This is part of the Medical Humanities Series on Op-Med, which showcases creative work by our members.
An Interview with the Artist
What inspired this cartoon?
The culture of medicine is always changing, and COVID-19 sped up a number of changes, including the explosion of telemedicine and the normalization of wearing scrubs to work (not just on-call or during procedure days). Some practices and institutions are now clawing back those practices. But is the return to the status quo necessarily a good thing?
Why did you choose cartoons as a medium? What interests you about it?
I’ve been drawing cartoons since high school. I think they are a fantastic medium to discuss controversial topics among physicians because they can reduce complex issues into a more understandable form, thereby making it easier to grasp the main points of a controversy or problem. Cartoons can provoke thought, trigger laughter, or stir empathy, and this can aid in the retention of ideas. In addition, the use of humor and visual metaphors in cartoons can depersonalize the issues at hand, thereby reducing defensiveness and fostering open dialogue. Finally, cartoons can be easily shared across different platforms, enabling wider discussions.
Yoo Jung Kim is a resident in Chicago and a co-author of "What Every Science Student Should Know," (University of Chicago Press) a guide for aspiring STEM majors. She is a Digital Health Fellow at Doximity and was a 2019–2020 Op-Med Fellow.
