My Manager told me that I talk too much, How do I socialize in a career hospital setting?

So I am in a CMA internship with the hope of using the company to pay for my imaging studies degree. I really wanted to come in and WOW them but so far, that hasn’t happened. I pick up everything very quickly, that isn’t the problem. The problem is socialization. I really like my coworkers and I try to match their tone and subject topic. I feel they tolerate me. I know coworkers aren’t my friends. They are very polite and kind. They have all worked together for years so I really do feel like a new character on season 5 of a show.

My manager told me last performance review that I was talking too much, and it was affecting work, and that I needed to work on filter with the clients, apparently I told someone during a A1C check they had big hands. The thing about being an intern is that I have an internship profile so I can’t do the day to day work things like send off controlled meds for doctor approval, answer phones, send messages, ect. They want me doing only clinical things but unless someone needs a test run/ I’m rooming someone/ I’m giving a shot/preparing a shot/ or A1C then I am just sitting there looking over my notes. We are talking literal hours of re-reading the same notes. I was previously in kitchen work where there is ALWAYS something to do. I imagine it is an environment mismatch.

I had always suspected I had ADHD and was diagnosed as a child but stopped taking the medicine as a pre-teen. This performance review was the kick in the butt I needed to get diagnosed. I am on Adderall now. I am much more focused. I started speaking a lot less. I figured well great! I am doing better. It seemed like my coworkers were being more cordial to me. I just got done with phlebotomy training (2 days, so I can do it in a pinch but absolutely not a master and need more training).

I recently had another performance review and I was told that maybe being a CMA wasn’t for me. My manager was really kind. She said that I made too many conversations with the patients when I was rooming them and not everyone wanted my life story. I asked if I had any more complaints and she said no, that the patients seemed to really like me. So I don’t know what to do with this information. I was a little bummed because I thought that I was just being friendly. When my Mom had cancer it always made her feel better to be greeted cheerily and have a small chat. I asked if my rooming time was too long and she said that my rooming time was average and didn’t need any speeding up. She said that I still have 3 months in the internship but she was considering seeing if I can be transferred as a full employee over to phlebotomy.

I really like phlebotomy and being a full employee means a pay raise and I would get more training to where blood draws would be second nature. I can’t help but feel a little bummed. I thought I was doing so much better. My second plan was to become a travel CMA so my self confidence has been mildly affected. She said that I was very smart and that the company does not want to lose me but maybe being a CMA just isn’t for me. I feel pretty petty. I think maybe I just won’t talk unless spoken to and I will just say hello to patients and get straight down to business. Forget about asking about how their day is going. The funny thing is that I know once I do this everyone would like me more in the office. I genuinely don’t know how much quieter I can get and why do my coworkers get to talk about how their days are going but I can’t?

I am polite, I am not rude, and I keep on light subjects. I am a little baffled because I thought CMA would be perfect for me. Any advice about what to do? I am seriously just about to stop talking all together since it seems not skill, not intelligence, but socialization is what I need to work on and I don’t know what to say or where to go. I seriously thought I was improving so much. Thank you!