History Main / DoctorsOrders

* In ''HarryPotter'', Madam Pomphrey asserted herself quite strongly in ''The Prisoner of Azkaban'' when authority figures wanted to speak to students in her care.

No matter what exalted position their patients hold, and what power the patient has over the doctor in non-medical matters, in their field of expertise, doctors are adamant that they are in charge. This does not mean that the patient will actually obey -- even the ReasonableAuthorityFigure may defy him for reasons of state -- but the doctor will regard it as being a bad patient, not their exercising rightful authority.

* A plot point in the ''Series/HoratioHornblower'' MadeForTVMovie ''[[TheMutiny Mutiny]]'' involved the officers of the HMS ''Renown'' having to convince the ship's doctor to declare Captain Sawyer medically unfit to command due to his slipping sanity.

* There was a US Supreme Court Justice [[hottip:*:they serve until they retire or die, whichever comes first]] who had an agreement with his doctor: he would serve until the doctor said he was getting too senile to be able to render decisions. As soon as his doctor told him that, he announced his retirement. (I don't remember which one though; it was a [[ExamplesAreNotRecent relatively recent]] one, like in the past 15-20 years.)

** It's most likely John Paul Stevens (age 90 at retirement in 2010). The only other Justices who have retired since 1990 are Byron White, Harry Blackmun, and William J. Brennan (who retired in the early 1990s), but they were much younger when they retired. It's unlikely to be David Souter (who retired young and famously hated living in D.C. and wanted desperately to get back to New Hampshire) or Sandra Day O'Connor (the above specifies a woman).

* In Britain where Prime Minister David Cameron was visiting a hospital, and hadn't done all the health and safety stuff. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JapsssNVs4 The doctor, as you will not be surprised to find out, shouted down the prime minister.]]

* Invoked in a series of ads for Dr. Pepper where various people ([[{{Frasier}} Kelsey Grammar]], [[{{KISS}} Gene Simmons]], DrDre, etc.) who are known in pop culture for being or having the nickname "doctor" shill for Dr. Pepper saying, "[[TrustMeImAnX trust me, I'm a doctor]]."

Not to be confused with the ''StarTrek'' novel, ''Doctor's Orders'', although the title is a pun on this trope.

* This is the premise of ''AnalyzeThis'': a mob boss needs a psychiatrist, who has trouble helping him because he's afraid to assert himself.

-->--''StarTrek''

* Comes up sometimes in ''StarTrek,'' where the ship's doctor has the authority to relieve the captain of command in the matters of health.
** Such as in ''The Tholian Web'', where Spock tells him to do it if he believes it proper.

* ZigZagged in ArtemisFowl: The CorruptCorporateExecutive's doctors are very much aware of his Mafia connections, so they give medical advice very politely. In fact, when he sends his secretary out for celebratory cigars, she invokes this trope by trying to remind him of what the doctors said before remembering who she's talking to.

* In ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'', Dr. Sun [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20080526 berates]] Baron Wulfenbach when he disobeys the doctor's orders and earlier [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20070718 called]] his request to [[PsychoForHire almost uncontrollable]] [=DuPree=] "doctor's advice" -- after all, ignoring it would be bad for her health.

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* There are so many times in ''WarriorCats'' when the medicine cat says "As your medicine cat, I'm ''ordering'' you to rest" or something along those lines - even when the cat they're ordering around is their Clan leader and older than them.

* Invoked in a series of ads for Dr. Pepper where various people ([[{{Frasier}} Kelsey Grammar]], [[{{KISS}} Gene Simmons]], DrDre, etc.) who are known in pop culture for being or having the nickname "doctor" shill for Mountain Dew saying, "[[TrustMeImAnX trust me, I'm a doctor]]."

* In JohnCWright's ''Count To A Trillion'', Menelaus can talk casually with the effective ruler of Earth. When he must be examined by a doctor, he finds it much harder to assert himself.

* In ''GirlGenius'', Dr. Sun berates Baron Wulfenbach when he disobeys the doctor's orders.

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No matter what exalted position their patients hold, and what power the patient has over the doctor in non-medical matters, in their field of expertise, doctors are adament that they are in charge. This does not mean that the patient will actually obey -- even the ReasonableAuthorityFigure may defy him for reasons of state -- but the doctor will regard it as being a bad patient, not their exercising rightful authority.

* ZigZagged in ArtemisFowl: The CorruptCorporateExecutive's doctors are very much aware of his Mafia connections, so they give medical advice very politely. In fact, when he sends his secretary out for celebratory cigars, she invokes this trope by trying to remind him of what the doctors said before remebering who she's talking to.

* There was a US Supreme Court Justice [[hottip:*:they serve until they retire or die, whichever comes first]] who had an agreement with his doctor: he would serve until the doctor said he was getting too senile to be able to render decisions. As soon as his doctor told him that, he announced his retirement. (I don't remember which one though; it was a [[ExamplesAreNotRecent relavitely recent]] one, like in the past 15-20 years.)

Well, he's your doctor. By which we mean, he is [[NotThatKindOfDoctor that kind of doctor.]] Unless, of course, he's the [[HealingHands healer]], the midwife, the nurse, TheMedic, or any other member of the healing profession.