History Main / ImADoctorNotAPlaceholder

The most famous example, and thus the {{Trope Namer|s}}, is ''Series/{{Star Trek|The Original Series}}'''s Dr. [=McCoy=] -- but the earliest example we have so far is from 1869, making it not only {{Older Than|TheyThink}} ''Star Trek'' but OlderThanRadio. (It was in ''Literature/TwentyThousandLeaguesUnderTheSea''.) Note that [=DeForest=] Kelley, [[BeamMeUpScotty contrary to popular belief]], never prefaced his statement with "Damn it, Jim" or some variant thereof; he [[GoshDangItToHeck never swore]] on the show, given that it aired in TheSixties. He ''did'' swear up a storm in most of the movies, however, so parodists naturally combined his [[SirSwearsALot potty mouth]] with his catchphrase, to great effect. (He never actually used his CatchPhrase in a movie until [[Film/StarTrek2009 the reboot]] -- wherein he ''did'' swear, but he wasn't talking to Kirk, so the complete memetic phrase ultimately wasn't uttered until ''Film/StarTrekBeyond''.)[[note]]The reason why it's Scotty instead of [=McCoy=] that says "He's dead already!" in ''Star Trek II'' is that Kelley didn't want to mess up a dramatic moment by referencing the CatchPhrase.[[/note]]

* In ''Captain Proton and the Planet of Lesbians'', the President of Earth keeps insisting that he's a politician not a doctor after the villainous Dr Chaotica discredited the profession (in ''Film/TheAdventuresOfCaptainProton'' the same character is played by the [[MythologyGag Doctor, who has this trope as a]] CatchPhrase).

* In ''Series/OddSquad'', this is one of Dr. O's [[{{Catchphrase}} catchphrases.]]

*** Proudly continued by the Emergency Medical Hologram (EMH), who is, in fact, an actual placeholder. (That is, he was ''supposed'' to be a supplement to organic doctors in emergencies, but ends up permanently filling in for the chief medical officer when said officer is killed in the first fifteen minutes of [[Recap/StarTrekVoyagerS1E1Caretaker the pilot]].) Ironically, when auditioning for the part, Creator/RobertPicardo ad-libbed the line, "I'm a doctor, not a nightlight", having no idea that it was Dr. [=McCoy=]'s {{Catchphrase}}.

* ''Radio/OurMissBrooks'': Used in the episode "Suzi Prentiss". Miss Brooks tells Mr. Conklin, "I'm a teacher, not a psychiatrist."

* In the ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'' episode "The Desperation Emanation":

* In "[[Recap/CommunityS3E08DocumentaryFilmmakingRedux Documentary Filmmaking: Redux]]" of ''Series/{{Community}}'', the study group are asked to play characters on a new college commercial. Pierce is outraged when he learns the commercial shoot won't be catered and he won't have a trailer.

* On ''Series/{{MASH}}'', Winchester had a few during his time at the 4077th.

** This one from "Mr. Monk and the Critic":

'''Captain Leland Stottlemeyer:''' (''looks at her incredulously'') You? You, you sent Randy out? Well, who are you, the new police commissioner?\\

** In "Mr. Monk and the TV Star", when Monk and Sharona arrive at a crime scene at a major star's house, Sharona is focused on her teeth, and Monk tells her, "Sharona, this is a murder scene, not a high school dance."
* {{Inverted}} once on ''Series/{{NCIS}}'' when a deep-sea diver dies in a hyperbaric chamber and [[CreepyMortician Ducky]] has to guide the diver's comrades in performing the autopsy (as the chamber can't be opened until it depressurizes, which will take nearly four days). One of them protests, "We're not doctors, we're divers!"

* On ''Series/OnceUponATime'', Dr. Whale declines to give an opinion on what the creature a man just turned into is:

* In the ''Series/{{Poirot}}'' episode "Literature/HerculePoirot's {{Christmas|Episode}}", when Simeon Lee sees that Poirot is not strong or young enough to protect him:

* ''Series/TheProfessionals''. In "Discovered in a Graveyard", [[DaChief Cowley]] tells a doctor he's relying on him to keep Doyle alive after he's shot by an assassin.

* The ''Series/{{Roundhouse}}'' episode "TV On Trial" referenced this by having ''Franchise/StarTrek''-esque scenes playing during a channel surfing montage. [[RuleOfThree On the third appearance...]]

* The ''Series/{{Smallville}}'' episode "Rush" has Clark say, "I'm an alien, not a cartoon!" when Chloe asks him if he can fly.
* Series/Space1999 has Dr. Russell pull this one out of her hat early in season 2.

-->'''Von Braun:''' I am an engineer, not a factory manager. [[ReluctantMadScientist And I am not... responsible]] for [[HellHolePrison that production plant]].
* ''Series/StargateSG1'' provided a variation of this trope in "Deadman Switch" where [[spoiler:Aris Boch demands that Daniel Jackson treat his wound after capturing them]]:

'''Daniel Jackson:''' ... [[NotThatKindOfDoctor of Archaeology]].

** In "The Eye" he said: "I'm a bloody medical doctor, not a magician."
** In "The Brotherhood" the line is: "For the last time -- I'm a doctor not a bloody fighter pilot."
* ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries''
** TropeNamer is Dr. [=McCoy=] from ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries''. [=McCoy=] twice had this inverted on him when he tried using it (in both cases [=McCoy=] was trying to get out of an assignment):
--->'''[=McCoy=]:''' I'm a doctor, not a bricklayer!\\
'''Kirk:''' You're a healer, there's a patient. That's an order.[[note]] The patient in question was [[SiliconBasedLife mostly made of rock]].[[/note]]\\\
'''[=McCoy=]:''' I'm a doctor, not an engineer.\\

** The novelization of "Mirror, Mirror" from ''The Star Trek Reader'' averts this with [=McCoy=] simply saying, "I'm not an engineer," and Scott quipping "You soon will be." (Though Scott is proud of [=McCoy=]'s help later.)

*** The ''Series/InLivingColor'' skit where Creator/JimCarrey riffs how the cast of ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' are getting too old for the movies. Captain Kirk calls for [=McCoy=] to come to the bridge, only to find [[DemBones Bones really lives up to his name]] this time.
---->'''Skeleton in a wheelchair:''' Dammit Jim, I'm a corpse, not a doctor!

* ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine''
** In the episode "Broken Link", [[TokenEvilTeammate Garak]] tries to convince [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Worf]] to stand by and let him commit genocide against the Dominion. Worf responds with [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hZqOdsRoKU "I'm a warrior, not a murderer!"]]
** In "Empok Nor", a Garak crazed by PsychoSerum taunts Chief O'Brien that he's no longer a soldier, only for O'Brien to reply, "You're right--I'm an ''engineer"'' and set off an improvised bomb he's rigged up.
** Bashir used it occasionally on ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'', one of the most notable (but far from the first or only) series 3 protest, "I'm a doctor, not a botanist" when Dax brought him a sick plant because Keiko O'Brien (the station's resident botanist) was at a conference at the time. He did, of course, use it in the show's anniversary episode "Trials and Tribble-ations" (a "cross-over" episode with ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' courtesy of in-universe time-travel and real-life special effects wizardry).
--->'''Dr. Bashir:''' I'm a doctor, not a historian.
** O'Brien also gets the line once, when Nog is speculating about the unusual nature of holo-character Vic Fontaine: "I'm an engineer, not a philosopher."
* ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'':
** Proudly continued by the Emergency Medical Hologram (EMH) from ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' who was, in fact, an actual placeholder. (That is, he was ''supposed'' to be a supplement to organic doctors in emergencies, but ended up permanently filling in for the chief medical officer when said officer was killed in the first fifteen minutes of the pilot.) Ironically when auditioning for the part, Creator/RobertPicardo ad-libbed the line, "I'm a doctor, not a nightlight", having no idea it was Dr. [=McCoy=]'s CatchPhrase.
** In "Future's End", the EMH says "I'm a doctor, not a database!" only for the the VillainOfTheWeek to point out that [[ArtificialIntelligence he's actually a bit of both]].
** The EMH Mark II featured in "[[Recap/StarTrekVoyagerS4E13MessageInABottle Message in a Bottle]]" indicates that the later EMH models continue the tradition:
--->'''EMH Mark II:''' I'm a doctor, not a commando.
** If you shoot him in the game ''Elite Force'', he says "I'm a doctor, not a bullseye."
** {{Lampshaded}} by B'Elanna ("I'm a Doctor--" "Not an engineer, right,") and flipped around by Tom. "I'm a pilot, Harry, not a Doctor!"
** In "The Cloud" we have this exchange.
--->'''Neelix:''' I did not come on board this ship to be a veterinarian, Captain!\\

** The justification variant is frequently abused by Tuvok, who seems to feel compelled to begin any and every sentence or explanation with "I am a Vulcan."
* ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'':
** Dr. Phlox got into the act when he has to [[ItMakesSenseInContext singlehandedly cold-start the warp reactor]]: "I'm a physician, not an engineer!"
** Inverted in "Impulse". T'Pol is scanning a Vulcan suffering from trellium poisoning, [[NotHerself which is also affecting T'Pol.]]
--->'''Archer:''' Any idea what's wrong with him?\\

* ''Series/StarTrekDiscovery'': Jet Reeno's snark comments about Discovery's Spore Drive.
-->'''Reeno:''' I didn't realize a greenhouse could be critical, or propulsive, but... what do I know? I'm just a gearhead, not a farmer.

* The same line was used in ''Series/TorchwoodMiracleDay'' after Captain Jack has been poisoned with arsenic. They get on the phone to a doctor who suggests ethylene diamine tetracyclic acid should fix him.
-->'''Gwen:''' What's that when it's at home? [[MacGyvering I mean what is it made of?]]\\
'''Dr. Juarez:''' I don't know, I'm a doctor. Not a chemist!

* In ''Series/TheXFiles'' Season 4 episode "Demons", when Mulder is held as a suspect in the murder of two people and Scully says she'll get him out.

* In ''Series/BattlestarGalacticaReimagined'', when Adama gets shot, Doctor Cottle arrives on the scene, and we get this exchange:
-->'''Colonel Tigh:''' Is he going to make it? \\
'''Doc Cottle:''' How should I know? I'm not a psychic! Now get the hell out of here!
* This exchange from ''Series/SanfordAndSon'':
-->'''Aunt Esther:''' I need help! \\
'''Fred:''' Help? I'm just a junkman, not a plastic surgeon.
* At the end of the ''Series/{{Jessie}}'' episode "[[StorybookEpisode The Princess and the Pea Brain]]", Zuri asks Ravi to try and make the kingdom's jester funnier. Ravi responds with "I am a sorcerer, ''not'' a miracle worker!"
* ''Series/LukeCage2016''. In "Take It Personally", when Diamondback is telling Mariah the basics of his plan to sell the Judas bullets to the NYPD, Mariah counters, "I'm a politician, not a gun dealer." Diamondback simply replies, "Well, what's the difference?"

* ''Webcomic/GastroPhobia'': Phobia angrily states [[http://www.gastrophobia.com/index.php?date=2010-05-22 "I'm a warrior, not a scholar!"]] when called on the fact that she's illiterate.

** On another occasion Drakken says he's a scientific genius, not an "enguist".

* The ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'' episode "Rappin' Drakken" has a twist on the "morally repugnant" version: Dr. Drakken tries to sell a [[MindControlDevice mind-control]] [[MayContainEvil shampoo]] with a name ("Dr. D's Brainwashing Shampoo and Cranium Rinse") and slogan ("Lather, Rinse, Obey") that ''tells people what it does'', because "Truth-in-labeling-laws. I'm a supervillain, not a [[CorruptCorporateExecutive corporate shyster]]".

* One of the ''Sex Trek'' porn parodies has Dr. [=McJoy=] retorting, "I'm a doctor, not the writer of [[TakeThatUs this crap!]]"

The most famous example, and thus the TropeNamer, is ''Series/{{Star Trek|The Original Series}}'''s Dr. [=McCoy=] -- but the earliest example we have so far is from 1869, making it not only {{Older Than|TheyThink}} ''Star Trek'' but OlderThanRadio. (It was in ''Literature/TwentyThousandLeaguesUnderTheSea''.) Note that [=DeForest=] Kelley, [[BeamMeUpScotty contrary to popular belief]], never prefaced his statement with "Damn it, Jim" or some variant thereof; he [[GoshDangItToHeck never swore]] on the show, given that it aired in TheSixties. He ''did'' swear up a storm in most of the movies, however, so parodists naturally combined his [[SirSwearsALot potty mouth]] with his catchphrase, to great effect. (He never actually used his CatchPhrase in a movie until [[Film/StarTrek2009 the reboot]] -- wherein he ''did'' swear, but he wasn't talking to Kirk, so the complete memetic phrase ultimately wasn't uttered until ''Film/StarTrekBeyond''.)[[note]]The reason why it's Scotty instead of [=McCoy=] that says "He's dead already!" in ''Star Trek II'' is that Kelley didn't want to mess up a dramatic moment by referencing the CatchPhrase.[[/note]]

** The EMH from ''Film/StarTrekFirstContact'' ''almost'' gives the trope title with "I'm a doctor, not a doorstop."

* In his audition for the [=EMH=] on ''Series/StarTrekVoyager,'' Robert Picardo adlibbed "I'm a doctor, not a nightlight." Amusingly, he wasn't familiar with it being a running gag at the time. Little wonder he ended up using the most variants on the phrase by any doctor in the franchise not named [=McCoy=].

-->'''Ranger Frank:''' There's dragons out there! I'm a park ranger, not a knight at a Round Table! GO FIND SOMEONE WITH A LANCE!

-->'''Ranger Frank:''' There's dragons out there! I'm a park ranger! not a knight at a Round Table! GO FIND SOMEONE WITH A LANCE!

* ''[[Film/SisterAct Sister Act 2 Back In The Habit]]'': Father Thomas once tells Deloris that he have a message for her despite working for the catholic church, not for Fedex.

* [[HotScientist Dr. Elizabeth Shannon]] of ''Series/TerraNova'', when talking to her CowboyCop husband: "I'm a doctor, Jim, not a chemist." Considering that some of the people working on that show had also had a hand in ''Franchise/StarTrek'', that may have been intentional for any Trekkies watching.

* A variation in ''Series/{{Arrow}}'' when Felicity Smoak discovers Oliver Queen bleeding from a gunshot wound in the backseat of her car. As he's an illegal vigilante, Oliver tells her to take him to the abandoned factory he uses as his secret lair, and Felicity protests that he needs a doctor not a steelworker.

-->'''Henri Flamel:''' Fine, but I still believe that we should be more natural. This act will look painfully forced. I'm a duelist, not an actor.

* In the Literature/{{Discworld}} of Creator/AAPessimal, this is a persistent complaint by Assassins' Guild resident medic, Matron Igorina.

** After Vaarsuvius, temporarily paralyzed by a a ghast, has been used by Haley by dangling them over a treasure to detect magic (on the number of grunts)...

** In the comments there's a RunningGag of "Dammit, Jim! I’m a x, not a x".

* ''Webcomic/YetAnotherFantasyGamerComic'': Sahar insists that [[http://yafgc.net/comic/1461-researchitude/ she's a priestess, not a sorceress]]. Granted, the priestesses of Ch'Thier to whom she belongs can invoke impressive thunderbolts and are anything but harmless.

* Mr. Peabody, an InsufferableGenius FunnyAnimal in a ''WesternAnimation/RockyAndBullwinkle'' short, used to constantly remind his pet human, Sherman that he was "A genius, not a miracle worker," (substitute sharpshooter, etc. to taste).

-->'''Yakko:''' (''Creator/WilliamShatner [[PunctuatedForEmphasis voice]]'') Wakko... anything in your... Gag Bag that will help us..?\\

'''Hibbert:''' (''dead serious'') What did I just say?
* ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003'' gave Donatello a line that was clearly a ShoutOut to the TropeNamer during the Big Brawl arc: "What can I do? I'm an engineer, not a doctor..."

* ''Series/TheMillionaire'': In the 1955 episode "The Iris Millar" story, Iris Millar decides to use part of her new wealth to set up her boyfriend, Dr. Wells -- played by a young Creator/DeForestKelley -- with a fancy office and help him cultivate the rich and famous. He's not on board with the plan, protesting, "I'm a doctor, not a politician!"

The most famous example, and thus the TropeNamer, is ''Series/{{Star Trek|The Original Series}}'''s Dr. [=McCoy=] -- but the earliest example we have so far is from 1869, making it not only {{Older Than|TheyThink}} ''Star Trek'' but OlderThanRadio. (It was in ''Literature/TwentyThousandLeaguesUnderTheSea''.) Note that [=DeForest=] Kelley, [[BeamMeUpScotty contrary to popular belief]], never prefaced his statement with "Damn it, Jim" or some variant thereof; he [[GoshDangItToHeck never swore]] on the show, given that it aired in TheSixties. He ''did'' swear up a storm in most of the movies, however, so parodists naturally combined his potty mouth with his catchphrase, to great effect. (He never actually used his CatchPhrase in a movie until [[Film/StarTrek2009 the reboot]] -- wherein he ''did'' swear, but he wasn't talking to Kirk, so the complete memetic phrase ultimately wasn't uttered until ''Film/StarTrekBeyond''.)[[note]]The reason why it's Scotty instead of [=McCoy=] that says "He's dead already!" in ''Star Trek II'' is that Kelley didn't want to mess up a dramatic moment by referencing the CatchPhrase.[[/note]]