Why Do Doctors Still Use Pagers?

Although the pager seems out of date, doctors often take perverse pride in carrying one, at least at first. I still remember the excitement and anticipation of receiving my first pager as a medical student. It meant the years spent hunched over a textbook were over; I was entering the fray of patient care. That feeling quickly turned to irritation as I became painfully aware of pagers’ shortcomings. During medical residency shifts that span a day and a night and then some, I have grown to despise my pager with a burning rage previously reserved for Boston drivers. The device’s rude, sudden blare, with a knack for jolting me awake on call just as I drift into a shallow, anxiety-ridden sleep, now triggers a visceral reaction. My heart leaps into overdrive and my palms transform into a sweaty wetland that occasionally facilitates “accidentally” dropping the bleeping thing. I don’t have children, but I wonder if the way my tiny pager loudly dictates its demands around the clock is like having a baby. Except my beeper will never love me back.