The Bottom Line: Learn more about celebrating Doctors Day!
The Full Story:
- Why this date? National Doctors’ Day is the same date as the anniversary of the first use of general anesthetic in surgery. In that surgery, ether was used and it revolutionized surgery.
- When it comes to inappropriate antibiotic prescribing, all physicians are not created equal. A Canadian study found that the doctors most likely to prescribe antibiotics in error are those who’ve been in practice longer, see more patients or trained outside Canada or the U.S.
- When it comes to the doctor-patient relationship, patients have some pretty specific ideas about how they want their doctors to greet them when they first meet. Researchers from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, interviewed 415 U.S. adults by telephone about how they want their doctors to greet them. The survey results show that most patients want their doctors to shake their hands, greet them by name, and introduce themselves using their first and last name when they first meet.
- Want to thank your doctor in a special way? Send them a gift like a doctor’s bag of treats or prescription chocolate bar! You can find more ideas here.
- Sending letters, or a simple phone call to say “thanks!” will do just fine. A red carnation placed on a deceased doctor’s grave is another way you can commemorate your doctor, in association with The National Doctors’ Day Organization.
- According to the Huffington Post, in 2010, more than 850,000 physicians were licensed to practice. As the baby boomer generation began retirement and about 32-million Americans getting insured through the Affordable Care Act, it is estimated that as many as 130,000 new physicians will be needed by 2025.
- The U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics says 700,000 people are employed as physicians and surgeons in the United States.