Doctors Share Their “Is Anyone Here A Doctor?” Stories

One of the scariest moments in your life might involve a medical emergency. Have you ever thought about what you’d do if someone in your family was in a public place and suddenly fell ill? Maybe they were injured or hurt in some way and you have to seek a doctor immediately. In that case, you might call out, “Is anyone here a doctor?” hoping for a miracle…. 

Well, these people actually experienced a real-life nightmare when similar things happened to them. Luckily, someone was able to help, whether it was a doctor, nurse, or just someone with first aid knowledge and CPR training. It’s incredible how regular people are able to be real-life superheroes in these situations and bring people back from the brink of random death. Check out what happened to these very fortunate people.

When You Think Someone Is Drunk

I was on a train the one time, and there was this guy on board who appeared to be drunk. He was clearly in some distress and was also vomiting. When I got to him in the other car, it was obvious to me that he was not vomiting because he was drunk. He was actually vomiting coffee-ground emesis: an upper GI bleed….

He was disorientated likely for the same reason, but this man was definitely not drunk. I turned him over to an ambulance at the next stop. I spoke briefly with the paramedics and then got back on the train and continued to my mother’s. This was days after I graduated. I had not yet done a residency. Reddit User: antisynthetase

Changed Out of Scrubs

I work in imaging in a large trauma hospital. I picked up some OT and was driving home after the extra shift. I then saw a truck on its top and a circle of people watching. So, I parked my car and hopped out in my scrubs. Some bystander says, “She’s a doctor!” Well, shoot. No, I’m not a doctor….

I’m not even carrying gloves for what I’m about to walk over to see. The poor driver is sitting upright against his upside-down truck with a nice degloved scalp and blood everywhere. A bystander hands me her shirt, and I use that as a makeshift barrier to hold the guy’s neck until the EMT arrives. Somebody hands me their belt. PSA: You can’t use a belt to stop head bleeding. Reddit User: herdofcorgis

High-Speed Train Rescue 

I’m not a doctor, but my mother is. We were sitting on a high-speed train for about four hours, and we’d reserved some seats for the trip. I saw a guy sitting opposite of us with a lot of folders. I assumed he needed to do a lot of paperwork for his job. After two hours, they stopped the train suddenly….

They called out and asked if there was a doctor in our part of the train. The guy and my mother stood up in seconds and looked at each other with confusion. He said, “What kind of doctor are you?” She told him she’s a cardiologist. The man replied, “Oh, thank god. I’m a gynecologist. Tell me if it’s a birth.” It was just a metabolism issue in the end. Reddit User: ThreeLeggedPugg

Hey Batter Batter, Swing!

My son was playing baseball one time, and he unfortunately took a hard grounder right to the face. From the fall, he was bleeding pretty badly. The coach, another fellow, and I all ran onto the field to take a look at him. The fellow said that he was a dentist and asked me if I was a doctor….

I said yes, I have a PhD in physics. He then gave me a funny look after I said that. We then walked my son off the field. Later on, it crossed my mind what that look was for. This guy didn’t know that I was the father. He most likely thought that I was just some smarty pants running onto the field to offer medical help. Reddit User: EaterOfFood

Forever Grateful

I’m a medical student with a doctor dad and nurse mom. Once on a holiday, we were swimming in an indoor pool. My mom was with my little sister and me. Suddenly, people started screaming, and a three-year-old was pulled out of the water, blue and not breathing. Mom immediately started the Heimlich to get the water out of the kid’s lungs….

We went to get my dad. When we got back, the kid was conscious and crying. Dad took him to the medic’s cabin and literally had to convince the guy there to give this child oxygen. Happy ending though, and we still get a Christmas card every year. In my eyes, my parents will always be heroes for that. Reddit User: shapeyoursmile

Waiting for This Moment

So, I’m not a doctor, but I was on a flight from Shanghai to Detroit one time. About two hours into the flight, an announcement comes over the PA. The guy next to me sits upright and looks around for a flight attendant. The look in his eyes said he had been waiting for this moment his entire professional life….

Once the doctor’s business had been taken care of, the flight attendants stopped by periodically to give him updates and lots of free miles. Apparently, it was a man in his twenties with a history of seizures that had never been to see a doctor about them. The older flight attendants proceeded to give the young man a stern talking to for the remainder of the flight. Reddit User: ruffas

Too Many Chefs in the Kitchen 

I was on a flight recently, and a woman started having a seizure in the row ahead of me. The flight attendants then asked if there was a doctor on board, and literally, seven or eight people came forward at the same time, including the guy sitting next to me. Apparently, there was a pediatrics conference that they were all going to….

It was a really interesting situation to be in, especially since several of the doctors had different opinions on what to do. The flight attendants were trying to help but also crowd control all the opinions, mostly because there were some things they couldn’t do legally. The lady having the seizure was fine in the end, and people were ready to check her out on landing. Reddit User: WanderingChiron

Is There a Doctor Onboard?

I’m a nurse and a midwife and lay low whenever there’s a “is there a doctor on board?” call. Once I was on a 10-hour flight. I’m still shocked that on a packed 747, I’m the best they could come up with. Fortunately, it was just a woman having severe gas pains from sitting still too long and wearing Spanx….

I told her that she needed to take her Spanx off as soon as possible and then walk around the plane for a while. What was my reward for my services? I was given a little gift bag filled with snacks and alcohol. It was so nice, but I also found it a bit embarrassing. This was the first time I admitted to being a nurse and was drafted to help out. Reddit User: [redacted]

When People Ignore Your Qualifications

I’m a nurse, and the one time I helped during an emergency situation was in a supermarket. Yes, a grocery store of all places. I couldn’t see what was happening due to a large crowd of supermarket workers, but a friend and I walked over when we heard the call for first aiders. We were both dismissed, so I figured that it was something minor….

About 30 minutes later, I’m checking out, and someone says something like, “Oh, she’s coming round.” I’m thinking what on earth is going on! I look over to see a woman who looks like death being helped up from the ground, and they were just then calling an ambulance. I’m assuming it was a seizure, but I have no idea. Thank goodness they had first aiders and not a neuro/intensive care nurse. Reddit User: imjustjurking

At the Right Place at the Right Time 

I was umpiring a high level adult league baseball game. Pitcher was fresh out of playing low D1 and throwing 88-90. Many of the other players were guys that had played either low D1 or high D3 college but now were late 20s. I took a foul tip square off the mask and went down. My partner ran to check on me….

One of the players stepped in and said he was doing his residency in neurology. They got me to the dugout and gave me as thorough of an exam as possible in that situation. I stayed in the dugout for the rest of the game, and he gave me a lift home. He confirmed I wasn’t in any imminent danger but gave my wife some instructions and called the next day to get me an appointment with a neurologist he knew. Reddit User: igotmyliverpierced

No Thanks for a Good Deed

My mom is a doctor, and I was on the tube with her. We heard over the intercom, “if there’s a doctor in the station, can you please come up to ground level.” My mom and I get up and make our way to the station entrance. A guy had slipped going up the escalator and smashed his head open….

My mom and some others helped get him off the escalator and onto the main station floor, where my mom started treating him as best she could. The ambulance arrived two minutes later, so she didn’t get a chance to do much. We then had to go find a bathroom for her to wash the blood off her hands, as the underground wouldn’t let her use their staff toilets. Reddit User: [redacted]

Our Wedding Disaster

I’m not a doctor, but this is still one of those stories. I was at my wedding; my DJ asked if there were any paramedics or doctors present. We thought he was joking, because my husband and two of our guests worked together for an EMS system. He was not joking. There was a man in the restaurant portion of the yacht club in cardiac arrest….

So, my husband, drunk and in his tux, goes into the restaurant with one of his coworkers. The other coworker goes to the bar looking for an AED. My husband and first coworker end up saving this guy, giving a full report to the ambulance that pulls up, then coming back to the reception and getting even more plastered. The second coworker never did find that AED, but she did find more drinks. Reddit User: MinagiV

Faking a Fall 

I watched a guy fake fall in the grocery store. He opened a gallon of milk, poured it on the floor, and lowered himself on top of it. He screamed, “Help me!” It was a total Oscar-worthy performance. I stood there, amazed that he didn’t look around to see if anyone was watching before pulling this stunt. Then I realized the worst….

I had just come off shift and was standing there wearing scrubs. Everyone around is looking at me like, “Hey, idiot, aren’t you going to help?” I just said, “I’m a veterinarian; let me go to the front and call for an ambulance.” I told the front desk what I saw. They reviewed their security tapes and watched what he did. I pretended my phone rang and ran out of there. Reddit User: dragonfly_for_life

CPR on the Golf Course

During my medical undergrad, I worked at a golf course in the summers. Golf courses are the perfect mix for heart attacks: big old guys having burgers and beers at 9 am, then going walking up hills in the hot sun. So, my school job required me to have extra CPR training, and it was early in the year, so the new golf course staff hadn’t been trained….

So, when a call went out on the radio for anyone with training, I was one of three employees who had it. A guy had collapsed at the bottom of a hill looking for his ball. The sous chef and I took a defibrillator out and got to work. The course was on an island, so we did CPR for almost an hour before the ambulance arrived. The guy somehow lived. Reddit User: fueledbychelsea

When No Doctors Could Help 

Before I became a doctor, I was at a plastic surgery conference, and one of the big-time surgeons was giving an acceptance speech for a lifetime achievement award when he suddenly collapsed and slid sideways off his seat a few rows in front of me. There were about 300-400 plastic surgeons in the room. Nobody knew what to do, though….

People formed a huge circle around him and started calling for things that were definitely not available in a hotel ballroom, and finally, someone had the wherewithal to call 911. Fortunately, we were right by a big academic medical center, and the EMTs showed up right away and hustled him into an ambulance. He was fine, it was a vasovagal episode, but I’ll never forget that he was a doctor in a room of doctors who completely lost their heads. Reddit User: incandesce

A Peeved Patient 

My mom is a pediatric nurse, and we were at a benefit walk for a little boy. While we were doing the walk, something, unfortunately, had malfunctioned with his colostomy bag, and his intestines popped out of the little hole area. I’m likely getting some medical device info wrong, but the main thing is that his freaking intestines popped out….

His mom calmly started asking around for doctors or nurses, and my mom came rushing over. She triaged him, or sort of, and provided some sort of bandage to minimize infection risk while they drove to the hospital. The little boy was about nine at the time. Cool as a cucumber, but was annoyed he couldn’t finish the benefit walk. Reddit User: the1janie

When Your Wife Sells You Out 

My doctor friend was on a plane with his wife when a request came on the loudspeaker for a doctor. He ignored the call because there must be another doctor on the flight, but even if there wasn’t, what could he possibly do to help in a real emergency that wouldn’t be a liability later? Well, his wife volunteered him….

So he got up to see what’s wrong. The emergency was from a mother with an infant who, while sleeping in the mother’s arms, looked as if it stopped breathing. He asked her if she tried to wake up the baby. The mother said, “No.” Then, in a raised voice, he says, “Well, wake him up!” The mother nudged the baby, who woke up. Everything was fine. It was a happy ending for all, especially the idiotic panic-stricken mother. Reddit User: MugiwaraVader

The Mix of Calming Tea and Medication 

I was on a flight with my grandparents when the flight attendant got on the speakers and asked for any medical professionals to go to the back of the plane. My granddad was a surgeon, so that included him. There was a lady who was very pale and had passed out on the flight. It turns out she had a phobia of flying and took some anti-anxiety medication before the flight….

She also took a “calming blend” of tea from some holistic shop, and that had a bad reaction with the meds she took. Even though it wasn’t alcohol, the drink still mixed with the medication adversely. These made her blood pressure plummet, causing her to pass out. They got her stabilized, and she went to the hospital after the flight. Reddit User: RenegadeSword668

The Show Must Go On 

I played Blanche in my university production of A Streetcar Named Desire. I had this pain throughout the day of the performance but didn’t go to the doctor. Thirty minutes before the production, I went to the bathroom and urinated blood. It was like it hit me at once, and I was so uncomfortable and had to go to the bathroom every few minutes….

I told my director. Our entire production was student-run, so one of the other drama kids went on the microphone and asked the audience if there was a doctor. One of our lighting techs came up and told us he was an EMT. He took my blood pressure, which was fine, but said we should call it off and send me to the doctor. It turned out to be a pretty gnarly kidney infection. Reddit User: iwannabefreddieHg

A Good Shake 

On the plane to Vegas, a woman had a blood sugar issue, according to the flight attendant. The doctor and the crew got the woman stable, and we were given priority to Vegas. We got there very early: early enough to get into Hash House a Go-Go with a reservation. A bit after we ordered, two ladies were there screaming….

They were shaking a small kid upside down. I got up and moved closer; the little girl was turning colors she shouldn’t and didn’t look good. I took her away and felt for her sternum and pulled. No luck, so I lifted harder, and soon she was screaming for her mom. The need for a doctor on the flight saved a little girl several hours later. We got a free breakfast too. Reddit User: BluesFan43

It’s Time for an Emergency Landing 

On a Turkish Airlines flight, the pilot asks if anyone’s a doctor. The guy next to me gets up and says he’s an ER doctor. Two hours after that, he’s still gone, and they turn on all the lights and say we’re making an emergency landing in Iceland. Apparently, this man sitting one section in front of us was having muscle spasms in his throat and cutting off oxygen supply….

He’d pass out, and his throat would relax, then he’d wake up, and the cycle would repeat. The doctor took one look and said, “You need to get him to a hospital or he’ll suffocate to death.” The thing that sucked the most was waiting for four hours on the tarmac and listening to a bunch of jerks complaining about it to stewardesses like it was their fault. Reddit User: poiuylkjh2345

I’m a Real Medical Professional 

At Rehoboth Beach in Delaware, a teenager collapsed, and his girlfriend ran to call 911. I was an army medic, and I assumed it was dehydration or something similar. He was very confused and obviously drunk. He was conscious, breathing, and also had a pulse. I found him some shade and a drink of water. My work was done….

This lady starts yelling, “Are you a doctor?” about a foot from my face. I say no, but he was just dehydrated, 911 was called, and things will be ok. She then runs down the boardwalk calling for a doctor. I stayed with him until the ambulance arrived, and the lady never returned with real medical attention. Reddit User: jscot18597

A Disney World Disaster

We were on Main Street in Disney World at closing time. A man was walking around as if drunk, staring at the lights on the tops of the buildings. He bumped into a photographer about to take our picture. My wife said, “Oh shoot, he’s about to seize.” Sure enough, five seconds later, he falls down and starts convulsing….

I grabbed a blanket our daughters were using in the stroller and put it under his head. My wife cleared the area and called the shots. She had to scream for a worker to go find an AED. It took about ten minutes before the on-site medical team finally showed up. Their emergency responders sure left a lot to be desired. Reddit User: CranialFlatulence

The Kindness of a Stranger 

I sat next to a guy on a plane who kept trying to chat with me. This was during the peak of my anxiety struggles. I kept brushing him off while my internal panic was setting in. I don’t know what I did to make it obvious, but he told me to calm down because he was a doctor. He said I just needed to breathe…

He then got me ice and talked to me to keep me calm and distracted. He then said that every flight he goes on, he has to do doctor duties with someone. The stewardess then asked for a doctor. He smiled at me and then went to go help a guy who was having heart palpitations. I was so astounded by his kindness. Reddit User: reaperofhope124

Getting a Clown Stabilized 

My dad is an ER doctor. We were on vacation in the Dominican Republic, which was wonderful, and one evening the show was a circus by the pool. There was a part where someone was supposed to fall and land in the pool. The guy fell on the clown on a unicycle the wrong way, cracking his skull against the pool’s concrete….

Without hesitation, my dad went over to try and do what he could to help the situation. He waited with the performer at the resort until local help arrived to assist with the accident. It was quite a show that we got that night, and we were all so lucky that my dad had the ability to help stabilize the clown until the emergency responders got there. Reddit User: PlasticPaulBunyan

This Dive Did Not Score 10/10

I used to be a volunteer EMT and did some combat medic training. I had to help on two occasions. Someone started screaming when I was at a friend’s house. We ran over, and someone had been found face down in the pool; unfortunately, this was not a situation when CPR was going to be able to bring him back….

The other time, a kid had busted his head when jumping into a pool, slipping and hitting the edge. I ran inside and grabbed the first aid kit, had someone call 911, and I bandaged the wound until the EMTs arrived. I talked to the kid to make sure he wasn’t having problems communicating and keeping him calm. Reddit User: Cards1123

This Was Not a Slam-Dunk 

At a high school basketball game, a kid jumps in the air for a rebound and comes down awkwardly on his ankle. He’s immediately in pain, and his ankle is obviously broken, evident from the unnatural angle his foot is positioned in. The trainer and coaching staff rush out and help him. On the PA speaker, someone asks if there’s a doctor….

I’ll never forget these two things about the story: the way it looked when they threw a towel over his leg (it looked so strange with this straight piece sticking up in the air) and the second being the sound of the hushed crowd. That sounds weird, but when there are 700 people being quiet, there is a sound. Reddit User: Hawk_fever2

Remember the Rules

Years ago, between graduating and getting into med school, we went on a family trip to an all-inclusive resort. Both my parents are doctors: my father’s an anesthesiologist, and my mother’s a surgeon. My parents met a couple at the resort who had two children with the same names as my brothers. The family was at the pool area one evening, and despite warning that no children under 14 were allowed in the hot tub, they allowed their five-year-old kid in….

We had just arrived, and the kid stopped breathing, going into convulsions, and then a full seizure. My parents administered CPR and got the kid breathing again. They called the hospital about the kid in advance and got the staff prepared as much as possible. The couple said they would name their next child after me to thank my parents. Reddit User: MisterMetal

An Australian to the Rescue 

I’m not a doctor, but I was with my German class at a good German place. A girl from my class started choking. She tried to drink water, and it just came spilling back out. It turns out, both a doctor and a nurse were in the place, and they ended up arguing about what to do because the Heimlich helped her a bit, but the food was still lodged….

After a minute of them bickering back and forth, a large Australian guy came over and told them they were both idiots. He flipped the sixteen-year-old girl upside down, literally. He gave her a hard whack on the back, and then the food came flying out. He then sat back down and continued to finish his dinner. Reddit User: drwombatridesagain

The 9/11 Flying Rules 

My boss was on a flight with his wife quite soon after 9/11. They were flying out of DC. After 9/11, you were not allowed out of your seat for the first 30 minutes or the last 30 minutes. They called for a doctor, but no one was getting up, as it was pretty early into the journey. My boss was too scared because of the airspace rules….

He then flagged down a flight attendant to ask to get up. He got the go-ahead, examined the person, and the flight continued. He also said that the whole time, his wife was telling him to get up because he’s a doctor. Luckily he managed to get the flight attendant’s attention in the end instead of making things much worse. Reddit User: eventhestarsburn

Do Not Remove the Sock 

My mom is a nurse, and she saw a kid get hit by a car while on a bicycle. She and some others rushed to help. My mom told someone to call 911 while she helped the kid. The kid had hurt his foot pretty badly. She described it to me as it got twisted so badly that it tore most of the skin off his food inside his sock….

She told everyone not to remove the sock because the doctors would need the skin. Some people also tried to lift his head, but she stopped it so he wouldn’t see his foot and start panicking. You’re apparently not meant to let people see their wounds because it could cause a lot of panic. He ended up being fine apart from his really messed up foot! Reddit User: Nateshat

From a Car Crash to a Birth 

I’m not a doctor, but I’m a pharmacist. Someone ran in the pharmacy screaming, “Is there a doctor in here?” I ended up running outside because I was as close as they were going to get, and I also know CPR and first aid. I saw a car halfway up on the curb. I thought that the car had crashed….

It turns out there was a woman giving birth in the back seat. I ended up birthing a baby while her husband stood horrified on the sidewalk. At that moment, I remember wishing I hadn’t offered up my services and also that I didn’t think I’d end up covered in baby slime when I went into work that day. All was well with the mother and child. Reddit User: pharmerK

Grocery Store Fiasco 

One time, my husband and I were at a grocery store, and he went into a full-blown grand mal seizure. He was not epileptic and had never had a seizure before. As he went down, I tried to break his fall. I tried to ask what was wrong and then started yelling for a doctor in the store. There were no doctors….

There were two off-duty paramedics. They rushed to help my husband; then, one ran to call an ambulance. My husband later scoffed at me for thinking a doctor would be at the grocery store; I told him doctors have to eat too. Anyway, that’s my story from the other side, and I was truly grateful for those paramedics Reddit User: NuttyMama

Not the Real Kind of Doctor 

I was dating a nice lady who had just been awarded her PhD in environmental science. We went out for a meal with some friends, most of whom have also gotten a PhD. There was a loud round of congratulations and an evening of calling everyone doctor. Halfway through the meal, a gentleman started to have a seizure and ended up collapsing….

Due to the obvious misunderstanding, the waitress asked our table for help. They tried to explain they’re not that kind of doctor. I worked in construction and ended up applying first aid, as it’s a requirement of my job. I got the guy in the recovery position until the ambulance arrived. Our bill was waived, and they referred to me as the real doctor for the rest of the night. Reddit User: madboater

Shutting the Door on Medical Treatment 

I was staying in a hotel room with colleagues for a conference in 2011, and the kids across from me were playing around in the hallways. Now, these hotel doors are heavy and close on their own, so they constantly had to be propped open, or they would close. One of the kids left his fingers in the doorway while looking into the other room….

The door snapped shut, crushing his fingers, and sliced off the tip of one of them above the first joint. The kids panicked, and there wasn’t an adult nearby. Nobody was doing anything, so I ended up grabbing his finger to apply pressure and asked someone to get ice. A little while later, we got the ice and put his hand in and 911 responded with some paramedics. Reddit User: [redacted]

Going Down the Doctor Rabbit Hole 

I was in line for the Alice in Wonderland ride at Disneyland. All of a sudden, this woman starts screaming for them to stop the ride because her kid is stuck. From where I was, you could see the kid’s leg being dragged under the ride car. Out of nowhere, this older gentleman comes running and hops the small fence to get to the little girl.

He shouted he was a doctor. It turns out her pants got caught in the ride wheels, but she was fine. He got her untangled, and the ride shut down while the Disney medical staff looked her over. The funny thing was that while he was walking away, he couldn’t get back over the fence. It shows what adrenaline can do to you. Reddit User: KillisGirl

The Subway Scene You Won’t Forget 

I was on a crowded subway with my wife and friends in New York. As we got close to our destination, the subway stopped for a long time. I then realized our car was the reason. A small circle had formed a few feet away from me, where a woman had collapsed. My friend told me, and I rushed over…. 

It turned out this older woman had collapsed from hypoglycemia. I ended up starting chest compressions after she was unresponsive with no pulse, but they ended up being effective enough to wake her. Several passengers offered up juice and sugary foods, which made her feel much better. The police and paramedics arrived shortly after, and she was taken for further care. Reddit User: dhslax88

When a Surgeon Is on Vacation 

This happened a month ago when my wife and I were in Belize. We were on a cruise with a bunch of spoiled rich kid brats who had just graduated high school. Around 10:30, the first kid blacked out as her mom said, “Two shots of tequila.” Forty-five minutes later, she was foaming from her mouth…. 

Her mom then screamed, “Is anyone here a doctor?” The man sitting in the ocean with me said to me, “I’m an emergency room surgeon, but I’m on vacation” and continued to drink his beer. He clearly didn’t feel anything toward the situation, because the kids were just disrupting his holiday in the first place since there were thirty of them! Reddit User: AllSodiumDiet

If It Wasn’t for My Wife

My wife is a nurse. One night, we were at a billiards spot having a few drinks with friends, and this lady started having seizures. She was sitting on a bar height stool and fell to the floor, hitting her head. I grabbed my wife and pointed in the direction of where the lady fell. My wife had a few drinks but felt she needed to help….

She managed to get herself to sober up by actually punching herself in the face. She went from drunk to sober in just ten seconds. Lucky she did that, though, as no one else knew what to do for her. The bartenders didn’t know what to do; everyone seemed to just be in shock. According to my wife, the lady could have died if she didn’t run to help her. Reddit User: Boricuamo

Getting a 100,000 Airline Mile Reward

This one time, I was on the dreaded red-eye flight from Seattle to DC. I was flying with my mother-in-law and also the rest of my wife’s family. The reason we were on the red-eye is that my father-in-law is pretty stingy and saves every penny. So, my mother-in-law was a doctor. Then the intercom came on, asking for a doctor…. 

My mother-in-law ran up to the FA station, and it turned out that an old woman had a heart attack and was literally busy dying right there. She did CPR on the old woman and revived her, and the plane carried on its merry way. American AL gave her 100,000 airline miles for helping out. Reddit User: Penelepillar