National Doctor's Day

Happy National Doctor's Day!

National Doctor’s Day is celebrated every year on March 30^th.  The first Doctor’s Day was observed more than 90 years ago, on March 30, 1933 by the Alliance to the Barrow County Medical Society in Winder, Georgia (for those of you who don’t know Georgia geography, Winder is a small town located east of Atlanta).  Members of the Alliance to the Barrow County Medical Society selected the date to honor all physicians on the anniversary of Dr. Crawford W. Long’s first administration of anesthesia in 1842 (Dr. Long used ether during surgery to remove a tumor from the neck of James Venable) in the following resolution:

 

WHEREAS the Alliance to the Barrow County Medical Society wishes to pay lasting tribute to the Doctors, therefore, be it RESOLVED by the Alliance to the Barrow County Medical that March 30, the day that famous Georgian Dr. Crawford W. Long first used ether anesthesia in surgery, be adopted as "Doctors' Day," the object to be the well-being and honor of the profession, its observance demanding some act of kindness, gift or tribute in remembrance of the Doctors.

 

The first Doctor’s Day was observed by sending cards to all the physicians and their spouses, and a red carnation flower was placed on the graves of deceased doctors.  Through a series of resolutions in the years that followed, Doctor’s Day was widely celebrated throughout the southern United States, with sponsorship by the Southern Medical Association.  Eventually, a resolution was adopted and approved by both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate on October 30, 1990 and signed by President George H.W. Bush, designating March 30 as “National Doctor’s Day” in the following resolution:

 

WHEREAS society owes a debt of gratitude to physicians for the contributions of physicians in enlarging the reservoir of scientific knowledge increasing the number of scientific tools, and expanding the ability of health professionals to use the knowledge and tools effectively in the never ending fight against disease and,

 

WHEREAS society owes a debt of gratitude to physicians for the sympathy and compassion of physicians in ministering to the sick and in alleviating human suffering: Now, therefore, be it

 

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That;

 

1. March 30, 1991, is designated as "National Doctors' Day"; and
2. the President is authorized and requested to issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States to observe the day with appropriate programs, ceremonies and activities.

The red carnation remains as the symbol of Doctor’s Day. 


To all Doctor's - thank you for what you do, each and every day!