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I figured now was as good a time as any to bring up a topic near and dear to me - racialized medicine. Which is to say - is BS. "These observers point out that the use of these categories reinforces the widespread impression that health inequities arise through the action of genetic differences and independent of socially mediated mechanisms. In this way, genetics research that involves making population comparisons can inaccurately stereotype racial and ethnic groups, both by implying that such groups are clearly delineated and by associating health outcomes with all individuals in those groups rather than with only those individuals who exhibit the outcome. Furthermore, according to critics, an overemphasis on the genetic component of health differences shifts attention and resources away from established contributors to health disparities—in particular, the differences in treatment and socioeconomic disadvantages that disproportionately affect minority groups…Genetics research offers no evidence that any one group is superior or inferior to any other, although some individuals continue to try to distort genetic findings to buttress prejudiced outlooks. Biomedical research that accentuates genetic differences among groups, say critics of this research, is as conceptually flawed as the race science of the 19th century.” The Use of Racial, Ethnic, and Ancestral Categories in Human Genetics Research, Race, Ethnicity, and Genetics Working Group*, American Journal of Human Genetics. #comic #webcomic #coronavirus #resident #intern #inpatient #doctor #relatable #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #residency #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md #medstudent #nurse #physician #racializedmedicine #healthcaredisparities

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on May 31, 2020 at 10:57am PDT

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I have the firm belief that no one in the hospital is better or more valuable than anyone else. I can’t do my job without techs, nurses, Evs workers, lab, pharmacists (i have about three comics devoted to y’all that have never seen the light of day bc I haven’t quite managed to capture how much I appreciate you), etc. We all come in with our own specific sets of skills. I have four years of basic science, four years of medical school, and two years of residency, including 24 weeks of ICU, under my belt. I’m nowhere close to being done, and I still have a lot to learn. I will never claim to be right just for the sake of being right, but I’ve gotten pretty good at gauging who is sick and who is not. And I will always happily explain my reasoning for making that determination. I’ll escalate if I’m not sure of it. And y’all. I really have tried not to be petty. But when I constantly have people who don’t know that hypercarbia can be estimated on a vbg but feel the need to chastise my intern for “putting his patient and all the other patients in danger” or claim that I’m not worth listening to because I’m “only” a resident, or push me out of the way to try to give RT conflicting orders, etc- I’m gonna have to roast you. If I got rapid response nurses following me- I love some of you. I’m always happy to see you at bedside because I know we are going to have a productive interaction based on a shared interest to get the best outcome for our patient. Please collect your frands before I end up doing it for you. 😊 #comic #webcomic #coronavirus #ppe #resident #intern #inpatient #doctor #relatable #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #residency #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md #medstudent #nurse #physician

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on May 23, 2020 at 6:20am PDT

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Ok I’ve woken up and can write a better caption but....... if you’re an attending and you follow me, ima let you know now that PGY3 Shirlene won’t play. That 28 Hour mark? I turn into a pissed off pumpkin. I’m walking out. I’m telling you straight up I don’t care about that paper you coauthored in 2006. You try to pimp me about minutiae, Ima pull out a RCT on Why Humans Need Sleep. You got an anecdote about your glory days, ima let you know those days are past. I just spent the night going through hell. my brain cells are undergoing anaerobic metabolism. You know this, so why are we extending my misery for no reason? Why we gotta walk round when my legs barely work? On a serious note- we are taught to have a lot of empathy for patients, so to my attendings on this page - show some mercy on your residents. They are not retaining anything post call or post night shift, and you know that bc you didn’t either. Please let us sleep. #comic #webcomic #coronavirus #ppe #resident #intern #inpatient #doctor #relatable #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #residency #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md #medstudent #nurse #physician

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on May 16, 2020 at 6:53am PDT

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Happy Nurse’s Week to all the amazing nurses I work with. Special shoutout to the MICU and now COVID ICU nurses at UCMC, not only did you not gut me for doing things like the above to you back in the day (or lbr now, but at least I know to tell you? ), but you’ve taught me so much about what it takes to be a healthcare provider. There have been times- especially when I’ve needed to feel human, that y’all have provided me that space to cry and laugh and rant about how messed up things are, that my fellow docs couldn’t. And nurses have taught me how desperately doctors need to advocate for ourselves, and that we need not be the bad guys for doing so. Hang in there, and stay safe! #nurse #nursesweek #comic #webcomic #coronavirus #ppe #resident #intern #inpatient #doctor #relatable #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #residency #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md #medstudent #nurse #physician

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on May 10, 2020 at 7:54am PDT

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Raise your hand if the rhetoric of healthcare workers being heroes is wearing you down? Is it bc it’s blatant social manipulation and a ploy to allow society to dehumanize us/ attempt to keep us from advocating for ourselves? How do you call essential workers ‘heroes’ and simultaneously fail to protect them with adequate ppe or compensate them in some way for additional labor/ bodily harm. I volunteered for COVID. My chiefs have been incredible (they’ve somehow weathered both a nursing strike and a pandemic in one year). I am doing well enough financially that I don’t need hazard pay. But I’m sick of being called a hero, bc I’m not one. I’m a resident who wants to do cardiology who has been conscripted into a war. I am happy to take care of patients, but I don’t need to be thanked for doing my job. I need respect, recognition, and possibly forgiveness for the studen Thanks for coming to my TED talk.

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on May 2, 2020 at 8:42am PDT

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Hi all! Long time no see. Here are 2 out of 10 little comics I drew for Medscape showcasing the different healthcare providers we see during the COVID pandemic! See the rest - see the link in bio! I’ve been drawing a lot, actually, but have found myself coping more through my other creative outlets. As things settle out, though, I’m getting back into the groove/ mood to bring you all some Shirlywhirl magic. In the meantime, check out my other account: @angieappiahxd - a fake Instagram for one of my characters! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #comic #webcomic #coronavirus #ppe #resident #intern #inpatient #doctor #relatable #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #residency #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md #medstudent #nurse #physician

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on Apr 29, 2020 at 12:28pm PDT

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Hi all! I’m going to update this series with one new mask wearer a day. The quick updates- I’m starting on the COVID ICU Wednesday night. I think knowing when I’ll be going has actually helped quite a bit with my anxiety? But for real, I want to thank my program director and chiefs for constantly advocating for us, my colleagues for having my back, and my friends/loved ones for cheering me up and on. Also big s/o to essential staff like our evs workers, food service, security, front desk personnel, for keeping the ships sailing through all of this. Ima still clown you tho. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ As always, tag ya friends. #comic #webcomic #coronavirus #ppe #resident #intern #inpatient #doctor #relatable #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #residency #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md #medstudent #nurse #physician

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on Mar 29, 2020 at 11:21am PDT

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Weirdly was really motivated to get a comic out today. Won’t go deep into this, but honestly? Covid is starting to really worry me. The worst of the pandemic has yet to hit, and we are already out of ppe. The patients we’re seeing get sick aren’t necessarily old with a laundry list of comorbidities. We’re losing a lot of healthcare personnel to quarantine after exposure vs COVID rule out while waiting for testing in coworkers who are ill (which is showing me, if anything, how often residents just tough it out and come to work sick.) I’m technically seventh in line for jeopardy, but I was pulled out of clinic to cover the MICU for a couple of days. And there’s a sense of foreboding in the air that I, personally, can’t seem to shake. .⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I’m going to attempt to catch a few zzzs. #comic #webcomic #coronavirus #resident #intern #inpatient #doctor #relatable #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #residency #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md #medstudent #nurse #physician

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on Mar 21, 2020 at 10:55pm PDT

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Had a different comic lined up initially for this week but it felt wrong not to talk about coronavirus. There’s a ton of people on Instagram providing amazing information about it. I’m post 28 hour call and slept an hour, So I’ll keep this quick- I’m scared af. ARDS patients are some of the sickest we see. They are brittle, require extensive monitoring, and many of them end up on Ecmo. Our ICUs are already full. If coronavirus takes hold, we’ll almost certainly have to go straight to rationing resources. .⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ There’s also the fact that, since we are on the front lines as healthcare workers, we are at very high risk of contracting COVID19. I’m young and able-bodied, but I definitely didn’t consider that I would be at the frontline of a highly communicable disease when I decided I wanted to be a cardiologist. And yet young health care workers the world over have been confronting and sometimes succumbing to this disease head on. Scurry stuff. .⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #comic #webcomic #coronavirus #resident #intern #inpatient #doctor #relatable #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #residency #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md #medstudent #nurse #physician

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on Mar 14, 2020 at 7:12am PDT

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I remember being a third year med student (in part bc I have comics chronicling that journey). It wasn’t too long ago, after all. I remember feeling confused about how I was being graded, and feeling simultaneously like I was always under surveillance and constantly being ignored. My experiences on rotations were dictated largely by whether the resident I was on service with remembered my name. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Now that I’m a resident, I can see a lot of those experiences from the other side. And it turns out… most of the time it’s not about you. We’re carrying 10x your patient load, managing interns, coordinating care, and would also like to go home. A resident who is taking out their frustrations on you needs reprimanding, but as far as making good use of your time? residents won’t keep you in the hospital needlessly for longer than you should be there (unless we’ve forgotten that you’re here, in which case please tell us! I promise we feel awful when that happens.) I’ve gotten very lucky and largely love my students- but see my story today for a guide on How to get your residents to love you (or, at the very least, just me, Shirlene.) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #comic #webcomic #healthcare #resident #intern #inpatient #doctor #relatable #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #residency #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md #medstudent #nurse #physician #medschool

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on Feb 29, 2020 at 6:16am PST

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There are plenty of things I want to work on in the New Year that are within my control. Then, there’s a significant number of things that aren’t. This vacation has given me time to think about how truly inhumane residency is. We work 60-100 hrs a week (duty hours are averaged over a month, and the month atribarily starts on a Sunday, making it pretty hard to break them as an IM resident.) If you want to do a competitive speciality, you do research in your free time. You study for step 3, then boards. Clinic time is written off as a “break,” but between writing notes, calling back patients, and filling out paperwork from insurance companies trying to slack on coverage, I can wrack up just as many hours as on my inpatient blocks. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I often hear this adage that, as a resident, I can accomplish self care if I prioritize it. But what’s left out of that is that in order to prioritize myself, I have to sacrifice something else- whether that’s time spent creating, or quality time with my fiancé, or seeing friends. It’s another demand for us to be superhuman against incredible odds. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ And I can’t tell myself that the point of residency is to make me a better doctor. I would be a better, more patient doctor if I could do all the things I tell my patients to do that I have very limited time for. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ So my New Years resolution is to be kind to myself. Be accommodating. To recognize that though many of my friends are going through this with me, it’s not normal. To keep trying my best, but not to kick myself when I’m too exhausted to accomplish that. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ So...ahem. What’s your New Year’s resolution? . . #comic #webcomic #healthcare #burnout #resident #intern #inpatient #doctor #relatable #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #residency #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md #medstudent #nurse #physician

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on Jan 4, 2020 at 6:53am PST

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In the last two years, I've witnessed some very intense situations, ran codes, and had heartbreaking family conversations (ironically, though I started drawing this comic a few days ago, I had one of those last night.) I cried during my first code. Since then, I haven't really gotten too emotional. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ But I'm definitely more emotional labile than I was before… The other day, I saw a video of a gay couple who had both planned to propose to each other on the same day and I teared up. Anyone done the same? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #illustration #webcomic #healthcare #resident #intern #inpatient #doctor #relatable #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #residency #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md #medstudent #nurse #physician

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on Dec 1, 2019 at 8:37am PST

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This is based on something that actually happened a few months ago. I placed orders for a patient who was acutely ill, and was told that those orders would not be carried out. I explained my reasoning and addressed the nurse’s concerns. She refused to carry out my orders again. So I marched out of the room, and found one of my white male residents. He did not know the patient. On our walk to the room, I explained what was going on and what my plan was. He agreed with me. He walked through the door and reiterated, nearly word for word, my orders - and they were carried out without hesitation. The patient's clinical status improved. I kept it together during the incident, but the moment I left the room I found my favorite palliative care fellow and lost it. that interaction hadn't felt like it'd happened for better patient care- it felt like it was meant to put me in my place. And though this was the most egregious instance (and I've since learned to stand my ground better), it wasn't the last. . One of my best guy friends told me about an experiment he and his senior, a chief resident, did. They went from patient room to room to update the nurses about the plan. When the chief resident gave the plan, she was questioned extensively. When my friend, a prelim, gave it, his plan was accepted immediately. . . I'm not saying that nurses shouldn't question doctor's orders or offer suggestions. They absolutely should! But I have observed and been myself in multiple situations where a woman and especially a woman of colors’ plan has been torn apart in front of patients. And given how effectively I and others have found that we can dispel this simply by packaging the messenger in different person suit, I'd say it's likely coming from bias. And it's something we need to do better about- because dang it, I'm as much of a doctor as anyone else!! . . #procreate #illustration #webcomic #healthcare #resident #intern #inpatient #doctor #relatable #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #residency #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md #medstudent #nurse #physician

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on Nov 16, 2019 at 7:09am PST

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Here's the thing. I don't need patients to thank me. I haven't had a hero complex about being a doctor since I was a wee pre-med- I am doing my job and I'll continue to do it whether my patients like me or not, or are nice to me, etc..Patient care requires a lot of coordination and involves the hard work of everyone from the nurses to the respiratory therapist to the phlebotomists. I'm contributing something vital to their care as their doctor, but without everyone else I'm pretty useless. . . But when a patient thanks me, it really makes my entire day! Nobody can tell me nothing. anyone else get this feeling? . . #procreate #illustration #webcomic #healthcare #resident #intern #inpatient #doctor #relatable #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #residency #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md #medstudent #nurse #physician

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on Nov 9, 2019 at 9:14am PST

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I have always thought that our values inside of a hospital directly conflict with our society's values. We say “do no harm,” and our society builds preschool to prison pipelines. We say children deserve to feel safe and our society throws away food they could be eating because they didn't pay $3.25. We spend hundreds of thousands of dollars placing a patient on ECMO, CVVHD, getting scans at the end of their life for something that could have prevented for much less money fifteen years ago, but for those fifteen years our society had said “they did it to themselves,” “they should pull themselves up by their bootstraps” and ignored their needs. We treat patients in the hospital with medical therapy that they need, only to discharge them on subpar drugs because that is what their insurance will pay for. This isn't even getting into the absurdity of requiring employment for health insurance- which leaves patients with chronic illnesses and disabled adults completely dependent on who they married or were born to for their medical care. . It is impossible to do no harm in a system like ours. The rhetoric surrounding insurance and income always goes down to personal responsibility. But I don't know how you can see someone struggling with an illness they didn't ask for in the hospital and think that they don't have a right to get the best care we can give. . . #procreate #illustration #webcomic #healthcare #resident #intern #inpatient #doctor #relatable #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #residency #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md #medstudent #nurse #physician

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on Nov 2, 2019 at 6:31am PDT

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If you've been following me for a minute, you know that I led a lot of family meetings as an intern. I don't remember every single patient, but I remember every family I've spoken to about end of life. For me- a wee tot in her 20s whose first run-ins with death happened in the hospital- it could be really difficult. . . Especially when the family meetings ended up looking like an episode of Maury. I have seen fights break out in the halls, yelling around the nursing station, illegal demands that x person be updated and not y, and security being called. I've also seen multiple generations of a family cluster to bedside, friends/family who hadn't seen their loved one in twenty years make it to say goodbye, and siblings put aside disagreements to come to a conclusion. It's really a privilege to be privy to such a trying time for families- and it's something most people deal with only occasionally in their lifetimes, let alone multiple times a week. . . #procreate #illustration #webcomic #healthcare #resident #intern #inpatient #doctor #relatable #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #residency #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md #medstudent #nurse

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on Oct 12, 2019 at 6:23am PDT

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I know for a fact that I have blinders up to what goes on in the hospital. I’m always quick to defend the nurses, staff, and my fellow docs about their treatment of patients, because I trust that (almost) everyone is trying their best! So I have a hard time when people talk trash about our staff, especially for things that are clearly out of their control…but also I'm a doctor and I'm here to see you, don't you think you should use my expertise for your medical conditions and not to snitch on your nurse? . . . #procreate #illustration #webcomic #healthcare #resident #intern #inpatient #doctor #relatable #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #residency #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md #medstudent #nurse

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on Sep 28, 2019 at 12:48pm PDT

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My institution just went through a five day nursing strike. It was a doozy, and I was so happy to see some of my favorite nurses back on the floor yesterday! But the strike opened my eyes up to how poorly doctors advocate for ourselves. If you saw my story on day 1, I put all my feelings out there about this topic, and learned a lot from your responses. You'll probably see more about that soon. . One thing that really rankled me was the fact that tasks were offloaded on physicians and especially residents during the strike. We were expected to come in two hours early on the first and last day to round on our patients during the transitions between strike and Union nurses. Residents on consult blocks volunteered to help walk the halls in case of disaster- and were paid with nothing but admiration and thanks. We were told to go around multiple times a day to make sure orders were being carried out. All this for no additional compensation. My IM program is wonderful and so the program bought us all breakfast on those days, but so far, all the hospital admin has offered us is a free lunch (ironically, on the day that we get “good” lunch from our program.) . To make matters worse, one of my colleagues anonymously aired their grievances on a social media platform- only to be reprimanded by hospital admin for being “inaccurate” in their expression of their opinion. Even though that person was providing free labor!!! There was no compassion for them, not recognition for the additional burden they were taking on. . For me and pretty much all of my colleagues, patient care comes first. But it feels like this hurts us as a profession. I didn't think twice about waking up early to make sure my patients didn't fall through the cracks. But I also know that I wouldn't have accepted this from the job I had in college- so why am I accepting it now? . #procreate #illustration #webcomic #healthcare #resident #intern #inpatient #doctor #relatable #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #residency #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md #medstudent #nurse

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on Sep 26, 2019 at 9:12am PDT

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Pursuing a career in medicine is like running a marathon, except the further you go along the steeper the incline and at some point the floor actually turns to lava. Despite this, I don't think I could be anything other than a doctor. I love my job, I love having a specialized fund of knowledge, love my patient population, and especially love having a very direct impact through my work. I will definitely never force my future kids into it though, and I encourage all my wee pre-meds to really know what they're getting into, and what they’ll have to sacrifice to get there. Because for me, it's been worth it, even when i feel like flipping tables over it. . . . #procreate #illustration #webcomic #healthcare #resident #intern #inpatient #doctor #relatable #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #residency #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md #medstudent #nurse

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on Sep 15, 2019 at 6:18am PDT

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Hiii sorry for the absence! I was working on a really cool commission that I can't tell anyone about yet but when I can… *Squee* . Anyway. I've been on clinic. My patients tend to be pretty sick, even my returns. I've gotten better about typing more during my visits, but I still usually have 1-2 hours of note writing left when I go home. The concept of having to do this for the rest of my life is, admittedly, a not-insignificant part of what drew me away from primary care. . The expectation that we provide good care, connect with patients, and appropriately document for billing at the same time while not receiving additional compensation for practically doing another job is something that makes me think docs need to be better at advocating for ourselves. What efforts have you guys seen to take this extra burden off. . . #procreate #illustration #webcomic #healthcare #resident #intern #inpatient #doctor #relatable #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #residency #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md #medstudent #nurse #internalmedicine

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on Sep 3, 2019 at 8:31am PDT

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Rounds with attending #1 consist of him reminiscing about the good ol days and if you're a med student and pretend to be deeply interested you're guaranteed an honors for being a “pleasure to work with.” . . For a while, I thought my page would appeal just to residents and medical students... But it turns out there are a bunch of you who are further on in their careers hanging out on this page! Don't think you're gonna get away unscathed! Anyway, hope you guys enjoy this series . . #procreate #illustration #webcomic #healthcare #attending #resident #intern #inpatient #doctor #relatable #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #residency #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md #medstudent #nurse

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on Aug 4, 2019 at 5:51am PDT

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Most patients don't know how hospitals work and what goes on behind the scenes, and so when they ask to speak to the doctor/ for refills/ forms and don't get a prompt response, they can feel abandoned. On the other hand, I have to triage the many issues coming at me. And honestly, even when things quiet down, it's hard not to take those precious, short moments to breathe... or eat lunch. . . It doesn't help that the current rhetoric about doctors- at least that I've seen in the general media- is that we're money-hungry opportunists who are in cahoots with big pharma. Plus our patients come with a legacy of doctors who have done them dirty! So I'm trying to work on not feeling salty when I get triple tapped in my inbox for like FMLA paperwork when I'm in the ICU . . #patients #procreate #illustration #webcomic #healthcare #resident #intern #medicine #inpatient #doctor #relatable #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #residency #internyear #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md #medstudent

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on May 31, 2019 at 6:23am PDT

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Z is for Zebra. . . TFW you're fresh off Step 1 where everyone has a disease that has a 1/ 1000000000000 incidence and you think you're being slick with the attending during rounds . . Andddd that's a wrap! I really thought I was going to give up somewhere around H, when it finally hit me that there were 26 whole letters in the alphabet . Thanks for allowing for this months-long break in standard programming y'all! Back to classic Shirlywhirl soon! . Check out my story to put your own captions on this one! . #zebra #step1 #hospital #patient #procreate #illustration #webcomic #healthcare #resident #intern #pgy1 #medicine #inpatient #doctor #relatable #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #residency #internyear #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md #medstudent

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on May 18, 2019 at 8:18am PDT

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Y is for Yellow. . . This is entirely anecdotal, but have you noticed that patients who abuse alcohol tend to be way more hesitant to straight up say how much they drink? My smokers will be like yeah I smoke a pack a day. My heroin addicts will tell me straight up how much they spend on heroin daily. My drinkers are like I have three drinks a day and you have to push until they're like actually it's five oh and actually each drink is a bottle of gin. I wonder if this happens because they fear judgment from their healthcare providers, especially if they are presenting with a condition that is related to or caused by their alcohol abuse. . . I usually try to get around this by being very Frank and not beating around the bush. I've found that patients are much more willing to be open if I make it casual. What works for you? . . #jaundice #hospital #patient #procreate #illustration #webcomic #clinic #healthcare #resident #intern #pgy1 #medicine #inpatient #doctor #relatable #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #im #residency #internyear #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md #medstudents

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on May 15, 2019 at 7:28am PDT

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X is for X-Rays. . . When I was a medical student, I remember looking at CXRs and Ultrasounds and mostly seeing mush. Someone would point out a pleural effusion or a consolidation and I'd be like “¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ok whatever u say” . Now I can read them pretty well. I'm far from a radiologist, but usually I can pick out obvious abnormalities. . Except, apparently when I'm presenting to an attending... Then I miss obvious stuff. . . #radiology #hospital #patient #procreate #illustration #webcomic #clinic #healthcare #resident #intern #pgy1 #medicine #inpatient #doctor #relatable #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #im #residency #internyear #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md #medstudents

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on May 11, 2019 at 5:23am PDT

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V is for Voracious. . Have you ever seen a resident eat? It's like a magic trick. Now you see it, now you don't. We get food and we inhale it, usually with one hand on the keyboard typing out notes. Or we graze. Ask any resident and they will tell you their preferences on the stuff in the nutrition rooms - (there are pretty robust pro and anti boost/ glucerna camps at ucmc. We all agree that more of the nutrition rooms need peanut butter, and that Oreos are the best.) . The consequence of this is that I gained weight pretty quickly in residency, and am trying out different creative ways to get rid of it. Trying intermittent fasting right now, and bulk meal cooking. How do y’all manage your diet / exercise when busy? . #hospital #patient #procreate #illustration #webcomic #clinic #healthcare #resident #intern #pgy1 #medicine #inpatient #doctor #relatable #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #im #residency #internyear #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md #medstudents

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on May 6, 2019 at 8:40am PDT

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U is for Up-to-date. . Ngl, UTD is my best friend, and sometimes I need to pop her open for a quick refresher course on the most basic things and the not so basic ones (I've looked up HLH about fifteen times and I forget what it is every time.) . “But shirlene! You should always go to the primary literature!” And yes you right! I try to whenever I can. I also use UTD’s references to get there sometimes. Anyway keep practicing evidence-based medicine y'all! . #hospital #patient #procreate #illustration #webcomic #clinic #uptodate #resident #intern #pgy1 #medicine #inpatient #doctor #relatable #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #im #residency #internyear #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md #medstudents

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on May 5, 2019 at 10:19am PDT

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T is for “Therapy.” . There are times when my patients come in and want to talk- not about their medical conditions, but about the struggles taking ahold of them in life. The doctor's office can be a freeing place in that sense- a place where they can feel listened to. When you hear patients discuss doctors they really like, they hardly ever mention how a doctor got their diabetes under better control or switched them to the appropriate preventative medications- you hear- “they weren't trying to rush out of the room,” or “they listened to me.” . I always feel so privileged when a patient I've seen a few times opens up to me about what they've been going through. (And some of them are REALLY going through it.) But I sometimes also feel conflicted. If you've been to a clinic, you know that the 20 minutes allotted to see a patient is barely enough. (I have 40 min, but in that time the patient has to be roomed, get their vitals checked, I have to see them and then staff with an attending, leaving just about 20 minutes for the appointment itself assuming the patient arrives on time.) And given that patients often have to undertake great measures to come to clinic, they seldom want to JUST talk about their feelings- they want medical care too. . . How do you guys balance these demands without alienating your patients? #hospital #patient #procreate #illustration #webcomic #clinic #resident #intern #pgy1 #medicine #inpatient #doctor #relatable #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #im #residency #internyear #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md #medstudents

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on May 3, 2019 at 9:27am PDT

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S is for sign out. . Transitions of care are potential sources of medical error. The primary team, who discuss a patient's plan extensively daily. We then pass the patient on to the call team and sometimes also a night team, who only know what we tell them and we put on a wee piece of paper. We've all felt the trepidation of getting a sign out on a patient who you just know is going to crash while you're covering, and feeling like you could never know enough about them. . Anyway I try not to leave crosscover with the above nightmare scenario, but sometimes you gotta go home! We're all pretty understanding of that though. . #signout #transitionsofcare hospital #patient #procreate #illustration #webcomic #procedures #resident #intern #pgy1 #medicine #inpatient #doctor #relatable #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #im #residency #internyear #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md #medstudents

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on Apr 30, 2019 at 1:58pm PDT

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P is for Procedures! I didn't know this as a medical student, but as an IM resident there are some Procedures that we routinely do, most commonly arterial and Central line placements. We do these with ultrasound assistance, and typically on critically ill patients. A lot of them are still awake and kicking though! I used to feel guilty about hurting people during procedures (bc we all know sometimes lidocaine doesn't cut it.) Now, I'm like bruh. I'm saving your life. Grit your teeth and bear it son. I really really really want to be done with this alphabet series so I'mma bout to vom some content out this week haha #hospital #patient #procreate #illustration #webcomic #procedures #resident #intern #pgy1 #medicine #residency #inpatient #doctor #relatable #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #im #residency #internyear #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md #medstudents

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on Apr 26, 2019 at 4:28am PDT

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O is for overworked. Or maybe Overwhelmed? The number of commitments residents are expected to attend to is inhumane, in my opinion. On top of working an average of 60-80 hours a week, we also are expected to attend to our outpatient clinic patients, study for yet another step exam, fulfill random requirements, and do enough research to get a publication and/or posters to ready us for fellowship. There's precious little time for ourselves. Despite spending all my time taking care of people, I've had a lot of trouble scheduling appointments for myself and find that I frequently have to ask for coverage to do so ! (I don't know how my colleagues in specialities that are even more demanding of our time do it!) As a consequence, I often feel guilty when I take the rare chance to relax and do nothing, because there are still things I “should” be doing. How can we change the culture of medicine to be more hospitable to having a life? Also I finally updated my story with commission info! #hospital #patient #procreate #illustration #webcomic #resident #intern #pgy1 #medicine #residency #inpatient #doctor #relatable #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #im #residency #internyear #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md #medstudents

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on Apr 25, 2019 at 4:43am PDT

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N is for non-adherence / non compliance. Medicine is complex, and requires extensive knowledge of physiology to really understand. So it's very interesting to see how patients understand their bodies and disease states, and difficult at times to describe them in a way that makes sense. A lot of times my patients turn to forums that are full of misinformation because those sources are much easier to understand and seem to make logical sense. It's more reasonable than the hocus pocus mumbo jumbo of medical talk! Patients have a lot of reasons to not take medications that are prescribed to them- undesirable side effects, scary stuff on the web, lack of financial resources or even time to pick up meds, lack of buy-in, etc. I try to be charitable and understand that a patient’s body is their own, and to do my best to emphasize why sticking to a treatment plan should be a priority. But dang there are times when that paternalism hits and I just want to be like “that symptom you have is because of your disease!! Not the thing we're treating you with! You got to take it!” What's your approach? #hospital #patient #procreate #illustration #webcomic #resident #intern #pgy1 #medicine #residency #inpatient #doctor #relatable #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #im #residency #internyear #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md #medstudents

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on Apr 22, 2019 at 3:17pm PDT

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M is for medical students. I remember being a third year medical student. It was the worst. I tell all of my medical students that I would rather repeat intern year than be a third year medical student again, and I mean it. You never know where you stand or how you're doing, you feel like you're constantly sucking up, your residents are mean or ignore you. I vowed to never be that type of resident. And now that I'm a resident? I don't know if I'm keeping that vow. The thing about intern year is that the learning curve is steep and the priorities are different. My presentations don't have to be perfect and I don't need to know what the mechanism of action of so and so is because I have ten patients to juggle (including the med students), and I'm more worried about the potential for one of them to crump / how I'm managing their care than I am about how much I'm impressing the attending. As a medical student, you can't have that mindset because you're shooting for that Honors. A medical student can be difficult to. There are some students who just get it. Others who don't. More still who will probably get it later, as they get battered by third year. I'm an intern, so it's hard for me to teach. But I do try to give them tips to help them do well! Also, I'm at AMEC! So if you’re there too and think you see me, just say hi, it'll only be a little awkward if you're wrong! #hospital #patient #procreate #illustration #webcomic #resident #intern #pgy1 #medicine #residency #inpatient #doctor #relatable #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #im #residency #internyear #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md #medstudents

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on Apr 18, 2019 at 3:33pm PDT

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L is for Loans. Story time: I've been trying to put money into my loans since I started residency. So this year, when January came around, I thought I had my ish HANDLED. I was like, everybody else is freaking out bc that forgiveness period is over and I'm just chilling. I was wrong. I forgot to sign up for the REPAYE/PAYE and Sallie Mae swung out and took a whole paycheck out my account. RUTHLESS. anyway I have a lot of feelings for the amount of debt we are saddled with after medical school and not to mention the indentured servitude that is residency following it. Especially given that medical school is so competitive that you don't really get to choose between private and public schools, you just go where you get in ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. IN OTHER WORDS, Commission me and help me pay off my loans! Deets coming up in my story #hospital #patient #procreate #illustration #webcomic #studentloans #salliemae #loans #resident #intern #pgy1 #medicine #residency #inpatient #doctor #relatable #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #im #residency #internyear #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on Apr 15, 2019 at 5:07am PDT

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Based on an actual time that I spent forty five minutes ”convincing” an insurance company to pay for the actual out patient management of a common condition. How much medical waste goes into insurance dealings? Whether that's measured in time spent documenting, beds taken up due to difficulties getting coverage for outpatient management, admin and advertising costs, or even rehospitalizations for people who you know won't and can't follow up? I wonder a lot now practicing medicine in a single payer system would be like. Any followers from Canada etc who can give me a glimpse? . . #hospital #patients #procreate #illustration #webcomic #healthcare #insurance #singlepayer #artist #digitalart #resident #intern #pgy1 #medicine #residency #inpatient #doctor #relatable #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #im #residency #internyear #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on Mar 19, 2019 at 7:15am PDT

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G is for Goals of Care . . I've talked about this before, but one thing I feel especially blessed to be a part of are goals of care conversations with families. . . As a physician, it is my role to provide families with my knowledge about their condition and about their likely quality of life. We aren't gods, so of course we don't have all the answers. But we can take a decent guess. The most important aspect of goals of care is abiding by the patient's wishes- or what we think their wishes would be. . . #hospital #patients #procreate #illustration #webcomic #resident #intern #pgy1 #medicine #residencylife #inpatient #doctor #relatable #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #im #residency #internyear #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on Mar 14, 2019 at 10:23am PDT

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F is for Food (dietary restrictions) . . I actually don't believe much in giving people specialized diets in the hospital. There ain't no way they're sticking to it when they leave, so why not cater their Medical care to what their actual state is at home? Besides have you seen what a renal diet entails? Not I captain! . . What's the wildest food you've seen a patient sneak in? Mine was a cards patient who was eating multiple bagged pickles (each with like 80% your daily sodium intake) a day . . #hospital #patients #procreate #illustration #webcomic #resident #intern #pgy1 #medicine #residencylife #inpatient #doctor #relatable #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #im #residency #internyear #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on Mar 9, 2019 at 10:40am PST

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E is for Empathy. . I always tell people that the thing that prepared me most for IM residency was not my illustrious medical education, but my time working at Borders during liquidation. My team was great () but we were understaffed, the environment was high stress, and the customers were p-oed all the time. . . The hospital is the same way. Thing about the hospital is that my patients do not leave in 15 minutes, and they are undoubtedly sick. It is easy to be empathetic to some, even when they're cranky. But then there are others who wear you out. Who test your professional veneer. Because you've been dealing with some genuinely dark stuff all month, you're running up a sleep debt, and all those lectures on maintaining empathy you got in med school are feeling pretty distant right about now. You're pretty sure you've got hypertensive urgency in those moments. Do they notice that you're talking to them through gritted teeth? . . How do you all keep your feelings in check and maintain empathy even when you are being tested? . #hospital #patients #empathy #resident #intern #pgy1 #medicine #residencylife #inpatient #doctor #relatable #uchicago #pritzker #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #im #residency #internyear #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on Mar 4, 2019 at 4:06pm PST

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D is for Dispo aka disposition. . The moment we get a patient into the hospital, one of the things we have to start thinking about is where they're going next. Is it home? To rehab? Are they going to end up in an ICU? Are they off to the great beyond? What do we have to do to get them to the former and keep them from the latter? . Feel free to share some funny/ frustrating/ difficult and hipaa-compliant Dispo situations in the comments! . #hospital #patients #dispo #resident #intern #pgy1 #medicine #residencylife #inpatient #doctor #relatable #uchicago #pritzker #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #im #residency #internyear #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on Feb 26, 2019 at 11:10am PST

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B is for B-B-B-BLOCKED! I like my job etc etc but we've all been there, when all the services who SHOULD be taking a patient are punting them off until they finally make their way to General medicine. And then all those services who didn't want to round on the patient consult themselves and get mad when you don't follow their instructions to a ‘T.’ I'm talking "patient is here for revision of their surgical procedure but they have a UTI so we can't take them" kinds of cases. Different residents have different approaches to this-some are like Neo from the matrix, and others accept their fate. Don't yet know who I'll be, but I do know when my senior gets into it with a service and wins I'm always like 🎉🎊🎉 #hospital #patients #blocked #resident #intern #pgy1 #medicine #residencylife #inpatient #doctor #relatable #uchicago #pritzker #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #im #residency #internyear #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on Feb 20, 2019 at 9:32am PST

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If you've been on the ShirlyWhirl wagon for a while, you'll know that I've attempted all sorts of ways to be more productive / efficient and failed every time lmao. But I don't give up! So here goes …i call this series the A to Zs of Internal Medicine. My goal is to post two letters a week. Starting with A for AMA. It could also be A for abscond. Of your patients who can ambulate, they're the sickest. You're actually surprised they made it to the hospital. You keep it straight with them that there’s a real possibility they could die but they don't care bc they have bills to pay/ an event to get to/ aren't getting enough respect around here/ childcare/ we're lying to them. They'll be back on your team in two days, worse for wear, and will probably leave again right after you manage to move up that one procedure they need. #atoz #ama #againstmedicaladvice #hospital #patients #resident #intern #pgy1 #medicine #residencylife #inpatient #doctor #relatable #uchicago #pritzker #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #im #residency #internyear #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on Feb 17, 2019 at 7:35am PST

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Congratulations to @monicatracha for winning the caption contest! This is something I didn't expect to feel so strongly about before I started my intern year. We talk a lot about disease states and treatment options in medical school, and not much about navigating end of life care. And as a doctor, my proudest moments have been helping guide a family (who aren't familiar with the medical system, and thus don't know what coding someone means), toward choosing the most dignified death, as free from suffering as possible. . How do you guys handle end of life conversations? . . #codestatus #fullcode #dnr #endoflife #deathwithdignity #resident #intern #pgy1 #medicine #residencylife #inpatient #doctor #relatable #uchicago #pritzker #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #im #residency #internyear #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on Feb 10, 2019 at 8:20am PST

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Being funny is hard. So now it's your turn! IT'S A CAPTION CONTEST!!!! rules: comment your caption for either the white bubble or the green bubble! (You don't have to specify which you're doing) On February 10, we'll choose the winner! Winner gets a self portrait in the style shown in pic 3! (this would be a $100 commission!) Also, I'll repost this comic with your caption. Also you know, fame and noteriety for being the most clever shirlywhirler #captioncontest #webcomic #fillinthecaption #comic #newyorker #resident #intern #pgy1 #residencylife #inpatient #doctor #relatable #uchicago #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #im #residency #internyear #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on Feb 3, 2019 at 6:34am PST

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Let's start this off with some compassion. Being sick is scary. Your body does strange things, you feel terrible, and most of the time what happened is out of your (at least immediate) control. In some countries, you stay in hospitals until you're well! In Japan you can be hospitalized for pneumonia for two weeks! That being said…this ain't Japan, we ain't the holiday inn, I can't do anything about how bad the food is, and you don't meet inpatient criteria anymore. Go get well at home before you catch c diff 👋🏿👋🏿👋🏿 #resident #intern #pgy1 #medicine #residencylife #inpatient #doctor #relatable #uchicago #pritzker #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #im #residency #internyear #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on Jan 27, 2019 at 5:49am PST

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First thing’s first- happy New Year, friends! 2018 was a year of change. I realized my life's dream of becoming a doctor and started residency, which has challenged me physically, mentally and emotionally more than any other era in my life. Two of my best friends, with whom I'd made a home away from home for the last four years (for real tho you don't love ya best friend like me, ceej and @linnliu love each other) moved far away to also start residency. In a lot of ways, I've had to examine who I am, what I care about, and, on especially hard days, reach out to others to stay afloat! And some of those people are YOU GUYS. I've been posting comics under Shirlywhirl for the last two years now. Some of you have been with me since the beginning, some of you are new, but I just wanted to say that I appreciate all of you- every comment, every follow. Every time you tell me that something I've created is reflective of your experience, it reminds me that what I'm doing (though it's a big part for my own self care) actually has an impact!!! And also that y'all are just as messy and tired as I am. Shout out to those of you who came through on the interview trail, to my regulars, to my irl friends and family, to my premeds, to my med students, to my tried and true attendings, to my fellow graphicmedicine-ers, to my nurses, PAs, MAs, physical and occupational therapists. Have an awesome new year. Realize your dreams. And tag ya friends. #happynewyear #resident #intern #pgy1 #medicine #residencylife #inpatient #doctor #relatable #uchicago #pritzker #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #urm #snma #nma #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #im #residency #internyear #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on Jan 1, 2019 at 11:56am PST

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The thing about being black in academia is that your imposter syndrome isn't internal. People let you know in many different ways that they don't think you belong, or minimize your accomplishments to a handout. There's a thousand thinkpieces and forums on why black people don't score as highly on tests and how that topples the idea of meritocracy, but precious little on the extra mentorship most of us do to keep up future generations, the unthanked recruiting labour, and the amount of energy lost on self-regulation we have to do to maintain collegiate relationships with our colleagues and patients. (This doesn't even get into America’s disenfranchisement of African Americans, and academia's weird loophole of recruiting first and second gen Africans like me instead of attempting to address historical wrongs but thassa whole other topic and y'all ain't ready yet) Anyway. We outchea. 😛 #microaggressions #resident #intern #pgy1 #medicine #residencylife #inpatient #doctor #relatable #uchicago #pritzker #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #urm #snma #nma #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #im #residency #internyear #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on Dec 30, 2018 at 9:04am PST

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WHAT'S THIS? Two posts, two days in a row??? What the what?? Anyway, i just got off of two weeks of nights, and man was it a struggle! I have an incredibly stubborn circadian rhythm, and so I spent the first week yawning and the second one alert but still struggling with insomnia. One of the best things about nights is that your patient census gets more than quadrupled during the course of it- you're on call everyday, and provide crosscover for all the cardiology and some of the Gen med teams overnight, so after a couple of days I already knew most of the patients pretty well. Because, well, I'd admitted them. On top of that, I've read (slash been pimped on) a million EKGs, and so for once I think my understanding of them will stick. I've got to switch to days tomorrow bc Residency, so I'm going to attempt to stay awake all day today so I can return to the land of the living! Wish me luck! #resident #intern #pgy1 #cardiology #inpatient #doctor #relatable #uchicago #comics #womeninmedicine #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #professionalism #residency #internyear #internalmedicine #medschool #blackdoctors #medicine #medicalschool #medlife

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on Sep 17, 2018 at 7:53am PDT

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Some patients really roll up in here acting like this is an Applebee's…. Ok, treating pain is a big ol, complicated topic, especially for those of us who are getting our training during the opioid crisis. I follow a lot of artists, and many of them speak to how doctors ignore, belittle and under or even over-Medicate their pain, especially if they are women and minorities. Doctors miss diagnoses all the time, and blow off patient complaints. I am terrified of one day doing that. This comic isn't about that. This is about that patient that your team labels as “drug-seeking” because they are. The one who lives at the edge of your sympathy bc you know their lives are hard but they also know that they're harassing your nurses, setting ultimatums, being disrespectful and making your job even more difficult than it already is. This is the one who you do thousands of dollars of increasingly out there tests to find a source for the pain- because they've been worked up for everything under the sun already, often at different institutions- and who become belligerent when you inform them that they came out squeaky clean. Thing is, those patients are sick too. In a lot of ways, opioid addiction is an iatrogenic disease, and there are myriad social issues that are tied up in it too. But a lot of these issues are not what we've been trained to deal with, and the hospital isn't really equipped to best serve these patients. And so instead we end up admitting people for lengthy but likely unnecessary workups and being, well, fairly grumpy for their (usually lengthy) stay. How do you handle your interactions with patients who have opioid addiction? #pain #opioidcrisis #resident #intern #pgy1 #gens #genmed #inpatient #doctor #relatable #uchicago #pritzker #womeninmedicine #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #professionalism #residency #internyear #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on Sep 1, 2018 at 7:58am PDT

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I wrote this comic a week ago, when I was just starting MICU. Everything was very overwhelming- vent settings, new presentation styles, and frequent run-ins with mortality. I was exhausted after multiple back to back 12+ hour days (let me tell you, just having that one Friday off was CLEANSING.) My patients dying was affecting me emotionally and I didn't have the time or space to engage in my usual kinds of self care, and so feelings just bottled up. Later in the week I ran into a couple of my co-interns and realized that I hadn't had a face-to-face conversation with a human that wasn't my boyfriend about something that wasn't medicine in days, and that that in itself was affecting me negatively. I felt like my seniors- who were used to this- couldn't really empathize anymore. The last few days I've been able to breathe more, but I'm still struck by how strange our profession is. In the ICU more than anywhere else, I can see how medicine straddles the line between marvel and torture. I also see how we're both cursed and privileged to be privy to some of the worst days of a person's/ family's life. Most people don't spend their days terminally extubating patients and nights watching Brooklyn 99 like they didn't just witness some trauma nah mean? Anyway I'm hanging in there. Hope you are too. #resident #icu #MICU #inpatient #doctor #relatable #uchicago #pritzker #womeninmedicine #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #professionalism #residency #internyear #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on Aug 1, 2018 at 5:11pm PDT

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I just finished my first inpatient rotation of intern year (and thus, my first month!) You know everyone says the learning curve for interns is crazy steep? They're not kidding. As a student, I carried a max of 3-4 patients, and my list was curated for me- I got fresh ED admits! I got the “interesting” cases! As an intern, I'm carrying up to 10, handling all aspects of their care, haven't been shielded from either the mundane or the belligerent, and am 7 days into an 11 day stretch of work with no day off. A girl is tired!! I also had a medical student, the lovely @mariaesp94 , who follows this gram and so already knows what my internal monologue is like. I remember what being an MS3 was like (so bad I had to make a comic page to cope) and really wanted to make sure I didn't do all the things residents did to me that I thought weren't productive- plus I wanted to make the best use of her time! Anyway Maria, you did great, go crush the rest of your rotations like you did this one! ❤️ #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #relatable #medstudent #uchicago #pritzker #preclinicals #womeninmedicine #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #professionalism #residency #internyear #internalmedicine

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on Jul 22, 2018 at 3:26pm PDT

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Irl I have no shame about just being the person on the right bc I don't have a filter. My first day of intern year is tomorrow! I start on consults, so it's not as intense as an inpatient service, but I'm terrified all the same. But I keep reminding myself that this is what I've been working toward, and that I'm going to improve at the speed of light! Also first try with #procreate to make comics was kind of a success. I'm still clumsy with it, and it lacks certain features, but it is way faster than what I was doing before so I'm into it! #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #relatable #medstudent #uchicago #pritzker #preclinicals #womeninmedicine #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #professionalism #residency #internyear #internalmedicine

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on Jun 24, 2018 at 7:33am PDT

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I've always used art as a way to express myself, unwind, and concentrate (anyone who knows me knows the best way to keep me awake is to keep me doodling.) ShirlyWhirl has been such an integral part of my med school experience, and I want to make it a part of my residency one too! Thing is, each comic takes 3-4 hours to complete. On top of that, if you've been following my stories you'll know that I'm planning on making a graphic novel about intern year! Basically, doing it the way I had been would've been unsustainable. So ya girl splurged on an iPad and a pencil and changed my own life! Now I can draw anywhere at anytime and like in half the time! Anyway just wanted to share the first thing I made on #procreate! Here's to more doodling!!

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on Jun 23, 2018 at 11:40am PDT

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GUESS WHAT GUYS THE MD AT THE END OF SHIRLYWHIRL MD IS REAL NOW shoutout to my huge family / posse who showed up and showed out in a group of people who legit crossed oceans to be there with me. special shoutout to @neftieboni who came several days early and put up with me being a moody lil butt adjusting to all of the changes that are coming my way, and taking care of hosting/ life things when I couldn’t. I mean it when I say these last 4 years were the best in my life. Studying deep into the night when I just wanted to relax was hard, step was hard, the wards even harder. But med school has truly transformed me- I’m more self assured than ever before, in tune with my own strengths and weaknesses, and have made some lifelong besties (@linnliu y u leave me) along the way. And, I can’t forget- I started Shirlywhirl md and began a community with all of you! Every time i see other ppl, health professionals and otherwise , engage w/ my work, it reminds me why this is all worth it.

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on May 25, 2018 at 3:14pm PDT

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Round 2 out of ??? of the people you meet in medical school! Congratulations to @gingerdoc_do , winner #1 of the contest (and also long time ShirlyWhirl follower, I remember you from the beginning girl!) Go check out her page for some inspo and some fitspo! Much love to the former nurses/ EMTs/ techs/ phlebotomists, I'm talking smack now but I want you on my team. This comic also features my amazing cousin @neftieboni , who I met for the first time in London six years ago and didn't like bc she was so effortlessly pretty and who didn't like me bc I was apparently annoyingly smart, until we met again four years later and realized that we were destined to be bezzies. She ventured stateside for an internship (bc she's a boss!) and became very much a part of our class, and today just found out she got her paper published! Congrats girl! I'm bragging on you! It also features @threethousandmiles , who I've been following for a long time and has a lot of wisdom to share on her blog. Go check her out! As usual tag ya kids tag ya wife

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on May 21, 2018 at 5:20pm PDT

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Watch out y'all these hands are rated E for Everyone! Everybody getting exposed! I'ma expose myself too just watch! No one is free from the drag- this is just part 1 and if I get to part 4 and you don't feel personally attacked @me bc I haven't done my job. Tag ur friends (Also go check out @stilettosplusstethoscopes , she's one of the few med school blogs I really like and that is not at all bc we've been friends since meeting at an interview for a premed program 9 years ago). Anyway BRB bout to have a delish Japanese breakfast at a ryokan after my morning soak #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #relatable #medstudent #uchicago #pritzker #preclinicals #womeninmedicine #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on May 3, 2018 at 3:30pm PDT

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MATCH DAY WAS TODAY! I’m staying at Uchicago and am very happy. But the days leading up to match were exhausting and anxiety-provoking. Besides that, the public way that we ‘celebrate’ match day is difficult to handle for those whose plans have been curtailed by match, or who have to take a different path. It’s hard to process that information in front of a lot of different people, some of whom might be starting the path that you thought you’d be on, all of whom are looking for your reaction to your results. It’s exhausting. Pretty sure I burned up all of my emotional energy in the time preceding match and am now spending my last day as an exhausted heap. Anyway, I’m a firm believer that we all end up where we’re at for a reason, and that all will be well! So ALL WILL BE WELL! Be excited guys we’re doctorsssss #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #clerkship #medlife #relatable #medstudent #uchicago #pritzker #psom #womeninmedicine #graphicmedicine #scrubs #premed #em #ed #matchday #internalmedicine #wellness

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on Mar 16, 2018 at 9:56pm PDT

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This is a very late Valentine’s Day comic but I started it before the 14th and a girl has been busy so it wasn’t about to be wasted. Anyway, I keep a One Line A Day journal. It’s my most prized possession, and I’ve been writing in it everyday for the last four years. Here’s what I did for Valentine’s Day in that time: 2015- crashed after a long day at the @snahp_ (students for a national healthcare program) conference with my gyal linda 2016- finished making my toothless plushie then called my bro, and we moped and commiserated over how #foreveralone we were 2017- went to dinner with my friends Meme and Connie and had a grand old time after Ob-Gyn orientation 2018- watched like 4 episodes of the Crown with my dad (who actually does look that young) at home in Houston This was a fun exercise, but it also reminded me how important love of all kinds is to the human experience! My friends and family are incredibly important to me, and have given me the kind of support that has been honestly invaluable- I don’t know if I could have made it through med school in one piece without them. When it comes to ~*romantic love*~, I didn’t really experience it for a long time. (It’s pretty rough out here dating for women in high powered fields, and ya girl is dark-skinned and black so… yay society lol) I’m 25 and this is the first year I’ve had a Valentine. And, as wonderful as he is, I’m happy that I’m experiencing it now, after years of being taught about how I should be treated by the many ride-or-dies in my life. . . . . . #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #ms3 #ms2 #ms1 #ms4 #surgery #obgyn #pediatrics #peds #clinic #familymed #clerkship #medlife #relatable #medstudent #uchicago #pritzker #psom #graphicmedicine #premed #valentinesday #vday #Residency

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on Feb 26, 2018 at 1:49pm PST

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oooh edgy comic but really the medical field has a hazing problem. we understand the impact of stress and the mental health needs of humans when it comes to our patients but don't allow ourselves time to exercise time to be with our families time to properly relax and operate within a strict hierarchy where upsetting the wrong person in medical school could ruin your career and then act like we break down because we're naturally lacking resilience and not because maybe this is an inefficient way to live . . . . #medschool #medicine #wellness #medicalschool #ms3 #ms2 #ms1 #ms4 #surgery #obgyn #pediatrics #peds #clinic #familymed #clerkship #medlife #relatable #medstudent #uchicago #pritzker #psom #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #Residency

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on Feb 9, 2018 at 11:37am PST

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I think most of us came in to medicine at least in part because we have a savior complex. We want to “help” people, however that might look like. But there’s so much in healthcare that doctors can’t touch, and unfortunately it’s the part that affects patients the most. I’m not even a resident yet, and I am already starting to feel the helplessness that comes with treating patients in our current healthcare system, which leaves millions of people un or underinsured, is expensive, inefficient, and lacking in compassion. For me, #singlepayer is the way to go- I want to be able to use the many years I’ve invested into training into doing the best I can for all of my future patients, regardless of ability to pay. #doctor #doctors #physician #clinic #hospital #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #ms3 #ms2 #ms1 #ms4 #surgery #obgyn #pediatrics #peds #familymedicine #medlife #relatable #medstudent #uchicago #pritzker #psom #graphicmedicine #pnhp #physicianburnout #premed #premedmotivation

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on Dec 26, 2017 at 2:27pm PST

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this one is for all you 3rd years who're still undecided, tick tock motherlovers #ms3 #medicine #medschool #medstudent #medicalschool #obgyn #surgery #internalmedicine #clerkship #peds #familymedicine #premed #comic #doctor #physician #medschoolcomics #healthcare #decisions #procrastination #residency #applications #iupdatednolanuhappy Ft in this comic: Kita Mack ღ, Esmeralda Amadore and Eunhye Oak! Thanks for playing along guys! Hope I paid you justice! For a chance to be ft in the next comic, tag two friends in the comments and tell us what you want to do / are doing with your life (or if you still haven't made up your mind). I'll be using four people! Sorry for the looonggggg wait, a lot has happened! (I finished a rotation! I got a cat! I caught a cold!) But I've got a wee bit more time than usual now, so I'm going to be updating again on Sunday- so if you want to be drawn pls comment soon!

A post shared by Shirlene Obuobi, M.D. (@shirlywhirlmd) on May 4, 2017 at 8:58am PDT

More Comics!