Ashford Interview.
The Non Interview.
During the first part of my internship as a pathology intern due to being out of sync with the academic year (see previous episodes of that era), I was scanning the medical journals looking for suitable positions to complete my hospital residency and obtain full licensure. I found what I was looking for in Ashford, Kent and was required to to come from Dublin for an interview. The post was for an Emergency Room/ Orthopedics intern and the head of orthopedics wanted to interview me before offering me the job. The hospital offered to pay my expenses to make the journey at the cheapest possible rate. The salary was to be twelve pounds a month, very little, even in those days. It was virtually slave labour and the only thing that made it possible for me to exist at that income level was that a furnished apartment came with the job. The interview involved taking an overnight boat from Dublin to Liverpool and then traveling by train to Ashford. I had taken the Dublin - Liverpool lap before on several occasions as a student, but this was the first time I was able to afford a cabin. Well, it was more of a cell than a cabin, a little boxy room with a bed, a porthole and a wash-hand basin, but I thought it the essence of luxury. I dumped my case in the cabin and went up on to the deck to watch the boat steam out of the harbour as the setting sun dipped down towards the horizon, throwing out a shimmering silver carpet straight at me. I turned up my collar to protect me against the cold November wind. The damp cold penetrated my reverie and made me seek the warmth and comfort of the lounge, where I ordered a beer and lit up a cigarette. I watched the animated antics and listened to the cheerful chatter of the drinking groups for a while, then got up and went to my cabin, got into bed and slept like a baby until I was awakened a few hours later by the boat docking in Liverpool.
The train to Ashford in Kent left at about seven in the morning. I'd had time to have a cup of tea and a cheese roll before boarding the train. As the train puffed its way across the scenic Kentish countryside I stood by the window looking out at field upon field of rusting Spitfires.
An older man standing beside me said, "Hard to believe all that rusting metal and a bunch of eighteen year old kids flying them won the bloody war for us and now you can buy one for a hundred pounds!"
I arrived in Ashford and took a taxi from the station to the hospital and made my way to the administrators office. Mr Singleton was a tall lean man who walked with a limp assisted by a cane. He had been a world War 2 fighter pilot who was shot down in 1944 and spent the remainder of the war in a prison camp. Although he must have been in his fifties now, his deportment and accent betrayed him as an officer and a gentleman.
"Ah, Smith, nice to make your acquaintance," he said, grasping my hand in a firm handshake. "Weren't you supposed to come tomorrow ?"
"I don't think so, sir,"I said anxiously. "I'm sure it was today."
Mr. Singleton perched his reading glasses on his nose and studied his appointment book.
"'Yes, you're quite right, it was to be today. Pity, Mr Bailey (the orthopedic surgeon who was to be my boss) is operating in Dover today. I thought you were coming tomorrow for some reason. ( I suspected that Mr. Singleton had told the surgeon the wrong day,) Anyway, I'll phone him later, perhaps we can conduct the interview over the phone,"he said hopefully. "Otherwise you'll just have to stay over another day,"
I hoped that wouldn't happen. I was going to be away two nights as it was, and I had to be back to work the following day.
"It's just about lunch - time," said Mr. Singleton. "Let me take you over to the cafeteria for a bite to eat. I'm sure you must be hungry after your long trip."
"That would be nice," I said.
We walked out of the office, turning left down a long corridor towards the end of which was the hospital cafeteria. As we walked and then stood in line Singleton gave me a brief history of the hospital and its sister hospital in nearby Willsborough. We took our loaded trays to a table close by.
"Are you from around here, sir?"
"Well, actually I'm from London but when war broke out in 39, I joined the RAF and was posted to Biggin Hill, not far from here, one of the biggest RAF bases in the south of England. In fact, we were the first group to shoot down a thousand enemy aircraft." He stopped and seemed lost in thought for a few moments, smiled and then went on.
" You could stand on the front steps of this hospital and watch the dog fights of the Spitfires and Messerschmitts Bf 109s overhead. Although everything was supposed to be top secret, everyone knew about it and we had a celebration party the likes of which you just couldn’t imagine. We felt we had played a big part in winning the war in the air. All the bigwigs from London came down to celebrate." He couldn’t hide the pride he felt for a moment, and then went on.
"Soon after that I was shot down over enemy territory, but that's another story. Anyway, I don't know why I'm boring you with all this ancient history. We'll take a walk around the hospital and grounds after lunch and after that we'll give Mr. Bailey a call."
Mr Singleton walked me around the hundred bed hospital and then around the attractive grounds.
"All these trees," he smiled , "grow the most glorious Victoria plums, so you'll never go hungry. At least not in the summer." He laughed, while I quite seriously registered a limitless supply of plums as a definite asset. Plum jam, plumb tarts, plumb cobbler, plumb crisp, plumb cobbler and even fresh plumbs.
Then he continued,
"Right across this orchard here is the backyard of one of the two houses that belong to the hospital and are allocated to the house-staff. They front on to Western Rd. I'll show you the one you'll live in."
I noted with reassurance that Singleton was talking as though I already had the job. It was one of those occasional bright sunny cold dry days that allowed us to walk across the orchard among the bare trees without getting our feet soaked. We walked into the backyard of a good - sized two story nicely kept house.
"You'll have the upstairs flat, the pediatrics intern, Dr. Bonita and her family have the downstairs flat. When you get to know her, she'll probably invite you and your family for the best curry you've ever tasted. She usually does that for the new staff. She's been here longest."
They entered through the backdoor and went up several stairs to a bright roomy second story that was sparsely but adequately furnished. The living room at the front of the house was large and well-lit and had a fireplace and sitting area at one end and a dining area at the other. There was a long corridor, at the end of which was the bedroom. I noted with satisfaction that there was plenty of room for a crib. Just before the bedroom, a door to the right opened into the kitchen.
"I hope you'll like it," said Mr. Singleton. It's not too bad."
"Yes, it's very nice," said I.
I was absolutely ecstatic. Irene would be so happy. After four months living in an awful rented house, with no hot water this was like a palace. Even though I hadn't had my interview yet, the way things were going it looked as though I would be getting the job.
"Let's go back to my office now and see if we can get hold of Bailey. Perhaps it will be sufficient to hold the interview over the phone."
He got hold of Mr Bailey and I could imagine the conversation just from hearing one side of it.
"Yes, yes, fine" Singleton responded to what I conjectured must have been an inquiry as to whether I looked alright. The one sided responses seemed to be the reply to questions regarding my suitability.
"He'd like to have a word with you," Mr Singleton said, extending the telephone to me .
I stood up and took it.
"Hello Smith here."
"I'm here operating at Hythe General Hospital today, so I'm quite a distance away. I'm afraid there was some confusion about the day. I gather that Singleton has given you all the details about the job?"
Singleton had pointed out that as the Orthopedic Intern I would also be the Emergency Room physician on the days when Bailey was not operating. I would also be looking after his pre and post operative patients.
"Yes sir,"
"Good, and he informs me that your documentation is all in order."
"Yes sir."
"Well then I don't think we really need to drag you all the way to Hythe for an interview. That would require that you spend an extra night and I'm sure you're anxious to get home as soon as possible at this time of the year."
He disregarded that I had traveled a night and a day for this interview.
"And you'll manage to get here in time to take call around New Year's day? We're a bit short of house staff."
( I have already described that in another post).
"Yes sir," I replied obsequiously.
Then I got my things together for my trip home. It was a very satisfactory non interview!
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