There was a time when healthcare professionals were put on a pedestal for working long hours and risking their lives by tending to patients stricken with the viral pathogen during the raging pandemic.
In spite of their heroism, it appears doctors have become socially stigmatized.
TikToker Emily Long, a.k.a. @dr.ems, is a doctor who was uninvited from a wedding by the bride and groom, and the reason for the about-face was because they found out she was taking care of sick patients.
After spending thousands of dollars and taking precious time off to celebrate her friends' wedding, Long tried to figure out what to do next after she had already purchased a one-way ticket to the wedding in Texas.
"Tell me about a time you were uninvited from something because you work in the hospital during a pandemic. I'll go first...," said Long in her video.
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She continued:
"So tomorrow I was supposed to fly out straight from a 28-hour shift to attend one of my best friend's wedding events that I spent thousands of dollars on and took my vacation time, which is very limited, to attend."
"And when I texted her this morning to let her know that I was being tested and taking all these precautions before I flew in an attempt to make her feel comfortable, she totally freaked out when she found out that I take care of sick people."
"Who would have thought that a doctor takes care of sick people? I don't know."
"So I was uninvited because I made her and other people I guess, feel uncomfortable.
She ended by talking about her dilemma.
"Anyway, I bought a non-refundable plane ticket to Texas tomorrow so if anyone wants to hang, let me know."
Long's video went viral with 4.1m views and over 590,000 likes since posting.
People were appalled over her situation and many Tikokers suggested it was time for her to find new friends.
@dr.ems/TikTok
@dr.ems/TikTok
@dr.ems/TikTok
The fact that her friend apparently didn't know about Long's line of work was not lost on followers.
@dr.ems/TikTok
@dr.ems/TikTok
@dr.ems/TikTok
@dr.ems/TikTok
Long added another detail about how all the precautions she took were in vain.
@dr.ems/TikTok
In a follow-up video, Long thanked followers for their support.
She also said she decided to cancel her flight to Texas and opted for the flight credits instead.
To conclude the video, Long said she hopes to visit Texas another time, soon.
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