TLDR: my mum was the only paediatric neurologist in a clinic; her boss refuse to negotiate
My 58 years old mum just quit her job after working for 17 years at the same place. She is a paediatric neurologist and worked at a public clinic. When she started the job, there were other 3 people with the same place. They eventually quit or retired and their patients were assigned to my mum, which means she had less time and less appointments with them that she would like (because she was basically doing the job of four doctors), but kept hanging on because she like the job and cared about her patients.
Yesterday, she noticed a new kid at her schedule. Revising their medical records, she realizes the kid only have psychiatric issues, never neurological ones. Thinking that I was mistake, she went to talk with her boss.
Her boss told her the pediatric psychiatrist just quite, so they put their patients on my mother’s scheduled. My mum told her boss that she would not be able to see the psychiatrist patients because that WAS NOT her specialty and she wasn’t trained to deal with those kind of issues (on top of already dealing with work originally done by four people). Her boss basically told her that she (the boss) was the one that controlled my mum’s schedule and to suck it up and tend to everyone that was sent to her.
Today, my mum gave her her three week notice and made sure to tell her boss she was the reason they now won’t have any paediatric neurologist.
I’m just baffled by her boss actions. My mum was the ONLY doctor from a speciality that has a huge shortage of people. She is over 50 and already overworked. You would think she was a cherished employee and had some negotiation power, but no. They would rather risk her leaving.
I’m sorry for her patients, but I wholeheartedly support her decision.