Medical Office Assistant hard to study?

How should I bow out of a temp position in an office filled with drama?

• I am currently employed as a temp employee at a large teaching hospital as a professional research assistant. I was employed in an administrative role in the same dept for several months last year. When the need arose to fill the position with a full time regular employee, I was encouraged to apply and interview for the position. I did interview, and during the course of the questioning I was asked about future aspirations. I admitted to desiring to attend graduate school in the future, and consequently didn't get the job based upon that goal (my supervisor explicitly told me this). I left the job after training my full time regular replacement. Several months later, the supervisor of this dept contacted me again, and asked if I would be interested in a research assistant job. I was very interested and applied. I didn't get the job, because of so many other applicants with advanced degrees (this was what I was told in early spring). I have since found out, that because I had remained friendly with several other co-workers and told them that I was receiving infertility treatment this past summer, I was not hired. Another researcher was taking time out on maternity leave and apparently they didn't want to hire someone who "might" get pregnant. I was called in August to come back in as a temp, after they had fired the person they hired instead of me in the Spring. She had not been committed to the research study work, and had made a huge mess of regulatory processes. I cleaned up her mess, and took on work that I hadn't been formally trained to do. Currently, the office environment is very tense and female dominated. There is an amazing amount of personal talk about others that occurs daily. Folks are two-faced and generally self-promoting. I cry in my car on the way home almost every day. I am experiencing horrible upset stomach and acid reflux, plus my husband says that my mood has changed. In short, I am miserable. My question is what kind of guidelines should I follow in leaving this position. The temporary agency doesn't have any rules or requirements set in stone for me to follow. I am not interested in staying another day, let alone two weeks. How should I handle this?

• Answer:

  Being happy in the workplace is everything and it would appear that you are being taken for granted. I understand how much female employees can get really nasty and that is only because women are usually so competitive and want to be top dog. I can understand why they didn't employ you for the position your were interviewed for as I can understand - based on your infertility treatment- though this is illegal. Telling someone that you were going to attend graduate school was a mistake as they obviously "gilded the Lily" and passed your information on (Gaining Brownie points?) You sound as if you are a very honest person and believe that everyone else is as honest and as nice as you. Keep your information close to your chest and don't tell anyone of what your intentions are. I can sympathize with you and the way you have been treated gives you a good indication of the people who work around you. Tummy cramps can possibly be put down to stress and I think your mood changes are all about your unhappiness in your department. Don't let this nasty situation ruin your marriage - its not worth it though I am sure your husband is being very supportive. My advice would be to apply now for your Graduate School and get out of this horrible situation as quickly as you can - but don't tell anyone at work. Your current health condition could also prevent you from having your baby so working among those awful people could damage your health in the long term. I wish you all the luck in the world and hope you can find job satisfaction away from that horrible place.