The fact that we're splitting hairs with doctors proves their value. We could go through the same dance with auto mechanic, baker, blacksmith, taylor, farmer, vet, general merchant, etc. However, we know with medical doctors in a dire situation, we're probably talking about a life-or-death situation right now. So, we have this discussion that's quite a bit more more intriguing.

It's an easy enough question for every professional. Is this skilled person accustomed to working under primitive conditions, or do they only know how to operate with their expensive equipment? It's a case-by-case situation for each professional. It's a totally valid question today when we have the comforts of modern technology.

In the case of my brother-in-law, he went into medicine specifically with the intent to treat people in less equipped countries. Like I said a couple times, he's a general surgeon. Part of his training required him to spend years in the ER room of hospitals that didn't have all the expensive toys.

At this point, he knows how to treat someone who got stabbed or shot in the inner thigh. That's one of many examples. He has done his time with cadavers, and knows human anatomy inside and out. If you talk to a doctor who has actually done stuff like this, they are likely to tell you something like they fainted the first time they had to do these things. Some top-of-the-class doctors go through medical school and realize they can't get past the idea of working with blood all day. So, they manage a hospital, or move to practicing orthopedics, or whatever.

By asking a few pinpoint questions, it's easy enough to figure out what type of doctor you have before you, right? The same is true for any other skilled person. One shortcut, if you're talking to a general surgeon who has spent time in an ER, then there's a high chance this person is fully capable of working under primitive conditions and has already been there and back. Apparently, the same is true for combat vets.