Is there an identifiable doctor on board?

Editor—Like Farrell, I too have made myself known to the flight crew after that ominous call for a doctor on board.¹ On one particular occasion I was flying with an American carrier from Miami to London and made my way to a flight attendant to see whether I could help.

Before being allowed access to a young woman unconscious on the floor I was asked for my identification. Not really sure what I was expected to show, I rummaged around in my wallet for something bearing the letters Dr, and produced my BMA membership card. The flight attendant fleetingly glanced at it and I was then allowed access to “my patient,” who was still motionless on the floor.

Within a few minutes I was joined by a professor of medicine and a general practitioner, both of whom were much older than I and both presumably more knowledgeable on medical emergencies (I was a senior house officer in urology in my first year). However, when it came to deciding what we should do with our patient, I was the one who was asked to discuss things with the flight deck, and I was the one who also made the decision to turn around and fly the 1500 miles back to Canada to get our patient to a hospital.

Why me? Well, I'm not sure, but as I was leaving the plane I noticed one flight attendant turn to another and whisper—“That's one of the doctors. He was the one with some kinda British doctors' ID.”