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15 Cartoons Only Docs Can Appreciate
Michael B. Natter, MD | June 4, 2021
| Contributor Information
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15 Cartoons Only Docs Can Appreciate
Michael B. Natter, MD | June 4, 2021 | Contributor Information
Sometimes the visual arts can convey as much — or more — than words, as seen in this collection, beginning with artist Michael Natter and his cartoon self. Natter is an endocrinology fellow at an academic hospital in New York City. His background is in fine art and illustration, which has served him well in his medical training by translating complex medical concepts into his own visual language as well as using his art as a coping mechanism during the sometimes grueling process of becoming a physician. You can follow his work on Instagram at @mike.natter or on Twitter at @mike_natter. Prints of select pieces of art are also available here.
15 Cartoons Only Docs Can Appreciate
Michael B. Natter, MD | June 4, 2021 | Contributor Information
Imposter!
I used to think I was alone in my imposter syndrome, but I've found that most, if not all, of us suffer from some form of this condition, especially in medicine. When I got my long white coat as an intern, it felt more like a costume than a designation of my clinical title. Now, as a fellow, that feeling of playing dress-up has lessened but those insecurities have been traded for others.
15 Cartoons Only Docs Can Appreciate
Michael B. Natter, MD | June 4, 2021 | Contributor Information
The First of July
When new interns come to join the medical wards, there is always a sense of pride mixed with a palpable sense of trepidation.
15 Cartoons Only Docs Can Appreciate
Michael B. Natter, MD | June 4, 2021 | Contributor Information
Doctor in the Making, Part 1
As difficult as it was (especially during COVID), residency molded me into the physician I am today.
15 Cartoons Only Docs Can Appreciate
Michael B. Natter, MD | June 4, 2021 | Contributor Information
Doctor in the Making, Part 2
Each clinical experience, each interaction, each mistake helped form a foundation that will hopefully serve me well in my career.
15 Cartoons Only Docs Can Appreciate
Michael B. Natter, MD | June 4, 2021 | Contributor Information
Balancing Act
As I made my way through residency, the exhaustion, clinical challenges, and emotional toll often felt like I was trying to maintain my balance on a tight rope. Each step forward increased my confidence, but not without the constant fear of falling.
15 Cartoons Only Docs Can Appreciate
Michael B. Natter, MD | June 4, 2021 | Contributor Information
Now That I Look at You…
At one point in residency, I began observing pathology everywhere — even in the unlikeliest places.
15 Cartoons Only Docs Can Appreciate
Michael B. Natter, MD | June 4, 2021 | Contributor Information
Yes, It's Me
I often would find myself poking fun at the toll residency took on my physical appearance. Occasionally, a patient would see my ID tag, which was a picture of me just before starting intern year — fresh faced and young — and ask, "Is this you?" I look nothing like that now.
15 Cartoons Only Docs Can Appreciate
Michael B. Natter, MD | June 4, 2021 | Contributor Information
That Unforgettable Sound
The feeling of getting that first pager was exciting but the excitement quickly faded. Now, the sound of a blaring pager triggers anyone who has ever been woken up from one during residency.
15 Cartoons Only Docs Can Appreciate
Michael B. Natter, MD | June 4, 2021 | Contributor Information
Coffee Monster
I started drinking coffee in college; at that time it was for the taste. It wasn't until medical school when I realized the revitalizing benefits from its caffeine content. In residency? It was my fuel.
15 Cartoons Only Docs Can Appreciate
Michael B. Natter, MD | June 4, 2021 | Contributor Information
Melena?
You read about these things during medical school, but until you actually experience them clinically, you really cannot accurately describe them.
15 Cartoons Only Docs Can Appreciate
Michael B. Natter, MD | June 4, 2021 | Contributor Information
Dark Thoughts, Part 1
We all do this in residency. You come home after a long shift at the hospital and all you want to do is get some sleep…
15 Cartoons Only Docs Can Appreciate
Michael B. Natter, MD | June 4, 2021 | Contributor Information
Dark Thoughts, Part 2
You finally lay down and turn off the lights and BOOM! Did you remember to renew those antibiotics?
15 Cartoons Only Docs Can Appreciate
Michael B. Natter, MD | June 4, 2021 | Contributor Information
S'enough Already
Medical training is long, and I often felt like I wasn't doing enough. Burnout is all too common in our field. I'm hopeful that this will eventually change.
15 Cartoons Only Docs Can Appreciate
Michael B. Natter, MD | June 4, 2021 | Contributor Information
Pandemic Portraits: Dr Ku
During the surge of the pandemic, I found myself working long shifts in the COVID ICU. I would be able to get through my shifts by focusing on the tasks at hand, but once I got home, all the emotions would pour out of me. Often I didn't have words to express what I was feeling. The way I processed these emotions was by drawing. I derived a lot of hope and inspiration from the healthcare colleagues around me, and I found myself drawing their portraits.
This is Dr Bon Ku, an emergency medicine doctor in Philadelphia who I look up to as a mentor.
15 Cartoons Only Docs Can Appreciate
Michael B. Natter, MD | June 4, 2021 | Contributor Information
Pandemic Portraits: Gabby
Another was of my friend and nursing colleague, Gabriela Zarifa, whose eyes conveyed what I too was feeling: a mixture of fear and dedication.
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Contributor Information
Michael B. Natter, MD
Endocrinology Fellow PGY-4
Division of Endocrinology
NYU School of Medicine
New York, NY
Disclosure: Michael B. Natter, MD, has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
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