25 Normal Things Doctors Obviously Can’t Do

What Normal People Can Do That Doctors Can Only Dream About

Let’s be honest—being a doctor is one of the most rewarding careers out there. But it's also one of the most invasive, time-thirsty, and identity-consuming professions. While our non-medical friends binge-watch Netflix, plan spontaneous road trips, and wake up at 10 AM on weekends, doctors are either on call, in a 24-hour shift, or wondering what “free time” even means. This blog is a tribute to all the things “normal people” do with ease, but doctors can’t. And if you’re a doctor reading this, brace yourself—you’re about to feel hilariously seen.

1. Finishing a TV Series in One Go: The Ultimate Fantasy

For the average person, finishing an 8-episode thriller in two days is considered a casual weekend. For a doctor? That’s science fiction. Most doctors can’t even finish a 20-minute sitcom without being paged, interrupted, or falling asleep mid-episode—remote in hand, mouth open. The only consistent episode they follow? Night shifts.

2. Sleeping Without Setting an Alarm

Imagine sleeping and not worrying about a 5:30 AM ward round, a 7:00 AM operating room briefing, or an unexpected on-call duty. Non-doctors can sleep in bliss, but for doctors, uninterrupted sleep is so rare it's practically a myth. Even on off days, many of us wake up in a panic, convinced we’ve missed something.

3. Going to the Bathroom When You Need To

Basic physiological needs like urinating at the right time? Not for doctors. There are entire shifts where your bladder is practically training for a world record. A normal person feels the urge and simply walks to the restroom. A doctor? We negotiate with our bladder like it owes us a favor.

4. Eating Three Meals a Day… Warm

Breakfast? Usually skipped. Lunch? Cold and rushed, if at all. Dinner? Eaten post-midnight like a lonely rat in the breakroom. Meanwhile, non-doctors are out there posting their third gourmet meal of the day. We’re just trying to remember if we ate anything at all.

5. Traveling Without Guilt or Strategic Planning

Spontaneous vacations? Just grab your suitcase and go? That’s adorable. Doctors need to apply for leave six months in advance, pray it gets approved, trade shifts like stock options, and still be haunted by WhatsApp group messages while sipping coffee on the beach.

6. Having a Phone Without 5 Medical WhatsApp Groups

Normal people use their phones for fun, memes, and videos. Doctors? Our phones are trauma alerts, clinical discussions, duty swaps, patient updates, lab results, and 30 unread “URGENT” group messages. By the time we reach the memes, we’ve aged a year.

7. Enjoying Weekends and Public Holidays

Weekends are when the rest of the world unwinds. For doctors, weekends are just another Tuesday. Birthdays, weddings, national holidays—all sacrificed on the altar of duty. A doctor who gets a full weekend off? That’s the medical version of spotting a unicorn.

8. Shopping During the Day Like a Civilian

Clothes, groceries, pharmacy runs—all squeezed between shifts or done online. Visiting a mall during daylight hours is a rare event, usually accompanied by the phrase, “So this is what normal life looks like.”

9. Having Nice Nails and Hair

Nail polish chips by day one. Hair is always in a ponytail. Gel nails? Forget it—scrub hygiene won’t allow it. Hair treatments? Maybe one day when you’re retired. Most doctors’ beauty routines consist of clean hands, tied hair, and a 5-minute skincare plan at midnight.

10. Watching a Movie Without Dozing Off

You start a movie at 9 PM with great excitement. By 9:20 PM, you're asleep. Doctors are the only people who can fall asleep during an action scene. Not because the movie is boring—but because we haven’t slept properly since medical school.

11. Getting Sick Like a Normal Human

When a non-doctor gets sick, they call in sick. When a doctor gets sick, they still come to work, diagnose themselves in secret, and prescribe themselves antibiotics. There’s a guilt tied to calling in sick when you know your absence adds pressure on colleagues.

12. Leaving Work at Work

Normal jobs may allow people to mentally log off. Doctors carry emotional baggage. You can physically leave the hospital, but that patient in the ICU, the child you couldn't save, or the bad news you delivered today—those follow you home like shadows.

13. Planning a Romantic Date Night

A candlelit dinner, flowers, soft music? Not when your shift ends at 11 PM, and you’ve already canceled twice because of an emergency surgery. Most doctor dates happen in cafeterias, on hospital benches, or in between rounds.

14. Doing Nothing Without Feeling Guilty

Try telling a doctor to relax. Even when we sit down with a book or a game, there’s a constant voice whispering, “Shouldn’t you be doing something productive?” It’s as if guilt has a permanent subscription to our thoughts.

15. Saying “No” Without Explaining Yourself

When a non-doctor says “I can’t come,” that’s the end of the conversation. When a doctor says it, it’s followed by 5 minutes of apologies and detailed explanations. We’re constantly overcompensating for not being available—even when it’s not our fault.

16. Wearing Something Other Than Scrubs or White Coat

Our wardrobe is a mix of scrubs, lab coats, and more scrubs. The occasional formal outfit exists in the back of the closet like a historical artifact, waiting for a day we don’t look exhausted to wear it again.

17. Enjoying Silence

Most people find silence peaceful. Doctors associate silence with either something going wrong or a pager about to go off. Silence feels like the calm before the storm, not relaxation.

18. Saying “Let’s Catch Up” and Actually Meaning It

Doctors love their friends but can barely maintain friendships. That “let’s catch up soon” text might take months—if not years—to come true. We often ghost unintentionally, not out of choice but out of clinical chaos.

19. Having a Hobby That Requires Time

Gardening, painting, or learning a musical instrument are luxuries for people who have weekends. Our hobbies include catching up on sleep, reading medical journals, or—if we’re lucky—staring at the ceiling in peace.

20. Experiencing a Year Without Exams or CME

Non-doctors leave exams behind after college. Doctors? We live in a loop of Continuous Medical Education, board certifications, licensing renewals, and endless courses. The exams just evolve—they never end.

21. Picking a Pet Without Worrying About Your Schedule

Getting a pet means commitment. But when your shifts last 36 hours, who’s going to walk the dog or feed the cat? Some doctors don’t get pets because they barely have time to feed themselves.

22. Reading Fiction Without Falling Asleep

We open fiction books with the dream of escaping our world, only to wake up hours later with the book on our face. The irony? We can read 20 pages of guidelines in one go, but two pages of a novel feels like running a marathon.

23. Taking a Lunch Break at Work

Non-doctors have designated lunch hours. Doctors are lucky if they get to swallow a protein bar while walking to the next department. A "lunch break" is more mythical than the tooth fairy.

24. Wearing Makeup Without It Melting Off in PPE

Contouring and eye shadow sound fun until you're sweating through your N95. Most female doctors stick to “bare-faced warrior” because even waterproof makeup doesn't stand a chance in a 12-hour shift.

25. Having a Social Media Presence Without Backlash

Non-doctors post selfies and fun videos without scrutiny. Doctors, however, walk a fine line—worried a fun post might be perceived as "unprofessional." Even sharing a vacation photo might spark comments like “Must be nice to take a break while others are on duty.”