Celebrating National Doctors Day!

National Doctors Day is celebrated each year on March 30th. It is a time to recognize the physicians who work tirelessly everyday to keep us all healthy. This day didn't just come into existence--it dates back almost 90 years!

In 1933, Eudora Brown Almond, the wife of a family medicine physician, Dr. Charles B. Almond, felt doctors deserved recognition for their hard work and sacrifice. She enlisted her local residents in her rural Georgia town to send greeting cards to their doctors and lay flowers on the graves of late physicians.

The date of March 30th is no coincidence either. It was chosen to commemorate the first use of anesthesia during surgery in 1842 by a well known Georgia physician, Dr. Crawford Long. After gaining nearly two decades of traction in the medical community, Congress officially commemorated March 30th as National Doctors Day in 1958.

Since the first National Doctors Day was celebrated, the world of medicine has changed quite a bit. Here are a few facts that you may not have known:

1. Between 2004-2022 there was a 97% increase in women physicians

2. There are approximately 1.1 million doctors in the US. California has the highest number of licensed physicians.

3. Doctors see between 11-20 patients per day.

4. There are 26 official medical specialties, with many more sub-specialties

5. The average doctor has amassed 40,000 hours of training.

Were you aware of these facts about physicians? Don't forget to show your doctor some appreciation on National Doctor's Day!

Sources:

https://nationaldoctorsday.org/about/

https://mana.md/national-doctors-day-10-surprising-facts/