ALAN CARLTON
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Maddie Atkins

Picture
I met a lady who works part time in practice management. Three days a week.
 
Alan: I’d love some idea of how you got where you are now, what you do now and how you see the future.
Alan: How did you finish up working for a dentist? Any dentists, dental nurses in your family background?

Maddie: No dentist whatsoever. I’m a Burnie girl and I moved down with my partner and it was completely random for me to apply for this position.

Alan: So you had no burning desire to work in dentistry?

Maddie: It was random.

Maddie: I knew a girl working in dentistry.  And she told me to apply for the job. So I went for it.

Alan: What did you expect before you turned up here? What were you expecting to do?

Maddie: I didn’t have a clue. I knew nothing about dentistry.

Alan: I assume when you were a child you went to a dentist.

Maddie: Of course.

Alan: Did you go regularly to your regular dentist?

Maddie: Yes

Alan: Did you like the dentist?

Maddie: No.
Laughter

Alan: Did you like the dental nurses?

Maddie: Yes they were nice.

Alan: You just saw a random job for a dentist and you applied for it. When you turned up for the interview how did that go?

Maddie: They were quiet cruisey. They asked me about customer service.

Alan: Is that what you have done since then?

Maddie: Yes just admin. Just been in the reception.

Alan: Do you ever go in the surgery? See what they do.

Maddie: I check it out sometimes.

Alan: Have you learnt anything about dentistry?

Maddie: Pretty much everything.

Alan: Would you like to be a dental nurse?

Maddie: Probably not. No.

Alan: Why not?

Maddie: I don’t think I could deal with the blood and stuff. The body fluids.

Alan: Is this what the dental nurses talk about at lunch time?

Maddie: They talk about all the bleeding and people coughing up their lungs. And people missing the bowl.
Laughter

Alan: What were you expecting to do on the desk?

Maddie: Dealing with patients. Booking them in. Talking to them in a nice manner.

Alan: On the phone and those that walk in. What is the difference?

Maddie: The ones directly front of you are more difficult.
Laughter

Alan: You also have to deal with the dentist and dental nurse as well as the patient.

Maddie: Everybody.

Alan: You job is dealing with people?

Maddie: Keep them all in line.

Alan: What is the most important part of your job?

Maddie: Keeping the patients happy. And the dentist happy.  And the nurse. All of the above.

Alan: What do you enjoy about the work?

Maddie: The people that work here. The people around me. Staff, nurses and patients. I build some relationships with patients.

Alan: You like to speak to them.

Maddie: Yes.

Alan: Where can you see yourself in the future?

Maddie: Still here. Working in admin. Unless I’ve moved back to Burnie.

Alan: Not branching into the surgery.

Maddie: I don’t think I’ll do that.

Alan: Because of the body fluids.
Laughter

Alan: In 20 years can you imagine your daughter as a dentist?

Maddie: Yes I’d like that.

Alan: What would you prefer her to do? Work in the surgery or reception?

Maddie: Whatever pleases her.

Alan: So long as she has good teeth.
Laughter.

Alan: Coming to work here. How is it different from what you expected?

Maddie: I thought the dentist were going to be really healthy in the staff room eat healthy food.
Laughter

Maddie: When I started working here I thought I would have to eat vegan tofu and sprouts.

Alan: Anything you’ve found out that dentists do, apart from the food they eat, that has surprised you?

Maddie: Nightguards and anti-snoring devices.

Alan: When you have people coming in do you give them advice on cleaning their teeth. What would you tell them?

Maddie: Brush twice a day.

Alan: If someone has had a filling what advice would you give them?

Maddie: They normally say when can I eat. I say you are a bit numb so be careful with hot food and drinks but you can start eating.
​
Maddie is an integral part of her dental practice and never goes in the dental surgery. If I was to sneakily move the sticky tape in her room she would immediately notice and then move it back where it belongs. She is efficient, effective and loves her work. Her work is helping everybody she encounters and putting the sticky tape in its right place. 

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  • Home
  • Photos
    • photos >
      • All Saints Church
      • Anglesea Barracks
      • Art Mob
      • Boer War
      • Botanical Gardens
      • Brooke Street Pier
      • Brunswick Hotel
      • Campbell Street
      • Castray Esplanade
      • Cenotaph
      • Constitution Dock
      • St David's Cathedral
    • photos >
      • St David's Park
      • Elizabeth St Mall
      • Elizabeth St Pier
      • Franklin Square
      • Hadley's Hotel
      • Hobart GPO
      • Hobart Congregational Church
      • Hobart Rivulet
      • Hobart Town Hall
      • Holy Trinity Church
      • Heading South Sculpture
      • Hutchins Old School
    • photos >
      • Kunanyi / Mt Wellington
      • MacQuarie Street Primary School
      • Maritime Museum
      • MacQuarie Wharf
      • Parliament House
      • Penitentary
      • Railway Roundabout
      • Regatta
      • RHH
      • Royal Visits 1868 1901 1920 1927 1934
      • Royal visit 1954
      • Salamanca Place
    • photos >
      • Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
      • Theatre Royal
      • Victoria Dock
      • Saint David's Cathedral
      • Saint David's Park
      • St George Anglican Church
    • Street art: photos >
      • Bidencope Lane
      • Criterion Collins Liverpool Streets
      • Elizabeth Street North Hobart​
      • Kemp Despard Streets
    • Streets: photos >
      • Argyle Street
      • Barrack Street
      • Bathurst Street
      • Brisbane Street
      • Brooker Highway
      • Campbell Street
      • Collins Street
    • Streets: photos >
      • Davey Street
      • Elizabeth Street
      • Goulburn Street
      • Harrington Street
      • Hunter Street
      • Liverpool Street
      • Macquarie Street
      • Murray Street
  • Places
    • Places >
      • All Saint's Church
      • Anglesea Barracks
      • Atheneum Club
      • Baha’i Centre
      • Boer War Memorial
      • Brook Street Pier
      • Brunswick Hotel
      • Boats in the docks
      • Constitution Dock
      • The Drunken Admiral
      • Franklin Square
      • Gas Works
    • Places >
      • Hadley's Hotel
      • Heading South Sculpture
      • Hobart GPO
      • Hobart Synagogue
      • Hobart Town Hall
      • Holy Trinity Church
      • Hunter Street
      • Ingle Hall
      • Old Wool Factory
      • Ordnance Stores
      • Parliament House
      • Penitentiary
      • Princes Park
    • Places >
      • Princes Wharf 1
      • Scots Memorial Church
      • Saint David's Cathedral
      • Saint David's Park
      • Saint George Anglican Church
      • St Michaels Collegiate School
      • Supreme Court
  • History
    • History >
      • Tasmanian Timeline
      • Early Tasmania
      • Mid Nineteenth Century
      • Late Nineteenth Century
      • 20th Century
      • Tasmania’s aborigines
      • Convicts
    • People >
      • John Lee Archer
      • William Bedford
      • Andrew Bent
      • Louis Bernacchi
      • James Blackburn
      • William Bunster
      • William Buckley
      • Thomas Bromfield
      • Luke Castray
      • William Champion
      • David Collins
    • People >
      • John Colvin
      • Charles Darwin
      • Governor Eadley
      • TT Flynn
      • John Franklin
      • Lady Jane Franklin
      • Charles Gaylor
      • Haig: Elizabeth and Andrew
      • Henry Jones
    • People >
      • James Kelly
      • Robert Knopwood
      • Lachlan Macquarie
      • Douglas Mawson
      • Charles McLachlan.
      • George Mure
      • Pearce: Henry and John
      • Robert Pitcairn
      • Poulett-Harris
      • Reid: Arthur and Alison
      • James Clark Ross
      • Ikey Solomon
      • Phillip Smith
      • Abel Tasman
      • Mark Twain
      • AJ White
      • Andrew and Elizabeth Haig
  • Community
    • Hobart Marathon Festival
    • Hadley's Hotel
    • history is not set in bronze
    • Wooden Boat Festival 2019
    • What do you think of Hobart?
    • Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
    • The Mountain
  • Walking Tours
    • Dave's Walking Tour
    • The Tench Walking Tour
    • Botanical Gardens Circuit
    • ​Alfred’s feeling religious walk
    • Battery Point Sculpture Trail
    • Lachlan gets to the point
    • Street art: Luffy paints the town
  • Blog
    • healing through living
    • This website
    • about another website
    • Acknowledgement
    • Contact
  • The Full Complement
    • Alan Carlton
    • Daniel Frank
    • Paul Barrington
    • Jodi Sutton
    • Jodi Sutton talks about mistakes
    • Jodi Sutton: The phone
    • Ann Heath
    • Maddie Atkins
    • Karen Wong
    • Jo-Anne Cherry
    • Jo-Anne Cherry: Retirement
    • Errol Kilov
    • Garry Owen
    • Katherine Janney
    • Jacques Cawood
    • John Chung
  • Songs
    • Forty Years Ago
    • Tomorrow
    • Clouds in the River
    • I Woke Up
    • Hold My Hand
    • Cornelian Bay Boathouses
    • Dance on the Deck
    • Eucalyptus Globulus