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Medical Doctorate? Register with Lufthansa and get free miles
The safest flight on which I have ever flown was between Minneapolis and Honolulu on a Northwest 757. On my way to a wedding in Maui, I happened to be on the exact same flight as 40 surgeons bound for a conference on the island. Imagine my comfort in knowing that if I choked on a mai thai there would be someone to resuscitate me.Airlines often give an unofficial token of thanks to medical professionals who help on board a flight during an emergency. Stories range from upgrades to first class to vouchers for the in flight duty-free store to a bottle of Champagne, all small thanks for helping a fellow passenger in need.
German based Lufthansa is now making the process more official in their Doctors on Board program. MDs in the Miles and More program can register prior to departure to be "of use" during a medical emergency, and in return, Lufthansa will deposit 5,000 miles into the doctor's account.
Note, while it does not say "medical" doctor on the proper site, the registration form does require credentials to be faxed in, so doctors of Mechanical Engineering or Judeo-Christian history need not apply, unless, perhaps, a passenger is having trouble falling asleep.
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 2)
Kian Albert Feb 4th 2010 12:12AM
My husband is a doctor and I agree with the person who asked about doctor bashing. My husband used to work 24hrs on call , every other day, come home fall asleep while eating dinner and be gone by 6a.m. to do it all over again for 10 yrs. He went to school for 10 yrs and graduate top of his class which wasn't easy. Yet 15yrs later he was still paying off his loans. Doctors family lives suffer a lot because the family is often neglected because of long hours, call schedules,eight hour surgeries, as well as the constant need to upgrade their knowledge through continuing education. Because of the hypocratic oath they are required to care for a patient w/o a guarantee of pay. My husband has even had some of his elderly patients refuse to pay their bill because ," In 1974 I only paid my doctor $34.00 and I had the same problem then" Try telling a senior citizen that their social security should only be $65.00 a month because that's what seniors lived off of in 1974! It could never happen. Doctors do a great service as do nurses, EMTs and fire/paramedic personnel if you want to have the same perk request it but don't put down the doctors for being recognized. To the nurse who suggested that she could do some things better than a doctor lets face it, they are equipped to do those things they just don;t do it everyday or else you wouldn;t have a job but can you say the same of what they do? Can you perform long, tedious surgeries with precision? Of course not or you yourself would be a doctor instead of a nurse. And in 20 yrs my husband has never lost a patient on his table, thanks to his skill and God.
powerpuff Feb 4th 2010 2:03AM
Very well said!
Stacy Feb 4th 2010 12:59AM
And I WILL thank you Robert...You are correct....Without the Airline Doctors who actually fix sick planes we would have NO need for a medical doctor on board...So again...Thank you for keeping those planes up in the sky..
Stacy Feb 4th 2010 1:09AM
Actually not all doctors are created equal. I am NOT bashing doctors. Mearly stating a point. You say ALL doctors can do what I do...I beg to differ....I have had a doctor right at the bedside TRYING to put in an IV...he finally had to turn to me and ask me to do it. I also was at an elderly womans home once. The doctor did house calls and he had to draw blood from this lady. Guess what...he could NOT do it. He asked me if I would please try to get it. Of course I WAS able to do it. He said he has not drawn blood in years and has trouble doing it. I watched him stick this lady 3 times without luck. Maybe your husband was a GREAT surgeon and I also know the LONG years they spend in school. I am NOT bashing them...Another thing though, without the RN doctors would be in big trouble. Who do you think watches over that patient AFTER his surgery to make he does NOT get sued or lose a patient. WE DO.....So it goes both ways. We need doctors and doctors need RN's....Its a TEAM effort...I am just saying regarding this blog that RN's should also have the perk of free miles....WE can save a life as well.
Kevin Feb 4th 2010 2:02AM
I agree about the doctor bashing. I'm and ex-EMT paramedic and now an ER nurse. Some docs, regardless of specialty, are good and others are not. Paramedics, nurses and doctors all work together to save lives. Its a TEAM effort.
Finally, the medical malpractice issue is key. Registering in advance and getting compensated, even if just in the form of an upgrade or miles, prior to taking the flight, causes duty and liability to attach and you loose the Good Samaritan protections. Although I have private liability coverage for my license, I think my carrier would balk at coverage for something I was getting compensated for outside of the normal scope of my practice.
I'll volunteer to help in an emergency on a flight, but thanks but no thanks to the advanced compensation.
Melvin Feb 4th 2010 2:37AM
To the nurse Stacy, who claimed to be a highly "experienced ER Registered nurse with a Master's Degree, and with both ICU/CCU experiences. How come you did'nt even know how to spell defibrillators? I don't think that the word you wrote("difibulators") was just a simple typographical error. There is no way that a nurse from the ER/ICU/CCU areas (especially with ACLS credentials) will make an error about this as this machine is always checked during the nursing shifts. I
wonder how many codes have you attended and in your own posting, to "use the paddles" and "safe your life". LOL....now, that's really a typographical error.
Linda Feb 4th 2010 5:42AM
The other issue is alcohol and impairment negating the Good Samaritan's law. In Australia it has been said that if you have had a drink or are impaired (ie jet lagged) and attend to a patient with a bad outcome then you may not be covered as you may not make appropriate decisions - so if this offer was accepted you would have to not drink alcohol on the trip. This issue about rewards was raised in Australia as many doctors are tired of being called on to assist then getting no thanks - not asking for pay but some recognition. Having a drunk patient vomit on you is not fun if you then have to travel for hours. I have gone up to see a patient and confirm he had just "passed out" after 4 or 5 drinks then after sitting realized the person opposite on the aisle was reading a medical article and hadn't moved at all. The aircrew didn't thank me or even ask my name. Another time I had to certify that someone was dead at the airport in a country where I am not registered so it can certainly be stressful.
Bert Feb 4th 2010 7:57AM
This topic was covered recently on a local radio show, White Coat Black Art on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. See link below to the show notes and the show podcast itself.
I think anyone who can help should without reserve and especially without possibility of retaliation (i.e. lawsuits). However, should Dr. Sigmund Freud volunteer to help someone who is having a heart attack?
http://www.cbc.ca/whitecoat/2009/10/should_health_professionals_be_1.html
http://podcast.cbc.ca/mp3/whitecoat_20091017_21679.mp3