We’re wishing a happy Doctors Day to medical doctors across the U.S. with more than 40 interesting stats on what it’s like to practice medicine today.
For many people, March 30 is just another day on the calendar. But medical doctors know that March 30 is National Doctors Day. Read on to learn about this holiday, and keep scrolling for an infographic containing more than 40 interesting statistics about medical doctors.
National Doctors Day is a holiday to pay special recognition to medical doctors and their contributions to society. Congress designated March 30, 1991, as National Doctors Day with the passing of Public Law 101-473, and George Bush issued a proclamation in observance of the day on Feb. 21, 1991.
National Doctors Day 2019 is on Saturday, March 30, 2019. Why is National Doctors Day on March 30? According to doctorsday.org, the first National Doctors Day observance was on March 30, 1933, in Winder, GA. Eudora Brown Almond, the spouse of a doctor, selected the date in honor of Dr. Crawford Williamson Long.
Per “How March 30th Came to be Doctors’ Day,” by Rod K. Calverley: “From the time of her early childhood in rural Ft. Lamar, GA, Eudora Brown had admired the gentle kindness of her family doctor. In 1920 Eudora married Dr. Charles B. Almond and, believing that healing the sick was man’s greatest profession, became convinced that medical practitioners deserved a day of recognition. She selected March 30 to honor the man she considered Georgia’s most famous son.”
Born in 1815 in Danielsville, GA, Dr. Long painlessly removed a tumor from the neck of a patient, his friend James M. Venable, to whom he had administered ether. Though there is some controversy as to which doctor discovered anesthesia, Dr. Long is widely accepted today as the pioneer of surgical anesthesia through inhalation of ether.
It’s possible to see some medical doctors sporting red carnations, the symbolic flower of National Doctors Day, on March 30. Other healthcare providers might also mark the day by distributing commemorative cards, as Eudora Brown Almond did in 1933, or small Doctors Day gifts such as lapel pins.
Kelly Cawcutt, MD, MS, pondered whether doctors actually celebrate National Doctors Day on her blog, ParagonFire, in 2018. “I am not sure that we celebrate it in the way Hallmark would suggest,” Cawcutt writes. “I think we celebrate it not for ourselves, but in deep, sometimes wordless, appreciation of our colleagues. In recognition of the commitment and care of our colleagues. And at the end of the day, we do not toast ourselves. We toast our colleagues and silently strive to improve. To be worthy of the thank you, the note of appreciation, the calling.”
Keith Reynold Jennings, VP of Community Impact at Jackson Healthcare and the son of a hospital CEO, says it’s a tough time to be a doctor. “We’re seeing a growing discontent among physicians from all specialties and regions of the country,” he writes. “Decreased autonomy and reimbursements, increased time away from patients dealing with administrative and regulatory hassles, the corporatization of medicine, fear of litigation and longer hours are key reasons driving this.”
PatientPop found it to be true that many medical doctors experience challenges at work, which can lead to side effects such as physician burnout. But this is just a glimpse of the full picture. See the Doctors Day 2019 infographic below for more information on what it’s like to be a doctor today, from before they’re board certified to well into their careers.
Though few people would ever say being a medical doctor is easy, the data make clear that doctors are deserving of a special day of recognition. In honor of National Doctors Day 2019, the folks at PatientPop say thanks to you, doctors, and everything you do.
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