I want to share a concern about my interaction with the medical assistant during my visit.
From the beginning, the interaction didn’t feel particularly welcoming. When she called my name to bring me back, I greeted her and asked how she was doing. She responded, “I’m fine,” without really acknowledging the greeting beyond that or returning the question. I normally wouldn’t make an issue out of something like that by itself, but it stood out because the interaction became increasingly uncomfortable from there.
My main concern happened during the specimen collection.
To be clear, I specifically requested to do my own swabs. Self-swabbing isn’t new to me. I’ve done it during medical visits throughout the years and was completely comfortable collecting my own samples.
There were two different swab kits. One was simple and familiar, and I had no problem completing it. The second kit was different from anything I’d previously been asked to handle myself. In addition to collecting the swab, there were extra steps involving liquid, breaking or activating part of the kit, and transferring or pouring something. I had never had to do those additional steps myself before.
I explained this to the MA several times and asked specific questions because I wanted to make sure I was doing it correctly. While I was still trying to understand the process, she repeatedly seemed ready to walk out of the room rather than staying and helping me understand the unfamiliar steps. She kept telling me to “just read the instructions.” When I continued explaining that I’d never had to do this part before, she told me I was “thinking too deep into it.”
I wasn’t confused about how to self-swab. I was asking for help with a collection kit and additional steps I’d never performed before.
Ultimately, I went ahead and completed both swabs to the best of my ability. The familiar one was fine, but I knew I had messed up the kit with the additional steps. That’s exactly what I had been trying to avoid by repeatedly asking for help in the first place.
Beyond the specimen issue, the way the MA communicated with me made an already uncomfortable and personal medical visit more uncomfortable. Her tone became dismissive and argumentative, and at times I felt talked down to rather than helped.
She was also speaking loudly while we were discussing sensitive medical information. I specifically asked if we could not speak so loudly because the walls are thin. I didn’t feel that her volume meaningfully changed after I expressed that concern.
Eventually, I became uncomfortable enough with the interaction that I asked her to have the doctor come back into the room after I returned from the restroom.
When the doctor returned, I explained what had happened, including my confusion about the unfamiliar kit and my interaction with the MA. She listened, understood what I was trying to explain, apologized for the experience, and helped me with the specimen issue.
I really appreciated the doctor’s response. She didn’t dismiss what I was saying or make me feel like I was being difficult. She listened and handled the situation in a way that made me feel much more comfortable.
I want to be clear that I’m not submitting this simply because the MA wasn’t particularly friendly. I don’t expect every employee to have the same personality or communication style. My concern is the overall experience: the unwelcoming demeanor, repeatedly appearing ready to leave while I was still asking specific questions, telling me to “just read the instructions,” telling me I was “thinking too deep into it” after I repeatedly explained what I didn’t understand, the dismissive and demeaning tone, and continuing to speak loudly while sensitive medical information was being discussed after I expressed concern about privacy.
What bothered me most is that I was genuinely trying to make sure I handled the specimen correctly. I knew how to self-swab, which is why I requested to do it myself. I simply hadn’t encountered the additional steps required by one of the two kits. I asked for help several times, didn’t feel that I received it, and then ended up making a mistake with that kit after trying to figure it out myself.
Patients should feel comfortable asking questions when something is unfamiliar, especially during a sensitive medical visit. Being unsure about one part of a medical collection process shouldn’t result in someone feeling rushed, dismissed, talked down to, or embarrassed for continuing to ask for clarification.
I hope this feedback is taken seriously and used constructively to address patient communication, privacy, and making sure patients receive appropriate assistance when they have questions about an unfamiliar collection process.
