# Why don't doctors get sick? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 3, 2005, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-doctors-get-sick/319868 "2005-09-03T06:05:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![WonJohnSoup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f17d59/32.png) [@WonJohnSoup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WonJohnSoup)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2005, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-doctors-get-sick/319868/1 "2005-09-03T06:05:42Z")
Ofcourse they do (don’t they?). But everytime _I’m_ sick and I go see the doctor he looks just fine, even when the waiting room is full of patients. I figure hanging around sick folks all day would be a sure fire way to get something, but I’ve never ever heard of a doctor calling in sick. I understand if they’re giving themselves early shots ahead of the flu season and all, but what about a common cold now and then? Heck, why aren’t they afflicted with every bug under the sun for that matter? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2005, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-doctors-get-sick/319868/2 "2005-09-03T06:08:15Z")
> [@WonJohnSoup](#): > > I figure hanging around sick folks all day would be a sure fire way to get something… It’s also a sure-fire way to build up one’s immunity to various illnesses. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2005, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-doctors-get-sick/319868/3 "2005-09-03T06:09:20Z")
The four doctors I work for do occasionally get sick. The main reason they don’t get sick more often would be because, as the signs by every sink in the office state, HAND WASHING IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO PREVENT INFECTION. Not only do they wash their hands often with soap and water, every one of them also rub alcohol on their hands after seeing every patient. Very effective, that hand-cleaning business. ---
**Author:** ![WonJohnSoup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f17d59/32.png) [@WonJohnSoup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WonJohnSoup)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2005, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-doctors-get-sick/319868/4 "2005-09-03T06:25:25Z")
> [@Q.E.D.](#): > > It’s also a sure-fire way to build up one’s immunity to various illnesses. You mean that’s for real? I always thought it was just “you get immuned to what you got sick from.” ---
**Author:** ![WonJohnSoup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f17d59/32.png) [@WonJohnSoup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WonJohnSoup)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2005, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-doctors-get-sick/319868/5 "2005-09-03T06:51:03Z")
That, and vaccines, ofcourse. ---
**Author:** ![FlyingRamenMonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@FlyingRamenMonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingRamenMonster)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2005, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-doctors-get-sick/319868/6 "2005-09-03T06:59:32Z")
Sure, doctors get sick. Whenever you have some sort of epidemic going around like SARS, a lot of the victims are doctors. I think they’re just better-protected against disease than the rest of the community through a combination of hand-washing, built-up immune system and vaccinations for absolutely everything. I think vaccinations are the big thing. All the doctors I know are vaccinated against EVERYTHING, and I do mean everything. ---
**Author:** ![Wishbone\_Ash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba8739/32.png) [@Wishbone\_Ash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wishbone_Ash)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2005, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-doctors-get-sick/319868/7 "2005-09-03T07:17:17Z")
I bet they get sick as much as anyone else, you just don’t notice it. ---
**Author:** ![qubed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f07891/32.png) [@qubed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qubed)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2005, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-doctors-get-sick/319868/8 "2005-09-03T07:25:43Z")
Well, obviously if the doctor _wasn’t_ fine, there wouldn’t be a waiting room full of patients, now would there? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2005, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-doctors-get-sick/319868/9 "2005-09-03T14:32:57Z")
I got sick a hell of a lot for the first 10 years or so, then finally started having fewer episodes. But when I get them, they’re a doozy! So yes, I think I have developed more resistance to many common respiratory and gastro-intestinal bugs. I also make sure I get the influenza vaccine every year. Having had a case of actual influenza once ( **not** “oh, I’ve got a touch of the flu, my nose is runny and my stomach is upset”) makes me sure to **NEVER** omit this step. Equally as important, I probably wash my hands 15-20 times a day when I’m seeing patients. I also keep my hands away from my nose, eyes, and mouth while I’m working. However, I don’t know any doctors who rub alcohol on their hands after seeing patients. That would be _terrible_ for the skin. Antimicrobial soaps, hot water, and proper technique are more than sufficient. ---
**Author:** ![Voluble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/4af34b/32.png) [@Voluble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voluble)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2005, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-doctors-get-sick/319868/10 "2005-09-03T16:25:08Z")
[QUOTE=Qadgop the Mercotan] I got sick a hell of a lot for the first 10 years or so, then finally started having fewer episodes. QUOTE] I’ve noticed the same thing as I age but I’m not a doctor. I get sick much less often. I’m “close” to forty now. I wonder if any of this may be age related? Everybody talks about how ownderful it is to be young but I remember having a lot more illnesses then and time when I just felt “blah” without any real explanation. Maybe I just feel “blah” all the time now and don’t have anything to compare it against so I don’t know the difference. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2005, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-doctors-get-sick/319868/11 "2005-09-03T16:32:45Z")
> [@WonJohnSoup](#): > > You mean that’s for real? I always thought it was just “you get immuned to what you got sick from.” Not exactly. You get immunized from what you are _exposed_ to, even if you don’t necessarily get sick from it. Vaccination is simply a controlled exposure. As an example, there is evidence that children raised in a normal, i.e., somewhat dirty and unsanitary, environment are less prone to illness as adults than children raised in an environment where everything is constantly disinfected and they aren’t allowed to play in the dirt, etc. I don’t know if there is a similar effect in the medical field, but it seems reasonable, in addition to the reasons mentioned above. ---
**Author:** ![Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f08c70/32.png) [@Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crowbar_of_Irony_3)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2005, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-doctors-get-sick/319868/12 "2005-09-03T16:44:10Z")
So the docs get to wash their hands, have the luxury of anti-bacterial soaps or perhaps even an alochol rub… What about the nurses and the rest of the counter staff? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2005, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-doctors-get-sick/319868/13 "2005-09-03T16:50:37Z")
Oopst! There are alcohol-based hand scrubs available, with emolliants to keep the skin from being damaged. My bad! And **ExtraKun**? Any staff member whose job duties involve touching patients should be washing their hands regularly. It’s hardly an issue of privilege. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2005, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-doctors-get-sick/319868/14 "2005-09-03T21:24:34Z")
One thing I’ll add is, the illnesses doctors and nurses are exposed to at work, are often opportunistic. They target those with compromised, or over worked immune systems, meaning other patients. We stay pretty much under the radar, as long as we take adequate precautions. Hand washing, as mentioned, is the most important. ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2005, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-doctors-get-sick/319868/15 "2005-09-03T22:19:13Z")
There are also diseases transmitted by breathing. Do you nurses and doctors ALWAYS wear a mask (or whatever it’s called) to prevent contagion? Especially in tirage? Whatever, you guys are tops in by book. ---
**Author:** ![OliverTwistofLime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b487fb/32.png) [@OliverTwistofLime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OliverTwistofLime)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2005, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-doctors-get-sick/319868/16 "2005-09-03T23:14:17Z")
Another reason why we often avoid full blown illnesses, is that we often can diagnose an illness early whether it be a kidney stone, kidney infection, possible appendicitis, respiratory infections and take appropriate medications earlier or see another physician earlier…before the ailment gets totally out of control. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-doctors-get-sick/319868/17 "2005-09-04T01:08:09Z")
[QUOTE=Voluble] > [@Qadgop the Mercotan](#): > > I got sick a hell of a lot for the first 10 years or so, then finally started having fewer episodes. QUOTE] > > I’ve noticed the same thing as I age but I’m not a doctor. I get sick much less often. I’m “close” to forty now. I wonder if any of this may be age related? > > Everybody talks about how wonderful it is to be young but I remember having a lot more illnesses then and time when I just felt “blah” without any real explanation. Maybe I just feel “blah” all the time now and don’t have anything to compare it against so I don’t know the difference. How young is young—as far as getting sick is concerned.? Never thought about it before, but I did 4 years in the navy and never ever had a sick day, i.e., spent a day in bed. I was 18-22 years over that stretch, and the worst I suffered might have been a cold, and who counts that as “sick”? So being young doesn’t necessarily entail susceptibility to illness. ---
**Author:** ![Giant\_Spongess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@Giant\_Spongess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giant_Spongess)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-doctors-get-sick/319868/18 "2005-09-04T01:09:07Z")
> [@](#): > > Why don’t doctors get sick? Bah! My doctor must have missed the memo, he cancelled my appointment on Thursday for that very reason. ---
**Author:** ![Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f08c70/32.png) [@Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crowbar_of_Irony_3)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-doctors-get-sick/319868/19 "2005-09-04T02:00:48Z")
> [@Qadgop the Mercotan](#): > > Oopst! There are alcohol-based hand scrubs available, with emolliants to keep the skin from being damaged. My bad! > > And **ExtraKun**? Any staff member whose job duties involve touching patients should be washing their hands regularly. It’s hardly an issue of privilege. Oops, I hope you don’t take it as I am saying that the nurses are ill-treated or such. I know that docs get to wash their hand, but I never did see the dispensers for the nurse or the counter staff. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-doctors-get-sick/319868/20 "2005-09-04T02:07:16Z")
> [@Jake](#): > > There are also diseases transmitted by breathing. Do you nurses and doctors ALWAYS wear a mask (or whatever it’s called) to prevent contagion? Especially in tirage? Whatever, you guys are tops in by book. There are actually very few true [airborne illnesses](http://www.mass.gov/dph/cdc/epii/sars/infosheets/transmission.htm). Those that do have an airborne vector, like measles, require a mask, gloves and protective covering for clothing, and throrough hand washing before and after to prevent transferring droplet contamination to well individuals. The tirage nurse should recognize respiratory symptoms and take appropriate action, like gloves and mask before examining the person. Could a contagious respiratory illness slip by? Sure, but the changes of being innoculated with the bad juju germs is much more likely from touching something the patient has touched, then putting that hand on your face, (nose mouth or eyes) than inhaling aerosolized droplets.