Between the Cracks
The Art & Science of Medicine
A doctor’s primary duty is patient care; however, what about their own well-being? With little advice in the GMC guidelines on self-care as a doctor, many of the struggles and worries facing a doctor often remain undisclosed. Between the cracks embraces these emotions with the ones you can see being reflected and the hidden between the cracks. We decided upon this creative piece from our tutorials, encouraging us to use reflection both as medical students and inevitably as doctors.
Min Joo Kim, Caitlin McConnell, Rose Meddings, Millicent Morris, Matthew Peakman, Anna Pilbro, Benjamin Sansom, Jemma Scattergood,
Jordyn Tetro, Antonis Tofias, Albert Jian Xu
Collaborative Creative Pieces, Year One
Exhibited at the Foundations of Medicine Conference, November 2017
Jordyn Tetro, Antonis Tofias, Albert Jian Xu
Collaborative Creative Pieces, Year One
Exhibited at the Foundations of Medicine Conference, November 2017
I really resonated with this piece as it emphasises the importance of self-care, especially in the high-pressure position of the doctor. Doctors in society are often stereotyped as altruistic and selfless even in extremely stressful and emotionally charged situations, particularly with the rising strains on the NHS. However, the notion of self-love and self-care has only recently been introduced to GMC guidelines. The piece’s symbolism of the different emotions healthcare professionals put on display and those that they conceal-‘between the cracks’-is endemic of this need to prioritize the well-being of the doctor before they themselves can treat and empathize with others.