This was the line I heard yesterday over the intercom 30 minutes into my flight from Minneapolis to New York, and it scared the crap out of me. I’m always freaked out that I’m going to be in a situation where I will have the most medical knowledge of anyone around, and I’ll have to use it. Luckily there were like 4 doctors on the plane; an elderly woman passed out at the back of the plane, I think from dehydration and heat (the plane was sitting on the runway for awhile, really stuffy). She was laying down in the aisle by the bathrooms.

When they made the announcement, I got this look of sheer terror on my face, hoping desperately there’d be someone else. And then my imagination started to run with it:

Me: Well, I’ve had two years of med school, but I’ve never actually treated anyone!
Flight Attendant: You’ve got to be kiddding! How can you be halfway done with medical school and you’ve never taken care of anyone?
Me: I don’t know, that’s how it works, you do your first two years preclinical, and then you take boards, and then…
FA: Okay, shut up already and help this lady!
Me: Okay, uh, get her some oxygen, and uh, water! And… stuff.
FA: We’re screwed.

The lady was sitting up and fine by the end of the flight; I hope she’s okay.

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