History Main / DoctorsOrders

* Whenever a member of the [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Bat-clan]] gets sick and/or injured to the point of where they absolutely ''need'' bed rest, Alfred Pennyworth (the guy who raised Batman himself) will do anything he can to make sure that their fool-asses ''stay in bed'' so that they can heal properly.
* In ''Comicbook/DoctorStrange: The Oath'', another physician pulls this on Strange a few times. Justified since he's genuinely injured; though if he hadn't been somewhat taken with her he probably wouldn't have listened.

-->'''Roy''': We're doing that under [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DoctorsOrders Doctor's Orders]].

* Series/{{Emergency!}} had this in fifth-season episode "Involvement," where a woman named Mrs. Slade lay in the parking lot of a market, having fainted from a homemade sweat suit (she made it herself from plastic and masking tape) that she put on to try to reduce fat by squeezing cellulite back into her body. Dr. Early directs Johnny and Roy to cut it off her (he also says for her to be revived with spirits of ammonia, and for her temperature to be measured). The paramedics use the spirits of ammonia, and when Mrs. Slade comes to, she realizes what is being done, and at first freaks out, before the paramedics explain why it's being done. Roy even uses this trope's name in his part of the explanation.

You're TheLeader, the ReasonableAuthorityFigure, TheCaptain, TheEmperor! You rule a world, [[GalacticConqueror a galaxy]], [[DimensionLord a dimension]], [[MultiversalConqueror multiple universes]]! Everyone obeys ''you''! Even if you do have a cold, or a broken arm! So who is this man who dares to order you about? And act huffy when you don't obey in haste?

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. And he is quite certain that you must obey the Doctor's Orders.

* Defied in one episode of ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries'' -- normally, a trainer obeys Nurse Joy if a Pokemon is too injured to be released out of the Pokemon Center or is being pushed too hard in training. [[StopHavingFunGuys Paul]], on the other hand, couldn't give a Rattata's tail if he was told his Chimchar needed to be benched for the next round of the current tournament. He uses it to battle anyway, and declares [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness it's outlived its usefulness]] afterward.

* In ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' fic ''Fanfic/WhyAndWere'' by Creator/AAPessimal, Assassin Johanna Smith-Rhodes is patched up in the field by an Igor and ignores his advice not to put any strain on a broken forearm. She concludes her contract by firing a powerful crossbow, and the recoil and stress re-breaks the arm. The Guild's Matron Igorina is suitably sarcastic and acerbic.
--> Is there any point in me re-setting this fracture? Which part, exactly, of ''you-have-broken-your-arm,-do-not-put-any-strain-on-it'' did you fail to understand? Are you going to leave my surgery and go rock-climbing or performing handstands? Bite on this, as this may hurt!
* ''Fanfic/FalloutEquestria'': Velvet Remedy spends most of her time trying to convince her friends to rest and let her healing spells take effect. They spend most of their time ignoring her orders and finding new ways to get themselves hurt. At several points Velvet has to use a paralysis spell just to get people to stop moving before they kill themselves.

** The AutoDoc has a compassion-protection algorithm that allows it to [[SecondLawMyAss ignore an order]] in the absence of higher medical authority, since in that case it actually [[YouAreInCommandNow becomes the Chief Medical Officer by default]].

* After Chopper taking a level in both badass and madness in ''Fanfic/ThisBites'', very few are willing to challenge his medical decision. Following Thriller Bark, he asks if anyone is willing to question him [[spoiler:for anesthetizing Zoro to keep him from straining himself from the injuries he and Nami got from Kuma's test]]. And after knocking out Raphey and Boss for their own treatment, his crewmates decide it's [[ScrewThisImOutOfHere the best time to explore Thriller Bark]] (with only Luffy being confused why everyone is so scared.

* In Creator/TerryPratchett's ''Literature/FeetOfClay'', Vimes cites this to keep people out of the Patrician's sick room. The doctor in question is actually a vet specializing in race horses.

* In ''Literature/HarryPotter'', Madam Pomfrey asserted herself quite strongly in ''The Prisoner of Azkaban'' when authority figures wanted to speak to students in her care. And in ''Half-Blood Prince'' told Harry, who wanted to beat the crap out of the student who put him in the hospital wing, that it would qualify as over exerting himself and to stay there.

** ''Chimes At Midnight'': Jin succeeds in ordering Sylvester out of Toby's sickroom. When Toby wakes up, she is less successful about keeping her in bed.

*** In "[[Recap/StarTrekS2E10JourneyToBabel Journey To Babel]]", after the crisis is resolved and Kirk returns to sick bay after [[FeigningHealthiness pretending to be sufficiently recovered]] to let Spock leave the bridge and provide a blood transfusion for Sarek, Dr. [=McCoy=] tells him he can either spend ten days in sickbay if he insists on [[AnnoyingPatient arguing]] or two if he behaves himself. Spock tries to return to his station, only to be firmly told that for now Sick Bay ''is'' his station.

* ''VideoGame/OctopathTravelerII'': Castti, being an apothecary, is a master of this. In Sai, she uses her healer's authority to dissuade a ruthless military commander from finishing off some wounded enemy soldiers, and even talks him into helping them instead. This is also reflected in her Path Action, Soothe, in which she outright orders people to drink medicine. Outside of plot-related instances, however, it just applies InstantSedation, so you can walk past {{NPC Roadblock}}s and [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential steal their stuff]].

* ''WesternAnimation/MollyOfDenali'': In "[[Recap/MollyOfDenaliS1E31SpringCarnivalTooeysHoleidaySweater Spring Carnival]]," Midge breaks her hip and has to go the hospital. The doctor ordered her not to stand on ice, which is why she might be unable to emcee the spring carnival.

* British Prime Minister David Cameron visits a hospital with a camera crew, and fails to follow the required infection-control procedures. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JapsssNVs4 A senior doctor takes exception to this and orders him and his entourage off the ward]].

* Surprisingly, ''inverted'' in many places for much of history. As James Burke explains on ''[[Series/{{Connections}} The Day the Universe Changed]]'', in 18th-century France (and other places), doctors were expensive, and so if you were rich enough to afford one you would tell him your symptoms, and then he would match symptoms to a list of treatments, and you would ''choose'' which of those you wanted yourself. When Creator/BenjaminFranklin showed up in 1778 with tales of UsefulNotes/{{Philadelphia}}'s modern public health system (arguably the best in the world at the time), in which healthcare was available to all for a reasonable fee and the good citizens (the shock!) did what the doctor told them rather than the other way 'round, the intellectuals of the Paris ''salons'' were intrigued.
* The HistoryChannel documentary ''It's Good To Be The President'' devoted a good ten or so minutes to the topic of how the leader of the free world is kept in optimal health. During an interview with the Presidential Physician, the narrator/interviewer asks what standard operating procedure is when the President openly defies Doctor's Orders. The doctor gives a smile somewhere between coy and wry before he quips, "In such circumstances it is the medical professional's duty to appeal to a higher power over the patient," {{Beat}} "so in that case we advise the First Lady."

* ''Fanfic/TheBoltChronicles'': In “The Coffee Shop,” veterinarian Penny scolds Bolt for eating and drinking things that pack on weight and will jeopardize his health. She puts the dog on a diet, and he returns to fighting trim.

*** Nurse Chapel tells Ensign Garrovick to [[QuitYourWhining stop feeling sorry for himself]] and [[ImNotHungry eat something]], holding a data tape which supposedly contains Dr. [=McCoy's=] orders to that effect (she's bluffing).
*** [=McCoy=] confronts Kirk and threatens to file a medical report declaring him unfit for command, with Spock backing him up. It doesn't come to that, as Kirk is able to convince him that he has justification for his seemingly irrational actions.

*** In [[Recap/StarTrekS2E10JourneyToBabel Journey To Babel]], after the crisis is resolved and Kirk returns to sick bay after [[FeigningHealthiness pretending to be sufficiently recovered]] to let Spock leave the bridge and provide a blood transfusion for Sarek, Dr. [=McCoy=] tells him he can either spend ten days in sickbay if he insists on [[AnnoyingPatient arguing]] or two if he behaves himself. Spock tries to return to his station, only to be firmly told that for now Sick Bay ''is'' his station.
*** In [[Recap/StarTrekS2E13Obsession Obsession]], the issue is raised on two occasions:

** In the ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' episode "[[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS03E09Defiant Defiant]]", Bashir points out to Kirk that not even Commander Sisko could override Bashir when it comes to medical matters.

!!Examples

->'''[=McCoy=]:''' I would like to remedy that situation.\\
'''Spock:''' If you believe I have acted irregularly, then relieve me of duty. That is your prerogative as medical officer of this ship.
-->-- ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'', "The Tholian Web"

* Comes up sometimes in ''Franchise/StarTrek,'' where the ship's doctor has the authority to relieve the captain of command if the doctor can show that the captain is physically or mentally unfit for duty.
** In the ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' episode "[[Recap/StarTrekS2E6TheDoomsdayMachine The Doomsday Machine]]", [[DeathSeeker Commodore Decker]] takes advantage of Kirk being stuck on his crippled ship to take command of the ''Enterprise'' and go after the Planet Killer to [[MobySchtick avenge his lost crew]]. Dr. [=McCoy=] tries to relieve him, but can't because he has no evidence; Decker refuses to submit to a medical examination, and holds Bones and Spock to the letter of the regulations which do allow him to take command under the circumstances. Kirk and Spock risk a court martial to finally force Decker to stand down and proceed to sickbay for his evaluation, but it never gets that far as Decker gets away from his [[RedShirt security escort]] and [[TakingYouWithMe pilots a shuttlecraft into the maw of the machine]].
** In "[[Recap/StarTrekS3E9TheTholianWeb The Tholian Web]]", Spock tells Bones to do it if he believes it proper.
** In "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS3E18Allegiance Allegiance]]" from ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' it's repeated that mere suspicion isn't enough. If you don't have some hard evidence, you could risk being charged with mutiny. Since Crusher can't find anything medically wrong with the doppelganger impersonating Picard, the crew's options are limited.
** In ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'', it's also pointed out that not even the commanding officer of a ship or station has the power to override the judgment of the Chief Medical Officer regarding medical matters.

-->-- ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries''