What is it About Seven o' Clock?

Or later?

Most people have a pretty good understanding of what normal business hours are. Eight to five, right? What are the inherent implications?

If you need to call the clinic, be it with a concern about your chronic problem or for a medication refill, perhaps you should do it during regular business hours. Calling the person on call at seven o' clock in the evening because you've been out of your glaucoma drops for three days (which you've been on for three years) is not appropriate. Calling because you have a little irritation in your eye which was operated on a month ago can be addressed during the day.

Because here's what happens when you call me while I'm on call. I don't know you from Adam (or Eve).  So I have to stop whatever I'm doing and get on the computer to look at your chart. Then I have to make recommendations on often limited information. Now it doesn't matter what I'm doing, eating dinner or seeing another patient in the ER; regardless, I am doing something. I am never staring at a wall just waiting for your call.

So next time one of these non-urgent issues arises, and it's after hours, just wait until the next day. And no, I don't make house calls, you cannot have my pager number, and you most certainly won't get my cell phone number.