Unreasonable.

One of my biggest pet peeves is when someone wrecks my lunch breaks for no reason. I don't mind missing my lunch because I am in theatre or doing something productive. Actually I don't mind if I'm in clinic and I have to delay my lunch...but what really drives me mental is when someone makes me MISS my lunch when it really didn't need to be missed.

I don't know if I am just being unreasonable or uncooperative, but essentially here's the story:

One week ago I gave notice that I have to attend a compulsory observation session at a clinic which is quite far away. I asked the secretary who does up my schedules if it will be possible for me to leave slightly earlier so I have some travel time and a time for me to eat my lunch. I was told by the secretary that it will be okay and she has left a note for the GP who I will be following in the morning.

Fast forward to today. I made sure I arrived early and kindly asked the GP if I could leave at 11am so I could go to my session at 12:30pm. Clinic usually ends at 11:30am so it wasn't like I'm asking to get off 2 hours early. It was simply just leaving 30 minutes early which is equivalent to seeing 2-3 patients. Despite seeing the note left for the GP about me leaving early, I was then given a fairly rude look and essentially was told why I can't leave after clinic (11:30am ish). Still maintaining my composure, I told the GP that I need to go home and drop off my car and then make my way to the other clinic (which has no parking hence I need to take the bus), and that I would like to have a bit of time to have some lunch as well. The drive home probably takes about 20-30 minutes depending on traffic, then another 30 minutes to travel to the other clinic. That would leave me about 30 minutes lunch break...which isn't unreasonably long. I explained this to the GP and she essentially didn't even listen and proceeded to interrupt me. She went on how I can leave at 11:30am and have my lunch on the go while traveling to the other clinic. I was obviously fuming as I do not understand what is the importance of me staying for an extra 30 minutes. Either way I just sit there and day dream as I don't do anything in clinic. I just sit and listen...and try to stay awake. I think the most annoying bit was the rude attitude the GP gave me first thing when I asked to leave early almost giving me the vibe that she's the "know it all - who are you to leave early" attitude. Hate it when people get all arrogant like that. I asked for permission a week in advance and again I'm only leaving 30 minutes early.

What also drove me mental was in the last 30 minutes of clinic....one patient needed a sick note/letter and another patient needed a wound to be checked for possible infection. Wow...that was surely useful....I couldn't help but give the GP a look of: "You seriously kept me an extra 30 minutes to see these things?!" Once the clinic was done all you could see behind me was a cloud of dust. Raced home and raced back out to clinic. No lunch. No snack. Didn't even have time to drop off my car keys. By the time I got to the other clinic...I felt like I was going to faint. I was starving and I had a smaller breakfast than usual as I thought I would be having an earlier lunch.

I mean I think the GP was being highly unreasonable and very inflexible especially when I had a valid reason and a reason which was something the medical school required me to attend. I wouldn't even care if I had to miss my lunch because an operation overran and we had to skip lunch so we will stay on time plus the consultant starves with you. I swear this GP did not help me with my experience with this placement so far. To most, if not all of you, you probably think this is such a small thing...why the heck is it bothering me so much. My tolerance for this placement is getting very thin and I am starting to really lose motivation in even putting in effort.