Wait, They Actually Called For A Doctor? These Stories Got Wild Fast

Not a doctor, just very Jewish. During Saturday services, a man suddenly collapses on the bimah. The rabbi checks on him while the president calls out for a doctor. Suddenly, fifty people stand up - turns out it's a wealthy crowd full of medical pros. Then the president yells, "Wait! Cardiologist?" Only three dash forward. The guy had a major heart attack but lived to tell tales.

Not the doctor here, but my wife is the hero. Early in our dating days, we went to a screening of 127 Hours (yeah, the James Franco saws-off-hand flick). During the tough scene, a guy near us collapses, gasping for air. My wife leaps into action even though she'd barely graduated med school. She’s checking vitals and keeping calm as the movie soundtrack screams on. Someone else also collapses! She ends up running triage till paramedics arrive. Meanwhile, I'm handling the Q&A like a pro. That night? Total legend status for both of us.

My mom was on a long flight when the lady beside her started having a cardiac arrest. The captain asks for doctors, and guess what? A whole team of cardiologists on their way to a conference happen to be onboard, with their gear packed in carry-ons! They stabilized the woman almost instantly. Honestly, better than waiting on an ambulance on the street.

My flight was delayed forever, so my friend and I got wasted at the bar before boarding. I planned to just nap drunk on the plane until the "Is there a doctor?" call came. I’m a PA with over 20 years under my belt but pretty wasted. Nobody volunteers, so I confess I’m a wasted PA. They whisk me back to an old guy who looked dead but had a faint pulse. No fancy tools, just my gut - and OJ from a juice box. Bam! Dude wakes up. Flight goes on, crowd cheers, and I get... drink coupons. Best tip ever, right?

My wife was on a plane when they asked for a doctor. She’s an eye specialist and initially refused to volunteer - until it turned out the passenger had an eye injury. Then she was all in.

I had just come back from the dentist (mouth totally numb) and rushed to a stroke Code Blue. Tried to get the patient to puff out his cheeks and stick out his tongue for a neuro exam, but I couldn’t do it myself - the numbness made me totally useless! Embarrassing, but the patient was fine.

On a flight over Greenland, a dentist rushed to help a sweating passenger with stomach pain. His expert verdict? No emergency, just fly on. Then a psychiatrist steps in, checks the guy, and says land *now*. The plane lands, the guy’s rushed to the hospital with a burst appendix. Dentist went from hero to red-faced bystander real quick.

At a college Halloween party, some dude passed out from what was rumored to be a cocktail of Xanax and booze. Luckily, there was a guy dressed as a doctor with a stethoscope checking if he was breathing. Not quite the medical emergency team, but close enough!

Not my story, but a few days ago on a flight an elderly woman started choking for several minutes. Flight attendants pretty much ignored it despite passengers' frantic warnings. Luckily, a doctor jumped in and gave her the Heimlich maneuver just in time.

A classic! Someone yells "Is anyone here a marine biologist?" instead of a doctor. No one knows why, but it's a solid curveball in medical emergencies.

In my town, the school superintendent insists on being called Dr. even though he's just got a PhD. During the 4th of July parade, a lady faints nearby, and people yell for a doctor. Do you think they looked around? No - they all pointed at him shouting, "He’s a Dr.!" The guy froze, looked like a deer in headlights, then speed-walked away. Since then, he’s fine with being 'superintendent.'

Got a classic plane story for you. My aunt’s lungs collapsed mid-flight. Luckily, a doctor on board basically used a coat hanger to stab her and put tubes in. Yes, really. They saved her life, and the whole thing hit the papers. Crazy, right?

My boss is a prostate cancer surgeon, and once on a flight to a conference, a man had a heart attack. They asked "Is there a doctor?" so he stepped up - even though his specialty is nowhere near the heart. He checked the guy, got him to take his meds, and convinced the pilot to land ASAP. The patient survived, but helping on a plane? Definitely not like being in the hospital.

At Ultra music festival, a girl starts seizing right in front of me. I wasn’t really sure what to do besides protect her airway and call EMS. Before that, my nickname was Captain America (one of the only Americans in our group). After this, I became Dr. Captain America. Not really saving lives, but hey, cool name.

My uncle was driving when a lady pressed her luck driving close and slammed into a pickup truck. Her neck bent in the craziest way, and she collapsed. Out of the handful of neurosurgeons nearby, my uncle was one and stabilized her until paramedics arrived. Talk about being in the right place at the right time.

Not a doctor, but I was the one needing one. On a flight from Philly to San Francisco, I drank a bit too much. I went to the bathroom and just two steps in, blacked out. I woke up to a doctor hovering over me and felt incredibly thankful. Liquid breakfasts can get wild!

This is my friend Ricky’s tale. Freshly minted doctor, visiting his girlfriend, and he’s on a plane when the crew asks for a doc. He admits he’s brand new and nervous. Turns out, no emergency - just checking. The crew found another doctor, then brought him a beer for being honest. Rookie wins!

On my way to nursing classes, I spot a serious head-on crash: a Ford Focus versus a big truck. The Ford driver is bleeding from her forehead and screaming. The passenger is unconscious. The truck driver is fine. I grab gloves and a first aid kit, but quickly realize I’m way out of my league. So I wait for the ambulance and head off to classes.

On a crowded plane right before take-off, a man has a horrible nosebleed. I step in to help, even though the crew lacks the right stuff to stop it quickly. After what felt like forever, bleeding stops. The steward assures me the passenger won’t fly unless I say so. Fellow doctors on the plane salute me. The poor guy gets an ambulance waiting at his destination. Everyone’s happy.

During my college reunion orientation, they said if there's a medical emergency, chances are an alum doctor will be nearby. Sure enough, at dinner someone started choking, and I ran to grab my boss - just in time to see the problem already being handled. Orientation nailed it!

Midway through third year med school, I was on a red-eye when people shouted 'Is there a doctor?' I spotted some older men helping a vomiting passenger and thought they were docs, so I went back to sleep. Turns out, no med pros were actually on board, and the guy got help before takeoff. Should’ve fessed up, but whoops!

During a large family weekend, we were woken by pounding on the door - someone had a cardiac arrest. My aunt, a psychologist, was there and did CPR for 20 minutes until the ambulance arrived. Me? I showered and made coffee for breakfast. Hey, you do what you can.