National Physicians Week: 25 – 31 March 2023

Physicians make up a part of the front-liners who are consistently in charge of taking care of people’s health and improving their medical condition(s). They are responsible for utilising advanced medical technology and cutting-edge medical science in their practice, looking after individuals from a range of demographics. National Physicians Week is a period of time that is precisely dedicated to celebrating the work of physicians, and honouring the art of medicine. As National Physicians Week, celebrated from March 25 to 31, approaches, we share some insights into the occasion in this blog. Continue reading to know more about National Physicians Week. 

“Observation, Reason, Human Understanding, Courage; these make the physician.” ― Martin H. Fischer 

History of National Physicians Week 

Let’s begin by talking about the emergence of National Physicians Week. As the week celebrates the work of physicians, what led to the same? As we know, the practice of medicine is recorded since hundreds of years ago. Medical ethics was born in Greece, and by the 1100s medical institutions had started taking birth. It was quite some time before the word ‘physician’ found its way into the dictionary, in 1400. 

Travelling ahead a few hundred years, 1847 saw the establishment of the American Medical Association and 1849 saw the first woman medical student graduate in New York with a medical degree. Advancements in medicine grew as 1982 saw the first artificial heart implanted in a patient. 

Taking the entire lineage of medical sciences into consideration led to June 2015, when Kimberly Funches Jackson MD was prompted to form National Physicians Week and Physicians Working Together (PWT), an organisation that worked to bring together all kinds of physicians, from different levels to specialities. What inspired Jackson was to bring the ailing relationship of physician-patient relationship as the central focus of healing and respect. 

National Physicians Week has been celebrated since. It even took to an online conference in 2018, when the week was celebrated by a Physicians Working Together and Zenxmed hosted and physician-led virtual conference.

Also Read: National Doctors’ Day

Importance of National Physicians Week

What is the need for National Physicians Week? The importance of National Physicians Week is directly correlated with the need and importance of physicians. We share some of the most important aspects below. 

1. The week celebrates physicians that not only take care of our physical ailments but also support us mentally in difficult medical diagnosis-related times. 
2. The week takes time to honour the hard work and resilience of physicians who work 1.5 years more than an average American. 
3. Moreover, the occupational risks for physicians such as physical hazards, fatigue, chemical and drug exposures, and emotional stress are potentially addressed during this week. 

Also Read: World Civil Defence Day

How to Celebrate? 

How can the general public celebrate or participate in the celebration of physicians during National Physicians Week? 

1. Sincerely thank the doctors and physicians in your life. You can send a thank you note or honour them with appreciative gifts. 
2. Take on social media the address of better working conditions for physicians. 
3. Schedule the physician appointment that you have postponed for way too long now. Take care of your own health. 
4. You can further donate to a local medical centre and/or support the physicians at or around your surrounding residential area. 
5. If you want to go big, you can also organise a recognition ceremony for physicians in your locality. 

Also Read: World Storytelling Day 2023

Responsibilities of a Physician 

Physicians are generally of two types: MD (Medical Doctor) and DO (Doctors of osteopathic medicine). Let’s learn who a physician is through the responsibilities they possess. Read below. 

1. Physicians diagnose and treat various injuries and illnesses. 
2. They are required to examine patients and prescribe medications. 
3. A physician also works on giving advice to patients regarding their diet, hygiene and preventive care. 
4. Taking a record of the medical history of the patient also comes under the work particulars of a physician. 
5. Furthermore, the physician order, take and interprets diagnostic tests. 

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This was all about National Physicians Week (March 25 – 31). For more such interesting blogs, stay tuned to Wings by Leverage Edu.