Happy Doctor’s Day
Every year I try to make a point to wish every physician Happy Doctor’s Day! You may think this is a bogus holiday or occasion but it isn’t. While nurses get a week and other groups may get a month, we only get a day. One freaking day! And even then most hospital employers will forget or ignore it (and you). On average, this blog has found that over 50% of hospitals do not even recognize this day. This is from surveys on this site. How easy would it be to send an email or a simple token of appreciation? It’s the simple things in life that keep physicians engaged.
For those who don’t know how it started, here goes:
On March 30th, 1933 Eudora Brown Almond, wife of a Dr. Cha Almond, commemorated the anniversary of the first use of anesthesia back in 1842. From 1933 to 1958, the Women’s Auxiliary of the Southern Medical Association kept the tradition of Doctor’s Day alive by mailing cards to physicians and by placing flowers on the graves of the deceased doctors every March 30th. In 1958 the United States House of Representatives adopted a resolution to commemorate March 30th as Doctor’s Day. In 1991, President George Bush signed a resolution proclaiming March 30th as the first National Doctor’s Day.
I challenge you to even find a card in the stores to give to a doctor. My medical assistant, to be fair, gave me a Doctor’s Day pin from Walt Disney World last year. Go Disney!!!
In 2010, surveys have found that 33% to 50% doctors want to quit or retire and 63 percent of doctors would not recommend this profession to others. How sad is that?
If you are not a doctor, don’t hesitate to tell a physician that you appreciate him or her.
If you are a doctor, take a second for some introspection.
You directly help people every day. You can brag about this to your friends, your family and your community (even though you won’t). That is what this day is for. Don’t let your organization forget you, but if they do then do not forget yourselves!
Hey, what about Administrator’s Day? They deserve a day too, don’t they?
Not…
As a patient, I sent out a few cards for doctor’s day last year, but wasn’t sure if it really mattered much or not. And it wasn’t something for which I expected to receive feedback. But now you have shown that it does matter, so I’ll keep that in mind from now on.
Happy Doctors Day. Soon there will be a Happy Providers Day and all the healthcare bureaucracy can celebrate the tireless efforts of doctors, NPs, and PAs without having to differentiate. Homogenization is the key to social equality. My friend in the insured world got a card from his hospital employer emblazoned with heart warming corporate feel good slogans.
So true
Dr. Doug, Thanks for commenting on this every year. Until they ran into financial difficulties and sold to a local teaching hospital, our hospital’s biggest clinic-without-walls used to have a big (unhealthy) breakfast spread and free lab work for all doctors, working or retired. (Appropriate, since doctors typically don’t take very good care of themselves.) At least now, my nursing students still call me doctor and seem appreciative, especially when they pass pharmacology! Happy Doctor’s Day to you too!