Doctor's Day 2024

On March 30, 1842, in Jefferson, Georgia, Dr. Crawford Long used ether when removing a tumor from a patient’s neck, becoming the first surgeon to use ether as an anesthetic.

Exactly 91 years later, the first Doctors’ Day observance was held on March 30, 1933, in Winder, Ga. The idea came from Eudora Brown Almond, wife of Dr. Charles B. Almond, who believed her husband and other physicians deserved more recognition for their work and dedication, and the chosen celebration date was the anniversary of the first use of general anesthetic in surgery.

The Barrow County (Georgia) Medical Society Auxiliary proclaimed the day “Doctors’ Day,” which was celebrated by mailing cards to physicians and their wives and by placing red carnations on the graves of deceased doctors, including Dr. Long’s. The red carnations would later become the representative flower for the national holiday.

The U.S. House of Representatives adopted a resolution commemorating Doctors’ Day on March 30, 1958. In 1990, the U.S. Congress overwhelmingly approved legislation establishing a National Doctors’ Day and then-President George H.W. Bush signed the resolution. The first National Doctors’ Day was celebrated on March 30, 1991.

At GBMC, we follow this sacred tradition every year. In early March, we begin outreach to patients to let them know of this holiday and how they can offer words of gratitude and/or make gifts in honor of their beloved clinicians. We also distribute flyers, QR codes, and other reminders throughout the hospital to encourage our patients and their families to give thanks to their doctors.

On or near March 30, we honor our clinicians with a celebration to remind them how much they mean to us. In early April, as the campaign ends, we collect and sort all letters and notes of gratitude, as well as all donations made in honor of the doctors, and present this information to our doctors. They receive all of the notes of gratitude, as well as note cards to send to their donors thanking them for supporting GBMC in their honor.

It is a holiday that is cherished by our clinicians and our employees.

Here are just three physicians at GBMC who regularly receive notes of gratitude and donations in their honor. We are sure you will be able to see why:

Paul Celano, MD, FASP, FASCO, is the Herman and Walter Samuelson Medical Director of the Sandra and Malcolm Berman Cancer Institute at GBMC. He has a special interest in treating gynecologic, genitourinary, gastrointestinal, and breast malignancies and leads the oncology clinical trials program. He completed his medical training at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, then his fellowship in oncology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and served on the faculty fulltime before joining GBMC. His practice at GBMC cares for adults with cancer and hematologic disorders, treating the disease using the most advanced technology and procedures so that each patient can continue living, working, and fulfilling dreams.

Dr. Celano has dedicated his career to oncology.

“My interest in cancer and in science goes back to when I was a child,” he said. “My aunt unfortunately died of ovarian cancer when I was young, and it had a big impact on me. It inspired me to better understand illnesses, particularly cancer.

“I went to Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York City where I learned from some of the leaders of clinical trials, which has really been a large part of my career."

“Dear Dr. Celano, Thank you for years of wonderful, professional care. I am so grateful to you. I also want to take this opportunity to thank all the wonderful members of your oncology department.” - Linda Brock 

"Taking good care of me these past 15 years. You've always been kind, knowledgeable, and answered any questions I had. I appreciate everything you've done for me!" - Lois Cellitto 

Lauren A. Schnaper, MD, FACS, is a breast surgeon at the GBMC Sandra and Malcolm Berman Comprehensive Breast Care Center and Associate Professor of Surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Dr. Schnaper is nationally recognized for her work specializing in benign and malignant diseases of the breast. In addition to direct patient care, she is active in national clinical research and has chaired the Breast Surgery Subcommittee of the Cancer and Leukemia Group B, a nationwide NCI-sponsored cooperative clinical trials group. Her clinical research focuses on breast cancer in the elderly and her basic sciences research focuses on circulating proteins in breast cancer.

Dr. Schnaper has been honored by many community groups and was named as one of Maryland's Top 100 Women by the Daily Record in 2010.

“I met Dr. Schnaper nine years ago this month. It was the most terrifying day of my life. Within 10 minutes of being in her office, I at once felt calmer and felt like I would survive stage 3 breast cancer. I credit her with not only being incredibly caring, but literally for saving my life. So, thank you Lauren Schnaper!” - Joyce Powell 

“Thank you so much for taking great care of me. You listened, were always available for my questions and concerns and most importantly you did not treat me fearfully. Thank you for everything and Happy Doctor's Day” - Candace Harris 

Lee Schmidt, MD, is the Director of the Joint Replacement Center and the Chief of the Division of Orthopedics at GBMC. He has practiced at GBMC since completing his joint replacement fellowship in 1990 at MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital. Treating both arthritic knees and hips, he has surgical expertise ranging from arthroscopic surgery to total joint reconstruction. Areas of special interest include partial and total knee replacement, hip replacement surgery and minimally invasive techniques. He is active in multiple professional societies including the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons and the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.

“It has always been an honor for me to serve the community of Maryland. I was born and educated in Maryland, and dedicated my entire career to practicing orthopedic surgery at GBMC. We created the GBMC joint replacement center over 20 years ago to serve our community. Today, advancements in surgical techniques have enabled us to safely perform total joint replacement as an outpatient procedure for selected patients. I am so proud that we continue to provide state-of-the-art-joint replacement surgery for our patients in the comfort of a setting that is close to home.”

“Everything I take more than 3 steps; I praise Dr. Schmidt for his skill and ability. At 70+ years old, I have a new lease on walking (and a full life).” - David Torrence 

“Thank you for taking good care of my knees for 25 years and probably another 25 more!” - Debra Knop