Is having a doctor "high" on your priority list if you bug out/SHTF?

Almost everyone, including myself a while ago in the question of the age old "who would you throw overboard if you had X Y Z to chose from" always kept the doctor. Without health, you are nothing.


But how critical is that doctor?

I was reading in the other thread about having lets say a doctor and saving them if the going gets tough, as having them means free healthcare. What would a doctor be able to help you with exactly?

Can he stop an infection? How? Is he going to prescribe you drugs if the TSHTF? Not likely unless hes got some epic stash
Most people would hopefully have hydrogen peroxide or something to clean a wound, or even put it in vinegar or some solution to prevent bacteria infection. This you learn by common sense... even a nurse or a normal citizen can do this. Likewise, a doctor can do this, but in extreme cases he will be only good for telling you how long you will live before TSHTF scenario wasn't as lethal as what just happened to you.

If you break a bone, he my know the best way to ensure fast healing, but if you're in the wild you're screwed anyways unless you have a backup of people or something. In this case, he'd be a good backup of course, but anyone else can do.

The body has it's own ability to fight off infections. Most of the job will be done on your end, and if your health sucks, he probably won't be helping you at all. The things he can recommend to get better health are already going to be dictated by common sense.

In the wild, the doctor will probably not be up to date on what exactly poison ivy is or what the angel of death mushroom is (or whatever its called that is lethal if you eat). He is... at least nowadays... trained in prescribing drugs or recognizing symptoms. You could luck out and get a really good doctor who is a survivalist but I'm talking general modern doctors here. They won't be able to tell you anything that most others couldn't unless they have prior experience. With the way med. school grinds them, it'd shock me if they had lots of free time during their normal years.


It seems like a doctor isn't the greatest choice in a SHTF environment.
Is my train of thought right?
Am I missing something? Would there be a good reason to have a doctor that I have missed?
It just feels like the ones nowadays are over-rated.
Of course, I'm not debating that a second body is not useful, but rather I question why the doctor would be high on the "survival list of wants".

What would you pick if you had someone with some survival experience, versus a doctor with tons of medical knowledge and zero survival knowledge?

I would choose an herbalist, homeopath, or a microbiologist over an MD any day of the week. Sure they have knowledge about which drugs to prescribe, but I'll bet very few can tell you how the drugs are made, and there will be no pharmacies after TSHTF. Someone who has practical experience making their own medicines - extracting insulin from a living sheep or culturing mold for antibiotics - will be invaluable.

A witch might be a good choice.

reply to post by NuclearMitochondria



I'd go for the survivalist - no question. ...Most doctors today are totally useless, especially without their computers and prescription pads. If they can't pimp for Big Pharma, they have nothing to offer.


[Who? Me? Biased?]

Anyone spending time in the wilderness should consider WEMT or WFR training,
at the very least.

Well that depends, what about a ER doctor with survival experience? I would agree that most doctors would be useless in a SHTF situation. Pathologists, cardiac surgeons, radiologists, dermatologists, rheumatologists would all be useless - well maybe not the surgeon.

In a SHTF the best medical people to have around would be ER doctors, ER nurses, paramedics, and combat medics - these people are trained to stabilize a critical patient fast. Other than that, physicians in other fields are basically useful for diagnosing, and proper treatment depending on the condition and the availability of medical supplies.

Actually I am all for having the nurse around They inform the doctors of patient status, meaning they know what they are looking at, and even doctors ask the opinions of the nurses because they are in the trenches ......

Aseptic technique is not a common skill for the average person. When you have soooo many different types of wounds and infections, depths and smells, the nurse knows how to properly pack it or clean it without reinfecting it......and the nurse knows when its time to amputate........shhhhh dont let any of the docs in the house hear that

Nurses also know when a patient is near death and can either help speed it up or slow it down.......all without medications, but some good herbs will help.

Nope! I'm a vet tech and I think I could take care of most things on my own assuming I had my own antibiotics and medical supplies. I would definitely need a GIANT BOTTLE of Xanax if SHTF though. And a survivalist who had everything we needed because I'm one of those people who would die of a panic attack instead of whatever disaster was going on around me.

Having a doctor would be good if it was one that actually knows their job. Sounds silly but many don't now days.

I took classes and became certified in CPR & first aid & took a first responder course (don't know what their called elsewhere)

I think training yourself is more important (and other team members) and would be enough in 95% of the probelms you will face.

I'd have to agree with the others on this one. You having useful knowledge should be pretty much top priority but having a doctor is overrated. A nurse EMT or combat medic, however, would be great because they have more practical knowledge than your average doctor.

Depends what kind of doctor, I'd say. (and of course how well they know their stuff) A dermatologist's skill set will be pretty much useless in SHTF, for instance, even if they are the best one in the world. I'd want either a nurse, because they have more experience with the day-to-day stuff and treating the patients directly, rather than diagnosing/prescribing medication, or else a doctor that works in the ER or similar experience.

A good doctor of any specialization will still know the basics about treating wounds or other SHTF necessities, so I think it's still a good idea.

Originally posted by ampar84
Nope! I'm a vet tech and I think I could take care of most things on my own assuming I had my own antibiotics and medical supplies.

Being a Vet Tech as well, I feel the same, minus what you said about freaking out!
So that being said, myself would be that part of the party of survivalists.

I agree with others as well as to nurses, EMTs,etc., would be more helpful.

Ive been through EMT and WEMT training.

Trust me when I say if you half a brain you'll be fine.

The things you can handle are all pretty much common sense. Just stay calm and think about it. The things you cant handle you wouldnt be able to handle anyway unless you had a surgeon, meds and a sterile room so it isnt really worth worrying about.

First responder type stuff isnt rocket science. It barely qualifies as medical science.

reply to post by NuclearMitochondria


I barely have a doctor now, and it is really only to write prescriptions for me. I figure out what is wrong, and I decide how I want to treat it, and then I go to the doctor and let him examine me and then we reach a consensus and he writes the prescriptions.

The answer is no.

In a survival situation, there will either be no prescriptions to be had, or I will have already looted the pharmacy and gotten them myself. Either way, no need for a doctor. I have surgical kit, stitch kit, snake bite kit, etc. Some good medical books and supplies will suffice.

reply to post by getreadyalready


A physician would be useful if combined with another skill, such as what you'd find in an army medic. I'm not thinking of treating long-term conditions like cancer, but rather for treating combat wounds or the rudimentary injuries one might sustain in the wilderness such as burns and bites.

reply to post by chasingbrahman


Certainly. A field medic would be nice, so would a nurse, etc. A physician that happened to be a basket weaver, or avid hunter would be nice as well.

As far as priorities though, I would not be making any special effort to find a physician for my team.

I don't know if anyone has posted this elsewhere, but I found this by Googling "Heath Care after TSHTF" and it's a GREAT site for survivalists. I'm Ding the entire site as we speak. It has all of the military's field manuals - including battle first aid - as well as a plethora of other .PDFs that are just CHOCK FULL of essential info.

modernsurvivalonline.com...

There's even a book about DIY dentistry. Where There Is No Dentist

Check it out. The info contained on this site could be the difference between life and death for you or your loved ones.

reply to post by NuclearMitochondria


I think that you are right in contemplating this issue. I am currently working headed towards a degree for CAM not just because healthcare and food will never stop being a need but because conventional medicine may not always be around. I would go with a nurse or even like the others a vet or combat medic as they know the basics which is all you will need. I would be a little worried to be strapped with the doctor that only knows how to read his/her nurses notes and suggestions, it would just be one more mouth to feed.

A side note, I have purchased many books I think will be useful for self-care and family-care even learned how to deliver a baby for the most part. I check out books from the local library weekly, as many as I can hold so when SHTF I can still have some good ones on hand. I know I may not be able to take them with if we need to relocate, but I try to learn what I can.

I can think of one doctor that I wouldn't mind having with me. She is a DO, but it is not for her medical knowledge that I would want her along.

The truth is that medical doctors really do not do much in the way of medical arts anymore. RN's and CRN's are the ones with that knowledge today. Even a LPN seems to have more practical knowledge. And while DO's are supposed to have more of a homeopath background, it seems they really do not as I taught the particular one above about beneficial pressure points. I gave her enough of an interest that she sought out some classes on the subject.

So your inclusion of a doctor really depends on the individual more than their specialized field. I know one that happens to instruct a couple forms of martial arts and has rebuilt cars from the frame up. He is a surgeon, but not a particularly good one.

But when it comes down to it, a botanist, chemist or pharmacist would be infinitely more useful. As well as a medic or paramedic.

I have been learning as much as possible so that a doctor is not as important. I'm not going to do heart replacement but with some knowledge and common sense you can handle most situations.

And besides, most doctors today do nothing more than prescribe drugs anyway.

So I guess that the consensus that is emerging regarding what type of "medical" person/people one would want to have in a SHTF situation would:

1) An Army Medic
2) ER Staff
3) A Nurse (preferably an RN)
4) EMTs

roughly in that order. Does everyone agree?