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Shirlywhirl, M.D.
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Recently, after a tough day, my attending sent me a simple text thanking me for good work done. It was a small gesture, but it made my day, which in turn made me think about how often I let days go past where I don’t thank my co-residents, interns, colleagues for their own Herculean efforts. In medicine, busting your butt is considered par for the course, and there often feels like there’s no room to feel burnt out or overwhelmed because it could “always be worse.” I’ve even caught myself doing the “oh you think THIS is bad” to people before, or undermining my own burn out because someone I know has had a heavier day. One of my goals is to try to make an effort to acknowledge and thank people for the things they do that make my life easier and our patient’s lives better.

#resident #residency #intern #inpatient #doctor #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md #medstudent #nurse #physician #webcomic #comic

It’s easy to put yourself in a box in medicine- after all, our path is incredibly regimented, which is why a lot of us chose it. Be good at science. Get stupid high grades. Do research, get it published, slap it on your CV. Chase accolades until there is no longer space on your walls for plaques. Make it.

I don’t know whether I’ve ever felt at home in that box. I always wanted to get out of it, explore the humanistic elements of medicine (while appreciating and loving the pathophysiology.) I wanted to get lost in narratives, not necessarily in pathways. And for a long time, I felt like I was wrong, or off, or insufficient because of that.

I don’t feel that way anymore. Mostly because of you guys. Because I get to do what I love, see patients, pursue justice , draw what I feel like drawing, write whatever my heart compels me to, and spring out of this box that was never meant to contain me (or any of us, really.)

So thank you all for helping me realize that a Doctor doesn’t have to look, act, or think a certain way to still have an impact. I love you. Happy National Doctor’s Day.

📸 Jill, who doesn’t have an insta. Thanks boo!

#swappypost #resident #residency #intern #inpatient #doctor #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md #medstudent #nurse #physician #webcomic #comic

Presenting Ophthalmology Girl (courtesy of @lexreneemd!) @lexreneemd is a badass Ophthalmology resident. Ophtho is one of the most mysterious of fields to me, and they have some of the coolest toys (such as Ophtho girl’s sidekick, the portable Slit Lamp, cannulas, and phacoemulsifier!) I’ll let her describe what makes her field so special:

“Vision is a privilege and vastly changes quality of life when diminished. I’ve heard multiple times from patients say they would rather give an arm or a leg but don’t want their vision to go away. You may not need your eyes to live, but your life is not the same without them. It’s a small organ but there are so many layers and nuance (there are 9 subspecialties). [Ophtho] has [its] own language and imaging modalities, so we have a unique ownership of the patient.”

Thanks so much for your support, @lexreneemd!

A reminder re: Magical Girls — Magical Girls are only available now via commission! SO PLEASE ☺️ DO NOT COMMENT OR MESSAGE ME☺️ SAYING THAT YOU WANT YOUR SPECIALTY TO BE DONE ☺️UNLESS YOU ARE PLANNING TO RUN ME A CHECK😘

#magicalgirl #anime #manga #medicalmagicalgirl # #ophtho #ophthalmology #eyedoctor #optometry #optometrist #resident #residency #doctor #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md #medstudent #nurse #physician #vision

We need another Avenue for trained physicians who have often sacrificed hundreds of thousands of dollars, years of training, time away from family, emotional/ mental wellness in order to pursue a dream of becoming a physician.

#matchday #match2021 #soap2021 #ms4 #healthcare #resident #residency #doctor #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #residency #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md #medstudent #nurse #physician #webcomic #comic

I can’t believe I used to let people just shower me with their secretions before smh.

#resident #residency #intern #inpatient #doctor #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #residency #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md #medstudent #nurse #physician #webcomic #comic #covid_19 #coronavirus #maskssavelives #masks

Me every time I have do an extra shift, work a weekend, or do another inpatient rotation that isn’t strictly related to Cards: 😡🤬😤🤬😤😾👿😠

Swipe for a blank version- I want to see y’all’s captions!

#resident #residency #intern #inpatient #doctor #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #residency #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md #medstudent #nurse #physician #webcomic #comic #captionthis

Me: I’m not going to draw a comic this week, I’m taking a break

Medicine : ok but we up to some BS again

Me: 😡😤😤😤fine #resident #residency #intern #inpatient #doctor #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #residency #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md #medstudent #nurse #physician #metoo #sexualassault #timesup #misogyny

PART 2 of 2 This comic is a call to action. To the admissions committees and program directors across the country- I’m asking that you look at your selection criteria. Are you interviewing candidates from HBCUs? Are you examining candidates holistically, or still determining which candidates have the most merit based on attributes that are most easily gamed by those with wealth and access? If you practice in a predominantly black community, are you advocating for more resources for pipeline programs in that community? If not, you are upholding white supremacy in your selection criteria.

Look, I’m a Ghanaian-American immigrant with educated parents. I am not of the group who you should be targeting to recruit. I am black, and I love serving my black patients- but they need people who grew up in their communities and understand their barriers more than they need more people like me.

So this #blackhistorymonth, I want to see people putting their money where their mouths are. I don’t want hashtags and well wishes, I want instrumental change and institutional review.

Please share if you share my vision!

#bhm #structuralracism #systemicracism #representation #resident #residency #intern #inpatient #doctor #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #residency #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md #medstudent #nurse #physician

PART 1 of 2

This comic is a call to action. To the admissions committees and program directors across the country- I’m asking that you look at your selection criteria. Are you interviewing candidates from HBCUs? Are you examining candidates holistically, or still determining which candidates have the most merit based on attributes that are most easily gamed by those with wealth and access? If you practice in a predominantly black community, are you advocating for more resources for pipeline programs in that community? If so, you are upholding white supremacy in your selection criteria.

Look, I’m a Ghanaian-American immigrant with educated parents. I am not of the group who you should be targeting to recruit. I am black, and I love serving my black patients- but they need people who grew up in their communities and understand their barriers more than they need more people like me.

So this #blackhistorymonth, I want to see people putting their money where their mouths are. I don’t want hashtags and well wishes, I want instrumental change and institutional review.

Please share if you share my vision!

#bhm #structuralracism #systemicracism #representation #resident #residency #intern #inpatient #doctor #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #residency #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md #medstudent #nurse #physician

PART 2 of 2 This comic is a call to action. To the admissions committees and program directors across the country- I’m asking that you look at your selection criteria. Are you interviewing candidates from HBCUs? Are you examining candidates holistically, or still determining which candidates have the most merit based on attributes that are most easily gamed by those with wealth and access? If you practice in a predominantly black community, are you advocating for more resources for pipeline programs in that community? If so, you are upholding white supremacy in your selection criteria.

Look, I’m a Ghanaian-American immigrant with educated parents. I am not of the group who you should be targeting to recruit. I am black, and I love serving my black patients- but they need people who grew up in their communities and understand their barriers more than they need more people like me.

So this #blackhistorymonth, I want to see people putting their money where their mouths are. I don’t want hashtags and well wishes, I want instrumental change and institutional review.

Please share if you share my vision!

#bhm #structuralracism #systemicracism #representation #resident #residency #intern #inpatient #doctor #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #residency #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md #medstudent #nurse #physician