Dorothy

I worked in doctors offices or hospital clinics in Burlington/Oakville for over 20 years before moving to Australia. Only one GP and for a very short time, but in every office we always closed and locked the door for at least a 30 minutes break. Phones went to the machine or were put on hold for toilet breaks and definitely to voicemail (or the answering service in the old days) for lunch.

I'm sure if you speak to the doctor he/she will agree that you are entitled to a break. If not then it's probably not where I would choose to work. There's a medical secretaries association in Halton. If youcan I would recommend joining. It's a great place to network and find jobs that are not advertised but who you know. It's how I got my last 2 jobs in Canada.