International Doctor’s Day

Doctor’s Day is annually observed on 30 March globally to appreciate our physicians who work for better health for us, for our loved ones, and for our communities. We say thank you and salute those doctors who have devoted their lives to the study and practice of medicine.

To honor this noble profession, Doctors’ Day is celebrated on different dates across the world. Doctors’ Day also presents an opportunity for physicians to take a step back and look at their lives and careers. In the US, while Doctor’s Day is celebrated on March 30, in India, it’s marked on July 1.

History of Doctor’s Day

The first Doctor’s Day was observed on March 30, 1933, in Winder, Georgia. March 30 was selected because it was on that day in 1842 that Crawford W. Long, MD, a Georgian, became the first physician to use ether anesthesia in surgery.

The concept of Doctors’ Day was the brainchild of Ms. Eudora Brown Almond, a physician’s wife in Winder, Georgia. Eudora Brown Almond, the wife of a doctor in Georgia, believed her husband and other physicians deserved more recognition for their hard work and set out to make this idea a reality. Mrs. Almond mailed greeting cards to all local physicians and their wives and put flowers on the graves of deceased doctors, including Dr. Long. The flowers were red carnations, which would later become the representative flower for the national holiday.

A few other local doctors’ wives even assisted Mrs. Almond in preparing a celebratory luncheon so their husbands’ work in healthcare could be publicly appreciated.

The tradition of delivering greeting cards to physicians, both alive and deceased, has continued throughout the years and is still a common way of celebrating this holiday today. The red carnation is also still popularly used to say thank you to doctors for their work in medicine.

Doctor’s Day was celebrated unofficially for many years before it became a recognized holiday by the United States government. On March 30, 1958, the U.S. House of Representatives adopted a resolution that commemorates Doctors Day, and on October 30, 1990, President George W. Bush signed the legislation after approval by both houses of Congress.

It’s interesting to note that Doctors Days are celebrated in other lands, but often on different dates to recognize important physicians in those countries.

Spain, Cuba, and Argentina celebrate on December 3 to commemorate the birthday of Dr. Carlos Juan Finlay, who famously identified mosquitos as the cause of yellow fever. India celebrates on July 1 to commemorate the birthday of Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy, a leading physician, philanthropist, and statesman. Brazil celebrates on the 18th of October, Canada on the 1st of May, and Nepal on the 4th of March among other countries.

How to celebrate the day

International Doctors’ Day is commonly celebrated in healthcare organizations as a day to recognize the contributions of doctors to individual lives and communities.

The day gives us a chance to let our doctors know how much we appreciate them. This is a good time of year to say thank you to the doctor or doctors in your life. Even the smallest sign of gratitude, like sending a card or simple thank you note, can be extremely rewarding, as it will help your physician to maintain perspective about why they have spent so much time and energy mastering their field of expertise.

Say thank you by sending them a greeting card, a gift like a symbolic flower(Red Carnation) to the Doctor. A red carnation was chosen because it symbolizes the qualities of love, charity, sacrifice, bravery, and courage. Take a picture with your doctor and post a shout-out on social media about how they have positively impacted your life.

Thanks to the internet and various video calling applications, you can get in touch with your favorite doctor from anywhere around the world. Either record a video or get in touch with the doctor via video calling to say thank you and show gratitude for everything that a doctor has done to help you improve your health and lead a better life.

Doctors’ Day is a good time to recognize the doctors who have played a valuable role in your healthcare. Thank you for all that you do to keep our patients and community healthy.