Appointments

I don’t pick up my calls anymore, unless I know it is from family and a close group of friends or expected calls. I know this sounds strange but there are people calling / scrapping / emailing  me all day to talk about the most obvious things under the blue sky. Most recently there have been people contacting me for:

1. To inquire about what courses they should take for the upcoming semester (I don’t know… what are your interests? )
2. To ask about the weather around philadelphia region (puhleese visit accuweather.com)
3. a couple of wrong numbers (yeah… I didn’t believe that you can dial a wrong number in USA)
4. What to wear for USMLE exams (apparently dyslexia is very common among international applicants. There are guidelines and information on the USMLE website)
5. How many interview calls I got (the numbers don’t matter. You should be confident enough in yourself and understand that everyone has a unique profile. Different programs are looking for different people).

Then there are emails asking about the same questions and more:

1. Can you suggest what degree I should study / what job I should search for in USA? (I’m not the best judge of your academic / professional capabilities)
2. Is GRE required to study masters in USA? ( you need to see a career counselor )

There are calls from patients of my research study who call up to ask whether their gift cards have been mailed or not (it clearly says on the survey questionnaire – give us 4-6 weeks for time for processing). I don’t get frustrated at them though, they’re just asking for their fair share of the deal.

I sincerely try my best to address all of the concerns but sometimes, all the communication is just too overwhelming. People (distant friends and acquaintances) have started complaining about me being unresponsive and sometimes passive aggressive. Let me clarify myself and introduce some self imposed rules for calling me (unless you’re in my inner circle):

1. Please search online before asking me for any type of help
2. Consider the time when you’re calling me. I work from 6:30 AM in the morning to 8:30 PM in the evenings. It is not polite to talk personal things at work and I’m usually very busy. I WILL NOT PICK UP PERSONAL CALLS DURING WORK HOURS.
3. I can understand that sometimes it is imperative that a personal call needs to be made during those hours. In that case, please email me at least 1 day in advance so that I can make changes in my days schedule.
4. Consider the time zone difference when calling me. Calls after 10:30 PM are generally not entertained. I’m far too tired to be on the cell for another 10-20 minutes
5. Also consider the fact that I use up cell plan minutes while we’re talking. Try to call me using free numbers (At&t) or during the nights or weekends (after 9 PM Eastern time).

If you’re still ranting about why I don’t pick up your calls, reply to your emails, etc. , be patient, try calling at a different time.

Tags: Asides, Work