This comic is part of the Medical Humanities vertical on Op-Med, which showcases creative writing by Doximity members. Do you have a comic, poem, work of lyric prose, or flash fiction piece related to medicine that you’d like to share with the community? Send it to us here.

An Interview with the Author

What was your inspiration? Did other creative works influence your creation of this piece?

The truth is, living day to day within medicine is an endless source of inspiration. There are so many quirks, nuances, funny moments, and stories just in the everyday work of medicine. I love trying to capture those moments in comics. One of my personal comic heroes is Gene Luen Yang, who has done a lot to advance the field of comics as a whole. Within medicine, I have learned so much from the brilliant artists and comic thinkers who comprise the graphic medicine community. And I am also continually inspired by physicians who embrace the use of comics to tell their stories as well — Dr. Grace Farris has been really supportive of my journey through art and medicine, and I have also learned so much from the journeys of Dr. Nathan Gray, Dr. Shirlene Obuobi, and many others.

How long have you been writing creatively? What got you started?

I joke with friends that I have been doodling and drawing long before I ever started doctoring, but it is true — art was one of my first loves, and as an awkward nerdy kid growing up in a place where I did not really see myself or my stories reflected in those around me, I turned to art and comics as a way of processing my own stories. But I never shared them publicly until a close mentor in college, Dr. Seema Yasmin, sat me down one afternoon and told me this skill was something I could take seriously within medicine. I really took her words to heart and tried to keep that as a north star, and that has guided a lot of my creative and professional pursuits since then.

Why did you choose this medium? What interests you about it?

The simple answer is that I just love comics. The longer answer is that I think comics are fascinating as a medium — they are a blend of written word and visual illustrations, and the two sides can complement each other in really powerful ways when used intentionally. It’s a bit of a puzzle and I love the challenge of balancing what needs to be in text and what can be conveyed visually. I also find that comics can be a really effective medium for tackling difficult subjects because they are disarming — you can make people laugh and really think at the same time.

How does this submission relate to your medical practice?

Residency is such an intense learning experience, and we often go through these challenges thinking we’re the only ones struggling. I still remember the patient experience that I drew about in this comic, where I felt I missed an essential diagnosis. I bottled up my intense shame for days. It wasn’t resolved until I talked with an experienced mentor, who chuckled knowingly and then fully normalized this struggle and reminded me that these difficult learning experiences are not just expected but also necessary to our growth as clinicians. We learn so much more from our challenging situations than our seamless ones. That really helped put things in perspective.

Now as a senior resident, I get this really interesting perspective because I see my interns on my team struggling with this challenge too, feeling like they are not where they want to be yet — and I so viscerally remember what it was like to be in their shoes. This comic is my way of speaking directly to those fears, to my interns, and to a younger version of myself, and hopefully giving permission to fully lean into the learning journey of medicine for all of its ups and downs.

What lessons would you impart to your younger self? Share in the comments!

Christine Lynn Chen is a third-year internal medicine resident at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, as well as an artist who creates comics, murals, and animations to build spaces of belonging and healing in medicine. Her work has been featured in national campaigns by the former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, presented internationally at graphic medicine conferences, and published in medical journals including Annals of Internal Medicine, AMA Journal of Ethics, JACC, and Graphic Medicine Review. Her work can be found on Instagram @pristinethinpen or on her website at https://www.christinelynnchen.com/.

Header image by Christine Lynn Chen