It’s National Doctor’s Day! *confetti*

I celebrate you, Doctors, today.
The “mean” doctors. The “nice” doctors.
The doctors who teach. The doctors who don’t.
The doctors who can’t help me decipher their own writing. The doctors who have lovely penmanship.
The doctors who cost a fortune. The doctors who give away their care.
The doctors who act like they could care less about my credentials. The doctors who appreciate my education and experience.
The doctors who sit on the bedside and hold a patient’s hand. The doctors who hang on to the door handle while rattling off a few sentences of discharge instructions.
The doctors who never answer my three urgent calls. The doctors who answer pages at 2 AM and then again at 4 AM only to show up to round at 5AM.
The doctors who praise in public and correct in private. The doctors who correct in public and praise in private.
The doctors who I’d want to be my own. The doctors I would never imagine as my own.
The doctors nurses hear are on the unit and suddenly all become “busy” in patient rooms. The doctors nurses hear are on the unit and make sure she has a cup of coffee exactly how she prefers.

“Doctor’s Day” makes me think of many interactions with physicians – both the wonderful and the “I’d-never-like-to-revisit.” We are a team, meant to work in harmony with one another. It’s not always easy, and sometimes the system is stacked against our success together. Nonetheless, I respect you, your education, your experience, your care.

Thank you.

*Replace “doctors” with “nurses” or any other health professional, and it will mean the same. My wonderful interactions with physicians – both male and female – far outnumber the “I’d-never-like-to-revisit” moments with physicians. Tell a doc thank you today!