A VIGNETTE

 I was alone in a little room where the office supervisor had led me. I sat at the word processor, earphones on, attempting to transcribe the tape freshly handed to me ten minutes earlier by the neurologist. I thought I heard the tape say something about alpha waves, theta waves, delta waves and a general slowing of brain activity, etc. I tried very hard to catch every word as I carefully typed it. I kept pressing on the repeat pedal of the transcriber, making sure I heard the words accurately. I was nervous and had a difficult time keeping my fingers on the right keys. It did not help that a young resident doctor behind me was pacing the floor. As I loaded the tape on the transcriber, he very kindly told me not to mind his presence, take time and just do what I could to give an accurate transcript.

This was my first day at the Department of Neurology of a University Hospital in
Ohio. I was working as a Kelly Girl at various offices and this was my second assignment with the company. What possessed Kelly Girl to give me a medical transcription job, I would not understand. But I needed a job. Though I had never had transcribing experience, didn’t know medical terms except what I have heard from doctors on my own personal visits to them, I bravely took on the assignment. We needed the money desperately. I did know the difference between an EKG (electrocardiogram) and EEG (electroencephalogram), but I was definitely unqualified to transcribe an EEG reading, nor any kind of medical reading for that matter. As I sat waiting for the audio tape, I remember trying hard to remember the parts of the human body that I learned from Zoology 1 in college, focusing intently on the brain area. There were very few that I could remember. Words like the lobes of the brain, cranium, occipital, and frontal came to mind, but not much more.

I tried to ignore the sound of the resident doctor’s pacing, but it was difficult. He had explained to me that this EEG reading belonged to a young man who was shot and was fighting for his life. It would tell the doctors whether his brain waves showed life or not and with this result, the family would have to make a life and death decision. I wondered if this doctor knew that I was a complete novice at this.

After about half an hour of this excruciating ordeal, I handed the printed transcript to the doctor, who rushed it to the neurologist in charge, who in turn read it carefully and went off to the patient’s room.

At the end of my day, I trudged off to the bus stop and boarded my bus, ready for my 15-minute ride home. I was completely discouraged and exhausted physically. When Don came home from school, I told him how I felt so inadequate for my job which was supposed to be for three months. I told him that if things didn’t get better, I would just have to quit. I didn’t think I could do a good job of it. As usual, Don was very understanding and left it to me to decide what was the right thing to do.

It was with much trepidation that I returned to the hospital the following day, prepared for whatever consequences awaited me. That was a horrible job of medical transcription I did the day before. A few minutes after I arrived, the Department Manager appeared at my door. This was the boss of the office manager who assigned me the job the day before.

“Raquel, would you be interested in a permanent position with us?” she asked.

I was dumbfounded. I thought I heard her offering me a permanent position, but all I could say was, ”I beg your pardon?” as if I didn’t understand what was said.

“I said, ‘would you be interested in working with us permanently,’’ she repeated.

“Why, yes, of course, yes,” was all I could say.

“OK, then,“she said with some finality, “We’ll have to keep you as a Kelly Girl for three months because that’s their rule. Then we will change you to permanent personnel. Congratulations.”

I couldn’t understand what had happened. I was so confused and thrilled at the same time that when I got to the bus stop that afternoon, I boarded the first bus that was there, not realizing that it was going the opposite direction from my home!

To this day, I don’t understand what happened. I don’t think I was hired because of my abilities or any other logical reason. I hear people talk about “God things.” I believe it was that – a God thing!