Well, I didn't think I'd want to make another journal entry but here I am! For any that really care to know I spent a year and a half taking a medical transcription course and I recieved my certificate in February. Since then I've been trying to find a job; I applied at every doctor's office here in town as well as to three of the regional health authorities to no avail.

Finally, the week before last I recieved a call about an online application I had filled out (one of hundreds) and they wanted to know if I could journey down to Surrey, BC to take a test and interview. I made the appointment for the following Friday (last friday) and studied every day trying to cram 300 medical abbreviations into my head.

The day of the interview I was so nervous I almost puked. I memorized all 300 abbreviations and when I got in to do the testing I knew I did bad. My spelling, which is usually impeccable went totally to shit. I mispelled IMMOBILITY, thinking there was only one "m" even though I -knew- there were two. I typed much slower then I normally did and ended with a top speed of 86wpm.

Afterwards I went to another department to perform the actual interview and was surprised that they made me do dictations. So for an hour I fiddled with a pain in the butt foot-pedal and program which I was not familiar with and ended up getting 4 1/2 of the dictations transcribed almost in entirety. After the interview questions (you know the 'what is your strongest skill' stuff) I walked out KNOWING I did awful. I was almost in tears especially after I got the "well, we'll let you know" (read: Don't call us we'll call you).

It turns out that the hiring manager liked me more then I thought b/c she called my cell phone (which was with my mother at the time) and told her to tell me to come back to the office. So when I recieved the message I ran back and found out that I did better at the transcriptions then she (and I) had thought so she was sending my file on further down the line.

On monday they called again to get references and after a battle with them for coworker references (I have never worked anywhere else) they accepted two references; one from my old school counsellor and one from a marketing teacher I had in HS. Both said wonderful things about me because I got the job.

Starting April 3rd I'll be working for a hospital down on the coast (New West for any interested) and I'm actually going down tomorrow because I have to look at an apartment on Saturday. Thank god for supportive parents who are footing the bill for most of this (apartment, first months rent, utilities, and grocery money until I get my first paycheque).

Now, to finish working on packing the huge amounts of stuff I have. Eek!

~Halo
(The Professional now heh)