asking that, but I guess you just say, I'm looking for a different experience. Like, I wanted to diversify. I mean, there's always a positive way. You don't have to be like, don't be hearing was terrible because, like, you do kind of sound like the problem. Or like, you may not sound like the problem, but you just, like, sound like a problem. And people can be very wary about that.
And so I always just try to keep things vague, like, oh, I was just wanting to diversify my experience, see what it was like working in pregnant cancer, dermatology, or there's always way to, like, politic and spin things. I mean, we see it happen on CNN every day, right? So true.
[00:52:32] Lizbeth Marquez: Very true on that. And that's funny because, like, I've worked in different specialties. I've worked in urgent care, mostly oncology, ob, gyn, primary care, like, different ones. And yeah, that question never came up. But, like, why you want to switch to this field, like, to this specialty, right? That actually, as an ma, I don't think, at least for me, it's never come up. So, like, hopefully that's not a fear for Simone, but. But that's a good way to put it, right? You don't ever want to blame it on, like, the past job, the past manager, because that makes that question in their mind kind of like, was it really them or was it you? And the fact that you're right. Speaking about It In a professional environment, like an interview that's going to make you. Yeah. So definitely 100. Don't do that.
So.
Yeah. Well, Dr. Darian, I'm really excited that you. You came in. I hope you enjoyed the story. I'm kind of, like, curious, like, where things ended with that patient. I'm sure the patient's fine, but I'm like, I always kind of fall back to, like, poor patient, thought she was going to need, like, cancer care. Like.
[00:53:23] Dr. Darian: I know, I know. I'm just trying to, like, give them that reassurance, but yeah. This is so much fun.
Yes.
Yes, this was so much fun. I really appreciate you inviting me on here and working with being patient. I know I took a long time to get back to your emails and things, but I've been comfortable those patience. So, yeah, really appreciate it.
[00:53:44] Lizbeth Marquez: Work drama is literally something I'm doing for fun. It's really because I left the medical field. Right. And I. I was just missing kind of like the connection. That's why I love today's episode too, because I'm like, oh, I get to talk to a doctor today and like, talk about the stuff that I went through and like, and just be able to relate in that way, because I don't get that right now. Right now I completely switch gears and kind of lonely. So, like, I was really excited. I'm like, oh, I get to talk about, like, the medical field medicine in a way and just kind of dive in. So this was really exciting for me to kind of be able to connect with you. You've been great, but. Yeah, but this was really fun. So thank you.
Work drama, for the group chat. Make sure you're following Dr. Darian Doer again. It's at Dr.
Queen, underscore D. All right, Dr. Queen D. And just the
[00:54:29] Dr. Darian: letter D, not D. Oh, true. Somebody else. Right? Okay.
[00:54:33] Lizbeth Marquez: Yeah, her page. And I'm gonna put it in the show notes anyway so you can find it there and then. Yeah, I. I'm excited for what comes next for you, Dr. Darian.
[00:54:43] Dr. Darian: You.
[00:54:44] Lizbeth Marquez: I feel like you have such a great personality and attitude around kind of like how to connect with the office and stuff as an M.A. like, that's what I love when it's a provider that you can really relate to and really kind of like you said, have that friend and. And that. I wouldn't want to say maybe work bestie, but just that that vibe, it creates such a good vibe for the office. And so I love that that's kind of your mindset with it and I know that any office is going to just love having you. So thank you.
So, yes, we'll stay in touch on TikTok. And if I have another story that might be, I might reach back out.
[00:55:17] Dr. Darian: I'm available, kind of.
[00:55:21] Lizbeth Marquez: All right, well, before I end, I did want to say, this is not legal advice or medical advice. No.
[00:55:30] Dr. Darian: If you get fired, don't call me and say, I did. Your advice.
I quit my job. I couldn't find another one. Always have another one lined up before you quit.
[00:55:38] Lizbeth Marquez: Do not start DMing Dr. Darian. Like, you said this and I lost my job. No, that's not.
[00:55:43] Dr. Darian: I know.
Like, I texted them. HR called me. I'm like, I told you I wasn't even supposed to do it right. Why would you do it right?
[00:55:49] Lizbeth Marquez: I called somebody out on an anonymous, like, feedback. Can I get in trouble? Yeah, no. Take this all with a grain of salt, but it was really fun. And, yeah, we stay connected.
[00:56:00] Dr. Darian: Absolutely. Thank you so much.
[00:56:02] Lizbeth Marquez: You're welcome. All right, guys, bye.
That's it for today's episode of Work Drama. Today's Work Drama was led by Lizbeth Marquez with opinions, reactions and group chat energy provide by our resident instigator, Sharon Rodriguez.
Music for the show is by Denzel Zambo. Fairy tales. And a special thank you to Project Emo for letting us record this podcast in their studio Idea Forge Studios.
If you've got your own workplace story you can't believe actually happened, send it our way to workdramapodmail.com linked in the show. Notes, names changed, jobs detected. This has been Work Drama, where the meetings end, but the stories dump.
