Today on National Doctors’ Day, I’d like to take a moment and recognize the exemplary care, compassion, and skill our Faculty and Residents bring to our patients and our Emergency Departments every day.
When I consider all we do, I am reminded that practicing Emergency Medicine is both a science and an art. Being a great emergency physician requires us all to stay up to date with the literature, analyze a breadth of information, and understand the complex factors affecting the patients who walk into our Departments. But it also requires much more than that. In the ED, we must constantly think on our feet, provide assurance and support to our patients and their families, and collaborate with colleagues across the entire hospital system.
The theme for this year’s celebration of National Doctors’ Day is “Honor the Calling.” Being an emergency physician is so much more than a profession. It is a calling to work that demands all of us, every day, whether we’re in the Emergency Department or not. One of the realities of our work is that being an emergency physician isn’t a job we can “log out” of. We work around the clock. And I know that all of us, even when we’re not at the hospital, are thinking about patients and working tirelessly to improve our skills as a clinician, educator, and leader.
Today, I hope we all take a moment to reflect on the positive experiences we’ve had in the past year with patients and their families. What we do is not easy. Being an emergency physician is a high-stakes, high-pressure career. But it also comes with some of the greatest rewards…saving lives, navigating complex and challenging situations across all ages, genders, and conditions, and providing a safety net of care to patients who would otherwise have none.
Today on National Doctors’ Day, may we all “honor the calling” of serving as emergency physicians. Thank you for what you do. Thank you for what you sacrifice. Thank you for your contributions to our Department—and the entire field of Emergency Medicine.
With gratitude and appreciation,
Mike
