10 ways to celebrate National Doctors’ Day

National Doctors’ Day is held on March 30 every year. It was first recognized in 1933 in Winder, Georgia, when Eudora Brown Almond, the wife of a prominent doctor, decided to set aside a date to honor physicians through gifts, acts of kindness and tributes. She mailed greeting cards to doctors she knew and placed flowers on the graves of deceased doctors.

In 1958, the U.S. House of Representatives followed by passing a resolution recognizing Doctors’ Day. In 1990, Former President George H.W. Bush signed a law honoring National Doctors’ Day as March 30 of every year.

These days, many health care facilities organize gatherings, such as a meal or an awards ceremony, to celebrate their physicians. Physicians also engage in activities on their own or with friends and family to celebrate and recognize their important role in health care and society.

On National Doctors’ Day and the days surrounding it, I hope you find time to take a breath and enjoy some restorative and reflective personal time. Below are some ideas for pampering yourself and supporting your physician colleagues. Happy National Doctors’ Day!

Celebration ideas

1. Gift yourself or another physician red carnations

I am a huge fan of getting myself flowers, but if you feel like sharing a sweet act of kindness, you may consider getting red carnations as a symbol of gratitude and compassion for your favorite fellow physician. Red carnations are a symbolic flower for this doctoral celebration, and represent sentiments of adoration, love, charity, service and respect.

2. Call family, friends or physician colleagues

Every doctor’s journey is supported by many friends, family members, mentors and colleagues. Sharing our gratitude with them lightens our hearts and theirs as we recall the time they spent helping us as we worked to get our degree, finish our training and find our way in the profession. Reconnecting with those we care about is also a great way to decompress.

3. Gift a book—even to yourself!

I love to recommend “Simple Abundance: 365 Days to a Balanced and Joyful Life,” by Sarah Ban Breathnach. This book offers daily inspirational meditations and reflections as well as monthly suggestions of activities to bring balance and peace to your life. The author’s writing is tangible, with sensory descriptions that take you into her inner world.

4. Enjoy a snack of matcha tea and strawberries

To really enjoy the sensory experience of making tea, I suggest an early morning before the sun is out or when you can be away from ringing phones and beeping pagers. Take a deep breath before getting started.

To make the tea, take a half teaspoon of matcha, pour water into a small bowl and whisk evenly. Add your choice of milk into a cup and pour the tea mix into the cup. On a busier morning, I simply heat the cup in the microwave (as I apologize to my ancestors). To make it a more peaceful experience, whisk the matcha until it is smooth and without lumps. While you are whisking, warm a cup of milk in a pot, then enjoy the silence. Once the milk is warm, pour the milk into a cup.

To complete this delightful snack, slice fresh strawberries in half, place in a bowl, find a window to sit by and enjoy this moment of peace.

5. Schedule a photo shoot

Photography is a poetic way of capturing your personality, your essence and a specific time in your life. Each photo shoot can mark your growth as a physician and a person. If it’s been a while since your last professional headshot, now is a great time for a refresh. You can find photographers here.

6. Show patient appreciation

Send personalized thank-you emails, letters or notes to your patients who have brought significant joy, impact and meaning to your practice of medicine. Our interactions with patients can be profound and provide us with reflections on our own journey in health care.

7. Indulge in an art project

Painting, drawing and other creative pursuits are calming and help us leave the stress of daily life behind. Consider creating artwork that celebrates physicians—make a painting of physicians’ hands to symbolize a physician’s healing touch. For a more solitary experience, pick up some colored pencils and a coloring book and enjoy the soothing experience of filling spaces with color.

8. “A Day in the Life” shadowing program

Motivate and encourage aspiring physicians by organizing a day when students can shadow physicians in the community to learn about their daily routines and challenges. This helps foster the next generation of physicians in your local area.

9. Organize a charity livestream

Pick a charity to support and plan a charity livestream where doctors in your area and beyond can discuss important topics such as cancer screenings, mental health resources, nutrition and medical literacy while simultaneously raising funds for charities or scholarships in your community. It’s important to plan in advance and choose which platform is the best for you.

If you want to see a few successful examples, Gary Linkov, MD, does a Q&A livestream, while other YouTubers, such as Timothy Hickson, have incorporated playing video games to engage their audience and receive donations to the charity of their choice.

There are many ways of hosting charity events, such as offering lectures or inviting speakers to join your livestream, and observing how various people appeal to their audience can help you create a successful charity event.

Aerial Petty, DO, has also shared ideas in The DO’s advocacy column on how to advocate for other physician-related issues.

10. Participate in a mobile health clinic for the day

Coordinate a day for free medical checkups, vaccines and health screenings for vulnerable populations to highlight and reduce the gap in accessible health care. Physicians can coordinate with their community to provide resources and recruit medical students, nurses and other health care professionals who are enthusiastic and passionate about serving those who need help accessing better care.

Pat yourself on the back

Whether in the quiet corners of solitude or with the camaraderie of your colleagues, family and friends, I hope each and every one of you find joy in celebrating yourself and others on National Doctors’ Day this year. Let this day be a reminder of the unwavering dedication you have shown to your community, the sacrifices you’ve made for education and service and the boundless compassion you’ve shown to illuminate the path of health and hope as we continue onward.

Related reading:

Record number of DOs secure residency positions through NRMP Match

How DOs can help their patients process trauma