First day on the job. First day at a new hospital. New computer system. New work culture.

Resident asks me to 'send a memo' to the microbiology lab (which is at a different hospital) lead tech about this particular rare pathogen test she wants done on a patient. I interpret it as asking someone to leave a sticky note or letter on the lab person in charge requesting this. I'd phoned that lab earlier on that day to ask what kind of blood tubes were needed for this rare test. I phone the lab again.

"Uh, sorry to bother you," I say to the lab tech, "but I was hoping for you to leave a written note on the lead tech's table about--"

Suddenly, I hear a voice in the background, an older male.

"Is it about that case again?!" He sounds pissed. "Give me the phone."

"Hi, sorry to bother you," I say anew. "I was hoping to let you know--"

"Listen," he interrupts me. "We're very busy here. I don't know what you interns think you're doing, but if there's stuff you don't understand, you ask your resident. I'm sick and tired of you lot bothering us when you're too scared to ask your resident stuff you don't understand. It's not my job to teach you, okay? We've far too much stuff to do here for you to waste our time. Sort yourself out!

"Right, I'm sor--"

He slammed the phone down on me. Jesus, I just wanted to leave a note.

It turns out 'send a memo' in this hospital means to actually write a letter to be faxed across to their lab. Except nobody told me that at orientation and it was my first day on the job.

Couldn't help but wonder what kind of sadist would work in healthcare when he so happily rips a new one on an intern on her first ever day at work as a doctor.