For any fan of the Star Trek franchise, the phrase “I’m a doctor, not a…” is practically as well-known and beloved as “Live long, and prosper.” Made famous by the late DeForest Kelley in his performance as Dr. Leonard McCoy on the original Star Trek series, it has been emulated and referenced elsewhere in pop culture in everything from Battlestar Galactica to SpongeBob SquarePants. The phrase was also used numerous times in other Star Trek series; in fact, the only series that didn’t offer a nod to the iconic catchphrase was The Next Generation. As we continue to join in Star Trek‘s 50th anniversary celebration, we thought it might be fun to ask some die hard fans how many different versions of these phrases they could remember, and find out which ones were their favorites. The response was overwhelming! There were too many to list every single example, but here are the most frequently referenced versions from those we polled, in no particular order. See how many you remembered:
Dr. Leonard McCoy, The Original Series
- “I’m a doctor, not a bricklayer.” (“The Devil in the Dark“)
- “I’m a surgeon, not a psychiatrist.” (“The City on the Edge of Forever‘)
- “I’m a doctor, not a mechanic.” (“The Doomsday Machine“)
- “I’m a doctor, not a coal miner.” (“The Empath“)
- “I’m a doctor, not an engineer.” (“Mirror, Mirror“)
Dr. Julian Bashir, Deep Space Nine
- “I’m a doctor, not a botanist.” (“The Wire“)
- “I’m a doctor, not an historian.” (‘Trials and Tribble-ations”)
The Doctor (Emergency Medical Hologram), Voyager
- “I’m a doctor, not a bartender.” (“Twisted“)
- “I’m a doctor, not a dragon-slayer.” (“Bliss“)
- “I am a doctor, not a peeping Tom. (“Drone“)
- “I’m a doctor, not a database.” (“Future’s End, Part II“)
- “I’m a doctor, not a counterinsurgent.” (“Basics, Part II“)
Dr. Phlox, Enterprise
- “I’m a physician, not an engineer.” (“Doctor’s Orders“)
Bonus: Emergency Medical Holograms
- “I am a doctor, not a commando.” (EMH Mark II Voyager: “Message in a Bottle“)
- “I’m a doctor, not a doorstop.” (EMH Mark I Star Trek: First Contact)