I worked as a secretary and medical courier dispatcher for a number of years. The doctors (like most doctors) had a superiority complex that could really get on our nerves. But for the most part we just smiled and nodded when they treated us like morons for not having a MD behind our name. However, there were some just beautiful moments when they revealed just how human they were.

Once one of the doctors was at the lab and wanted to step outside for a smoke. He’d forgotten his lighter so I lent him one. He went outside and came back in about five minutes later.

Doctor: L, this lighter is broken.

Me: What do you mean? What’s wrong with it?

Doctor: It won’t work. See?

*The doctor proceeds to try and use it*

Me: Uh, it’s a child safe lighter…

*I take the lighter, flip off the safety and it works*

Doctor: Oh…

Another time I got this angry and frantic call from one of the doctors. His pager quit working and it was imperative that we send a courier to pick it up and take it to be repaired or replaced ASAP. We sent a courier over stat to get it but before I took someone off their route to get it fixed/replaced I told them to bring me the pager so I could look at it. After confirming that it did not turn on I opened up the battery compartment on the off chance the batteries just needed to be replaced. It was empty. The man had freaked out because he’d removed the batteries to his pager and surprisingly it no longer worked. New batteries fixed the problem and I had the courier bring it back to him.