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Shirlywhirl, M.D.
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2022-10-29

As you all know, I try to be very discerning about what I promote on this account- I only rep things I actually use! So when I met Travis of Pattern Life at @womeninmedicinesummit and he brought up potentially working together to help spread word of their services, I was intrigued.

The thing about working in healthcare is that you get used to seeing people face the unimaginable. I stopped feeling invincible after my first year of residency, watching people my age and younger receive devastating diagnoses. I’ve known for a long time that disability insurance was something I needed to invest in– but I felt paralyzed by the options. I didn’t know where to start.

Pattern Life is a FREE SERVICE. FREE.99. They focus specifically on linking physicians with disability and life insurance policies, and are paid by the insurance companies for their referral. That means that there’s NOTHING stopping you from signing up for one of their sessions to learn more about disability insurance/ get quotes! I learned so much from my session with Andrew, and will be signing up this week. I’m also planning to do an instagram live at some point with Andrew to answer any questions y’all might have about disability insurance!

Oct 29 2022-10-29T00:00:00-05:00

2022-10-26

The relationship I have with these two is, to many onlookers, unusual. I call @linnliu and @toshibaiinu my best friends, but the truth is, we’re a bit more than that. It’s why Linda and I jokingly call each other our platonic soulmates, why when CJ is asked whether I’m his friend, he’ll usually go on about how our relationship has taken on different forms across our many incarnations but we’re definitely siblings in at least two. Truth is : I wouldn’t be who I am without these two. This page wouldn’t exist; I wouldn’t have had the courage to make it. I might not even have had the fortitude & foresight to recognize the man who would become my incredible husband, because I wouldn’t have experienced what it meant to be loved unconditionally. They’re the family I chose (and that our families have accepted back), and I’m so lucky to be part of their story. Hope you two doofuses live happily ever after and whatnot.💕💕💕

Oct 26 2022-10-26T00:00:00-05:00

2022-10-21

Gotta keep the options open ! #healthcareworkers #hcws #physicians #residency #cardiology #fellowship #wic #intern #internship #meded #doctor #clinicalrotations #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #medicine #medicalschool #md #medstudent #physician #webcomic #nurse #nursing #advancedpractice #physicianassistant #clerkships #nursepractitioner

Oct 21 2022-10-21T00:00:00-05:00

2022-10-16

Brief reminder that home call is a scam 💖😊💖 I still prefer it to a night shift system though, especially in fellowship, as I have a stubborn circadian rhythm and it takes me 3 days to adjust every time. Honestly, I actually like 28 hour calls that have built in post calls- they are not fun and not physiologic but are easier on my body than the alternatives. Which do you prefer? #healthcareworkers #hcws #physicians #residency #cardiology #fellowship #wic #intern #internship #meded #doctor #clinicalrotations #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #medicine #medicalschool #md #medstudent #physician #webcomic #nurse #nursing #advancedpractice #physicianassistant #clerkships #nursepractitioner

Oct 16 2022-10-16T00:00:00-05:00

2022-10-15

A confession: Once upon a time, I failed Step 2 CS. Yes, the unfailable exam. Yes, the one they eradicated because of its 94% pass rate. Yes, the one that didn’t survive the pandemic.

I still carry an unreasonable amount of shame about this. Before medical school, I excelled at exams: I had a near perfect SAT, a 94th percentile MCAT score. In it, I was firmly middle of the pack– I never failed exams, but wasn’t top of my class either. Then came NBME. 8 hour marathon exams are really difficult for me, a girl with a short attention span who has to be doing something with my hands to focus (yes, it has been suggested to me that there might be some neurodivergency here), and I’ve struggled with most of them.

The only ppl I’ve told were @linnliu and CJ (sorry mommy). I ate ramen for a month, scraped together $1200 I didn’t have from my loans and drove hours away to retake the test so that I wouldn’t run into anyone I knew. Still, if it weren’t for the preponderance of casual statements from my colleagues calling the test I’d failed “a joke,” the people who failed it “non English speakers” (problematic for a host of reasons) or “probably unsuited for medicine,” this whole thing would’ve been an annoyance rather than a traumatizing experience I’m still processing.

Still, it’s made me more aware of the insensitive ways we often have discussions. The many things we assume when we talk to each other: that we are able-bodied, that we are wealthy, that we find a rotation/procedure/concept “easy.” Instead, we should come from a place where we make no assumptions and let the other person fill the blanks– at the very least, to avoid alienating them. When I started to confide in my mentors, I was shocked by how many of them had had similar experiences. Facts: the most badass, knowledgeable attending you know found something you think is easy difficult. And those of us who are loud about our success are often silent in our failure.

Hope this helps someone.

Oct 15 2022-10-15T00:00:00-05:00

2022-10-13

No, I will not be revealing my source bc im no snitch but EXCUSE ME?? YAAAALLLLEEE?? (Said like Souljah Boi). Obviously it is an enormous honor to even be considered for something like this- thank you to all the students who nominated me. Moments like this remind me that what I do matters to many 😭😭😭😭 I appreciate you all.

#medstudent #medicalschool #medicalschoolcommencement #cardiology #womenincardiology

Oct 13 2022-10-13T00:00:00-05:00

2022-10-07

So my best friend @linnliu is getting married to my other best friend and while I have not yet written my MOH speech (😱), I did throw her a bomb bachelorette party ft. a few of her favorite things: 1) hanging out with doofuses & 2) stunting on heauxs while doing it.

Thank you so much to @karlsolano 📸 for the amazing photography (you were so fun & are so talented, y’all need to make sure this man stays booked and busy okay!) & @neftieboni for helping me organize across the ocean! And also to @allbirds for the comfy new kicks - they just dropped the Pacer line & they are so comfy & stylish & match most of my closet! If you use the link in my bio, you get free socks! 🧦

@wndrmuseum #bacheloretteparty

Oct 7 2022-10-07T00:00:00-05:00

2022-10-01

Just finished up my rotation on #electrophysiology #ep. EP is a subspecialty of Cardiology that focuses on the electrical activity of the heart - they’re the rhythm docs! (Check out @heart.beat.doctor to learn more about what EPs focus on!)

I have only recently started feeling more confident in my EKG reading, and will soon try to do a few videos on the topic. There was so much about EKGs I just didn’t understand until recently that I think would’ve helped me as a resident!

(Also yes I’m a nerd, and yes I always draw myself as an Orc / barbarian princess bc it’s my preferred fantasy aesthetic 😂)

#shirleneobuobi #healthcareworkers #hcws #physicians #residency #cardiology #fellowship #wic #intern #internship #meded #doctor #clinicalrotations #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #medicine #medicalschool #md #medstudent #physician #webcomic #nurse #nursing #advancedpractice #physicianassistant #clerkships #nursepractitioner #healthcareworkers

Oct 1 2022-10-01T00:00:00-05:00

2022-09-25

As promised, tips for doing well on your #clinicalevaluations in third year!

Once upon a time, I found third year evaluations bewildering. All of my classmates were brilliant, so I couldn’t understand what differentiated an honors med student from a high pass. And while I still think the grading system is subject to bias and is often unintelligible, now that I’ve worked in a supervisory role with med students for a few years, I think I better understand what makes some stand out from the pack.

The transition from preclinical years, when having the right answer, to clinical ones, where right answers don’t really exist, can be jarring for students. This is why it’s extra important to take ownership of your patients completely. Pay attention to decisions that are made throughout the day, keep a list of tasks that need to be completed for the patient and follow through with everything you can help with. Know what happened with them overnight (this might mean you come listen to morning sign out!) 3rd year is an apprenticeship, not a pageant - taking responsibility for their care and thinking of yourself as their doctor (with backup) will set you up nicely for success.

Any other things med students can do to take ownership of patients?

#shirleneobuobi #healthcareworkers #hcws #physicians #residency #cardiology #fellowship #wic #intern #internship #meded #doctor #clinicalrotations #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #medicine #medicalschool #md #medstudent #physician #webcomic #nurse #nursing #advancedpractice #physicianassistant #nursepractitioner #healthcareworkers

Sep 25 2022-09-25T00:00:00-05:00

2022-09-24

Like dang can a girl just be grumpy in peace 😫

##shirleneobuobi #healthcareworkers #hcws #physicians #residency #cardiology #fellowship #wic #intern #internship #meded #doctor #clinicalrotations #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #medicine #medicalschool #md #medstudent #physician #webcomic #nurse #nursing #advancedpractice #physicianassistant #nursepractitioner #healthcareworkers

Sep 24 2022-09-24T00:00:00-05:00