A Painting & Conversation with Dr. Philip Borger

This is part of the Medical Humanities Series on Op-Med, which showcases creative work by our members. Do you have a poem, short story, creative nonfiction or visual art piece related to medicine that you’d like to share with the community? Send it to us here.

What inspired this piece?

Various themes I noticed as a medical student. Rather than state them explicitly, I like when people look at my paintings and draw their own meaning and conclusions from it.

How long have you been painting? How did you get into it? How does it relate to your medical practice?

I began painting in 2012 after reading a book on how to paint with oils. For me, it’s a great way to summarize a thought, feeling, or image in the way that I see it, and then communicate that to other people. Much like surgery, painting requires technical finesse, problem solving, and attention to detail.

Philip Borger, MD graduated from the University of Virginia School of Medicine and is a General Surgery resident at Lenox Hill Hospital in NYC.