National Doctors’ Day: Physicians & COVID
By: Laura Mantine, MD
“Wear the white coat with dignity and pride, it is an honor and privilege to get to serve the public as a physician.”
― Bill H. Warren
National Doctors’ Day
Physicians display heroism and courage every day in hospitals, nursing homes and clinics. National Doctors’ Day, celebrated on March 30th, is an annual observance aimed at appreciating physicians who help save lives everywhere. The holiday first started in 1933 in Winder, Georgia, and since then it has been honored every year. The idea came from Eudora Brown Almond, wife of Dr. Charles B. Almond, and the date was chosen as it marked the anniversary of the first use of general anesthesia in surgery. This month, National Doctors’ Day continues to highlight many questions, concerns and fears about what the future of medicine holds. The COVID-19 pandemic has already left its indelible mark on American’s health and well-being. Many doctors have courageously set aside their own fears to help those in need, lend a hand to an overburdened colleague, gather supplies and equipment for those who may soon go without, and accelerate the research to develop a vaccine or medication that may bring an end to this pandemic once and for all.
Toll of COVID-19
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold and upend American life, physicians, nurses, and the health care workforce are leading a remarkable response effort by putting their health and safety on the line every day. There have been many cases in the U.S and around the globe in which physicians have fallen seriously ill or died after treating patients for COVID-19. The physical toll alone is daunting with extremely long and taxing hours at a patient’s bedside. The emotional toll is just as significant, and enough to overwhelm even the most seasoned and experienced doctor. Ultimately, no one can say for sure how long this health threat will last or how much more our nation’s physicians will be asked to give.
A Physician’s Responsibility
The COVID-19 pandemic reminds physicians of the obligation to place a patient’s welfare above our own, the need to protect and promote public health, and the ethical considerations involved in providing care under the most urgent and trying circumstances. Physicians embrace all these responsibilities and more as a routine part of their professional lives. This fact does not diminish the burden a physician will undertake on a patient’s behalf. The selflessness displayed in the face of a deepening health crisis is truly extraordinary.
Thank You to Physicians – Today and Every Day
When physicians are asked why they chose their profession, answers will of course vary. One theme tends to underlie all the responses: a profound commitment to helping others. Physicians are called upon to help in moments like the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Patrice A. Harris, former president of the American Medical Association, said in her inaugural address “Physicians don’t run from challenges. We run toward them.” Physicians undertake these efforts because they are called to do so, not to earn public recognition or thanks. People should thank them and offer heartfelt gratitude and praise, not on National Doctors’ Day but every day.
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