The line forms here---or there.

 Even though you have an appointment at your doctor's or medical provider's office, you have to go though a process to gain entry to care. We know that is true. Some offices are busy, with patients awaiting their scheduled appointments. Other offices may have none or a few patients ahead of you in the office. 

Each office has its own procedure for getting the patient to their medical visit: (1)  Patient may  be able to go directly to the window or desk to sign in to verify their visit and be ushered to their appointment. (2) patient may be able to take a number from a dispenser, and then sit and wait to be called in. (3) Patient is greeted upon entry to the office and handed a number, no need to stand in line to get the number.

 I have been a patient with a a medical appointment many times, and so have spent many hours "waiting to be seen." Sometimes the wait is longer than we'd like, but we know there are lots of reasons, so we patiently sit and wait; we do have our phones. We all understand, no problem.

 However, there is one medical office where  I find "getting to the appointment window" to be quite offputting even though the wait may not be long. Here it is:

 Patient walks through the door on the side of the office. The customer service desk is along the front of  the room, with 3 or maybe 4  sign-in windows. There are signs placed near the seating and above the sign-in desk advising (or warning) incoming patients that they are to WAIT TO BE CALLED by standing in one of the lines.  Sometimes those check-in lines have quite a few patients ahead of you, other times, maybe none or a few.  Regardess, even if no one is in line, you are advised not to appraoch the desk UNTIL you are called. Those behind the desk often tend to be busy with paperwork or other office tasks.  Ironically enough, that office is a cardiology office.