National Doctors Day Today!

Today is "National Doctors Day". According to the latest statistics, when it comes to doctors, there are 21,669 doctors in Minnesota. Here in SE Minnesota, there are 3,064.
At Mayo Clinic, there are 2,192 physicians and scientists, plus, 1874 residents and fellows.
Total staff is 28,205, making the total of employees at Mayo Clinic: 32,271!

HISTORY

March 30, 1933 was the first observance of Doctors Day in Winder, Georgia. Dr. Charles B. Almond’s wife, Eudora Brown Almond, wanted to have a day to honor physicians. On this first day in 1933, greeting cards were mailed and flowers were placed on the graves of deceased doctors. The red carnation is commonly used as the symbolic flower for National Doctors Day.

The first ether anesthetic for surgery was administered by Crawford W. Long, M.D. on March 30, 1842, marking the date for Doctors Day. On that day, before Dr. Long operated to remove a tumor from a man’s neck, he administered ether anesthesia. Following surgery, the man would swear that he felt nothing during the surgery and was not aware of anything until he awoke.

In 1991, National Doctors Day was proclaimed by President George Bush. (Info from National Day Calendar)