Whether you call it Physicians' Day or Doctors' Day—we all say thank you!

During the height of the pandemic many Canadian doctors were on the front lines providing care and comfort to those affected COVID-19. They worked long hours, put their own health at risk and provided guidance and reassurance to Canadians. They were often called heroes. Today, while the daily talk of heroes has died down—sometimes replaced with the complaints of irate patients—physicians are facing an equally challenging environment, and are equally deserving of thanks and praise for their courage. So today on Doctors' Day, medical associations, organizations and individuals across the country are saluting physicians through many and various initiatives. “As physicians, we continue to serve our communities and our patients despite the pressure we’re experiencing,” said Dr. Leisha Hawker, president of Doctors Nova Scotia. “Many of us have little time or energy left for our personal lives and are feeling drained and burned out as we continue to provide care in the face of these challenging circumstances. Doctors’ Day is an important time to recognize the positive difference physicians are making to their patients and their families.” Dr. Rose Zacharias, president of the OMA, agreed. “In the pandemic, we saw an outpouring of gratitude to our healthcare providers. It is wonderful to be valued, and I would say everyone on the healthcare team needs to be valued every day.” “Physicians not only do the clinical care for people in Ontario, but we take our advocacy very seriously, and we're committed to working with government, and inside of our prescription for Ontario for a stronger healthcare system in the future, we're committed to seeing those solutions that are outlined inside of our prescription for Ontario. We do believe the government is listening, and we have an equal conviction around our advocacy as we do about the clinical care.” History of the holiday Doctors’ Day in Canada has been May 1 every year since 2011. It coincides with National Physicians' Day, which the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) implemented in 2017 as part of its 150th anniversary. May 1 was the chosen day because it’s also the birthday of Dr. Emily Stowe. Born in 1831, she became the first female physician to practice in Canadian. For its part, the CMA will be marking National Physicians’ Day with a robust social media campaign, media outreach, web content and other communication efforts aimed at celebrating physicians for showing up for patients and for speaking up for a better future of healthcare. “I think sometimes when we have stress in a system, we forget about the folks who are putting in the time every day, day in and day out,” said Dr. Alika Lafontaine, president of the CMA. “It’s not just physicians, but all members of the healthcare team. I think it's sometimes underappreciated by just the general public that physicians who are working in areas like quality improvement, patient safety, and helping people maintain standards of care, often uncompensated. And they do advocacy work. So, taking time to appreciate each member of the team is important. You may feel like a cog in the wheel right now, but we see you. I think that that's really important for physicians across the country.” Here is a sampling of the events happening across the country today and this week: New Brunswick For the New Brunswick Medical Society (NBMS), National Physicians’ Day is an important opportunity to recognize the province’s physicians for the dedication, compassion, and commitment to patient care they demonstrate every day, said NBMS president Dr. Michèle Michaud. “On May 1, we are pleased to celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of our members together with several New Brunswick cities that are showing their appreciation for physicians by hosting local flag raising ceremonies,” she said. “Municipal flag-raisings are taking place in Dieppe, Moncton, Saint John and Edmundston at each community’s city hall, while in the capital city of Fredericton, the provincial legislature is raising the NBMS flag in honour of National Physicians’ Day. We are excited to have a number of city officials, community members, and government representatives join us for each of these ceremonies.” Meanwhile, patients across New Brunswick have been showing their appreciation for physicians through the NBMS’s new #KudosNBDocs campaign. Alberta The AMA will be marking National Physicians’ Day on social media feeds today by featuring profiles of remarkable Alberta physicians, resident physicians and medical students. The organization will also be launching a gratitude program: a new initiative brought forth by the AMA’s Joint Physician Advocacy Committee that is designed to help lift the spirits of physicians and learners through the simple expression of gratitude. Learn more about Shine On: The JPAC Gratitude Program. “National Physicians' Day is a chance to celebrate the contributions of the extraordinary people who choose to serve in the medical profession,” said Dr. Fredrykka Rinaldi, AMA president. “Physicians choose medicine for myriad reasons, but first and foremost it is to help people live in good health. They are their patients’ trusted confidante and safe space. They are the stewards of public health, communicators, advocates, teachers, experts and curious scientists. They are courageous, compassionate and committed. Personally, and on behalf of the Alberta Medical Association, I extend my sincerest thanks to all of my amazing colleagues in Alberta and across the country.” Nova Scotia Doctors Nova Scotia’s theme for Doctors' Day is “Your Care is Our Calling.” The organization has launched a media campaign highlighting the excellent care physicians provide to Nova Scotians. Doctors NS has created content that will be displayed across multiple platforms, reaching hundreds of thousands of Nova Scotians. This includes billboards and transit ads around Halifax and Sydney. The organization has invited Nova Scotians to share a message of gratitude with a doctor who has made a difference in their life. Doctors Nova Scotia will be distributing these messages directly to physicians today via email and printed cards. In addition, it is sharing patient messages on social media over the course of the campaign. So far, it has gathered more than 600 individual thank-you messages from patients for their doctors. It expects to receive hundreds more today. Ontario In Ontario, Doctors’ Day flags will be raised at city halls across the province, and landmarks will be lit up blue. The Ontario Medical Association, which represents the province’s 43,000 doctors, is asking people to take part in a new social media campaign this year to thank doctors for their expertise and dedication to patient care. People can pick and post flags with thank you messages to their channels. The OMA expects Ontarians will be showing their appreciation for physicians by raising flags on social media, billboards and city halls.

Whether you call it Physicians' Day or Doctors' Day—we all say thank you!

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