Self-Reflection
Self-Reflection was an exhibit of artwork created by YSM staff, trainees, and faculty in response to an open call for submissions asking them to think about the following questions:
- How might you convey your inner self through art?
- How can an institution display self-reflection?
- How do you see or not see yourself reflected in the YSM environment?
The exhibit was displayed in the area outside the medical library on the first floor of Sterling Hall of Medicine from February 2020 through December 2021.
Self-Reflection Gallery
Untitled
Acrylic on canvas
Alfredo Arroyo, Postgraduate Associate, Department of Pharmacology; La Puente, CA“These pieces are born from ideas I have when I sit down and reflect on myself. This first piece is a reflection of my art style. The piece borrows from the walls, skyline, and color of my home.”
Untitled
Acrylic on canvas
Alfredo Arroyo, Postgraduate Associate, Department of Pharmacology; La Puente, CA“These pieces are born from ideas I have when I sit down and reflect on myself... The second piece is a reflection of my culture. It holds a lot of history and reminds me of everything that has brought me to this time and this institution.”
Worked On and Completed While Pregnant in Veterinary School
Crewel Embroidery
Carmen Booth, DVM, PhD, Assistant Professor of Comparative Medicine; March Airforce Base, Riverside, CA“I worked on this while in veterinary school and completed it just before Christmas break in 1991 right after getting married on the winter solstice. My mother-in-law, who passed in December 2018, offered to have it framed. When she gave it back to me, she commented on noticing the "J" being backwards and didn’t have me fix it. She loved and accepted me for who I was and it fit with my dyslexia and dysgraphia diagnosis. When I see this, it always reminds me of her and that it’s OK to be wired differently than other people. There are days when this is needed more than others working in academia.”
Fee (F)or Service
Digital Painting using Krita Software
Bryan Brown, MD, Medical Education Fellow, Internal Medicine; Merrik, NY“As a primary care physician and educator, I am learning about the dissonances that exist between the values that set me on my path and the drives of the institution at large. In my field, the medicine often comes easier than the strength to bear witness to the misappropriation of resources, let alone the power to create change. All the while, our community hangs in the balance.”
Untitled
Oil Pastel
Hyung Chun, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine and Pathology; Seoul, Korea“As someone who has been mentored, as well as a mentor to others, this reflects what I feel is the crucial guidance during the course of education in medicine/science.”
Daughter of Medicine
Pastel, Permanently donated to Yale School of Medicine
Sophie Chung, ’19, YSM Student; Naperville, IL“A self-portrait in the setting of being called honey, sweetie, young lady, and nurse rather than doctor.”
Excolō
Digital Print on MetalNatnael Doilicho ’23, Medical Student; Fort Worth, TXDavid Nam ’23, Medical Student; Cupertino, CA
“I work hard to ensure that my contributions to the field of neuroscience can stand strongly on their own and move humanity forward.” -Melanie Brady, Graduate Student, Child Study Center; Bloomfield, NJSweet Respite
Digital Print on MetalNatnael Doilicho ’23, Medical Student; Fort Worth, TXDavid Nam ’23, Medical Student; Cupertino, CA
“Some days I'm so exhausted after clinic and class that I don't even recognize myself. So many white students, white teachers, white backgrounds, such limited knowledge of our cultures. After a long day of studying, memorizing meds, repeating my normal values, all I can do to keep from screaming from exhaustion is to hold my face in my hands and slow my breathing. And yet, I am finding my place in the medical field. I can spot my own amongst the preceptors and other students. I feel "Iva" come back. I remember two years ago how badly I wanted to be in the seat that I am in now. I glance over at my lab coat or take another bite of my pan dulce and smile before I keep pushing.” -Iva Ezparza ‘21, Nurse Practitioner Student; Bay Area, CA
Imminent
Digital Print on MetalNatnael Doilicho ’23, Medical Student; Fort Worth, TXDavid Nam ’23, Medical Student; Cupertino, CA
“Olamide Olawoyin, a second-year medical student, with her students from the Health Professions Recruitment Exposure Program (HPREP) which takes place every fall with the help of the Diversity, Inclusion, Community Engagement, and Equity (DICE) office at YSM.” -Olamide Olawoyin ’22, Medical Student; Ibadan, NigeriaWe Are All Human
Digital Print on MetalNatnael Doilicho ’23, Medical Student; Fort Worth, TXDavid Nam ’23, Medical Student; Cupertino, CA
“When I was 14 years old, I took a course in sociology at Cal State University that forever changed my life. I learned that I did not have to accept the norms and expectations that undervalue those from my ethnic and socioeconomic background. Instead, I could redefine those expectations, challenging my own and others’ limits along the way. It follows that despite many challenges I faced growing up in a working class, immigrant family with limited education, my newly discovered "sociological imagination" would carry me to develop skills necessary for success: kindness, modesty, empathy, a love of learning, self-discipline, persistence, and resilience. My academic journey continues as a PhD student at Yale, where I continue to challenge others' limits and expectations in exciting and profound ways.” -Victor G. Ruiz ‘20, Graduate Student, Department of Pharmacology; San Gabriel Valley, CAWe Are All Human
Digital Print on MetalNatnael Doilicho ’23, Medical Student; Fort Worth, TXDavid Nam ’23, Medical Student; Cupertino, CA
“When I was 14 years old, I took a course in sociology at Cal State University that forever changed my life. I learned that I did not have to accept the norms and expectations that undervalue those from my ethnic and socioeconomic background. Instead, I could redefine those expectations, challenging my own and others’ limits along the way. It follows that despite many challenges I faced growing up in a working class, immigrant family with limited education, my newly discovered "sociological imagination" would carry me to develop skills necessary for success: kindness, modesty, empathy, a love of learning, self-discipline, persistence, and resilience. My academic journey continues as a PhD student at Yale, where I continue to challenge others' limits and expectations in exciting and profound ways.” -Victor G. Ruiz ‘20, Graduate Student, Department of Pharmacology; San Gabriel Valley, CATransitions
Digital Print on MetalNatnael Doilicho ’23, Medical Student; Fort Worth, TXDavid Nam ’23, Medical Student; Cupertino, CA
“The clerkship year marks an exciting rite of passage for medical students, a rare opportunity to exponentially expand our medical knowledge while fulfilling many of the original motivations that drove us to pursue medicine. As students, we are aware of the privilege of learning from people who surrender their care to us, yet we are also aware of how unfamiliar and expectant the world we are stepping into is. To truly learn, we must humble ourselves before the scrutiny of our medical team members and learn how to maturely and graciously accept feedback that will one day transform us into skilled physicians. This involves transitioning from students to professionals, when there is still so much more that we need to learn to truly deserve the responsibility our profession entrusts to us.” -Kevin Wang ‘22, Medical Student; Nashville, TNWaypoint
Digital Print on MetalNatnael Doilicho ’23, Medical Student; Fort Worth, TXDavid Nam ’23, Medical Student; Cupertino, CA
“A student walks the hallways of Yale School of Medicine wondering about the future and about what shape his or her life in medicine will take, glancing up at those who came before, who now watch quietly from the walls. With time this student’s sense of belonging grows: to the institution, to the medical profession, to the continuum from teacher to student. In Waypoint, we aimed to depict the beginnings of this story of growth and discovery: the internal frenzy, the contemplation of the past and future, the search for our place in it, for a template after which to pattern our steps, and deep down, the hope of seeing ourselves not only reflected in the glass, but also reflected, through a common aspiration, in the timeless models that precede and surround us.”
Beheaded: A Self Portrait in EKG Paper
EKG paper, gesso/wood panel, oil paint, and polyurethane coatingSusan Eysmann, MD, Assistant Professor; Brookline, MA
“After more than 20 years in cardiology practice, I was not rehired as an employee in Stamford, CT. It had much to do with a network buyout, a shortage of practice RVU’s, and, I feared, my personal talents, or lack thereof. My heart was broken when I lost my practice, and art spilled out. Here I am collaged, floating in a black space, unmoored, beheaded. EKGs and stethoscopes are as much a part of me as body parts. I am manspreading, a gesture as close to defiance as I could muster against my helplessness. The last of these pieces was titled “Safe Landing.” Indeed, I am back to practicing cardiology, this time with Yale.”
Trees Among the Forest
Acrylic, jaipur paper, foam board, pages from a used bookHeather Fosburgh, MS, MPH, Project Manager and Lecturer, Health Policy and Management, Yale School of Public Health; Green Bay, WI
“Patient Centered Care Reflections (a self-reflection of health care): Accessible health care is increasingly out of reach. As a patient, a health services researcher, and a member of the community, I and many others are thwarted by policy changes, co-pays, and referrals. Sweeping changes that disregard individual circumstances result in health care users only hearing about patient-centered care as a concept, not a practice. Those in need of care are getting lost—as if the industry can only see the forest but not the trees that create it. These thoughts are reflected in this three-dimensional, multimedia layered collage.”
Sprout
Curly maple, poplar, with oak inlayWalker Fuchs ’24, PhD Student, Department of Cell Biology; Mattapoisett, MA
“When I reflect on who I am, I think of all the people, places, and events that allowed me to grow and how they’ve connected to make me who I am. Here I’ve represented the critical ingredients for growth in the interlocking concentric rings surrounding the roots of the flower. When a mixture of luck and effort allows them to line up at the right time and place, you experience growth represented by the sprouting flower.”
Endless Possibilities
Digital PrintChenee Gallaher, Senior Administrative Assistant, Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; New Haven, CT
“Rainbows introduce us to reflections of different beautiful possibilities. I am a mere reflection of a rainbow with endless possibilities.”
Crossing the Pink Divide
Mixed Medium of collage, pastel and paint on panelKate Henderson, MBA, MFA, Program Director, Pathology ITS; Indianapolis, IN
“Crossing the Pink Divide, (and breaking the glass ceiling) is from my feminist series about the struggles of career advancement from the feminine perspective. Here you see a pink umbilical cord that reaches for the top of the canvas. It twists and turns up and down, coming out of the darkness and finding its path through science. Parts of my cellular series are cut and collaged in the painting. These are cells from breast tissue. The biological woman is intertwined with the gestural line of energy and spirit, signifying growth, strength, and hope.”
Concordia
Acrylic on canvasZara Khan, Postgraduate Associate; Hamden, CT
“In Concordia, which means harmony in Latin, l incorporated seven symbols that I feel best represent my persona in my work environment at the Yale School of Medicine. As a postgraduate associate researcher, the microscope and YSM logo represent my drive for research and the brain stands for my passion in psychology. I included a galaxy to express that I’m always thinking outside of the box. The sun and sunflower seed depicts my positive attitude and youthful nature. Lastly, the feminist symbol embodies my support for female leadership.”
Lost in Reflection
Digital PrintCharisse Litchman, MD, Assistant Professor of Clinical Neurology; Baltimore, MD
“Self-reflection is rooted in social context and therefore in the knowledge and experience of our predecessors. The subject is lost in thought, resting the arm that holds his head on a pile of books written by others.”
Self-Reflection Through Connection
Digital PrintJuliana Lawrence ’21, Medical Student; Los Angeles, CARohil Malpani ’21, Medical Student; Kolkata, India
“Our piece is a commentary on search for self through one’s relationships with others. Especially in the field of medicine, it is common that we feel our failures are isolated as ours alone, not knowing that others around us may share our deliberations and experiences. By searching for connections with others, we can appropriately reflect on parts of ourselves we have not been able to appropriately process.”
I Can’t Find Myself
Digital PrintDonald Mender, MD, Clinical Instructor; Fairlawn, NJ
“The medium of Photoshop, giving the artist an ability to rearrange parts of a visually immersive world and assemble a new, creatively self-revealing whole, conveys the message here. “I Can’t Find Myself” demonstrates self-fragmenting effects of commodified urban bustle even in the mere reflections viewed by this window shopper.”
Wild Heart
Watercolor, Metallic Calligraphy InkKristi Perry ’21, Online PA Student; Raleigh, NC
"The heart is a wild animal. That is why we must cage it within the ribs."—Unknown.“I came across this quote during a time when I was experiencing devastatingly difficult circumstances. My heart was dictating my choices, which brought me much joy but even more pain. I chose to cherish the experience as growth—and growth never occurs without some pain. The metallic silver and gold are a reminder that there is much more to me than meets the eye. I must remember to keep my heart under control—caged—and use my head to make sound decisions.”
Self-Reflection
Digital PrintApoorva Ravindranath Waikar, Pediatric Endocrinology Fellow; Bangalore, India
“In this age of information overload, we are often faced with a feeling of a decline in the community and the world as a whole. My heart was heavy with worldly pessimism as I walked past the majestic oak trees draped in Spanish moss at the Wormsloe Plantation in Savannah, GA. Not surprisingly, the trees had a calming effect, almost reassuring. It struck me that, like me, many have made this walk, full of pondering and questions about the future. The trees bear witness to the lives of those who worked at the plantation, wondering if they will ever see a world of freedom. I wonder if they heard from the trees just like I did, that it’ll all be OK.”
Flourish
Acrylic and hot glue on canvasPreeti Sareen, PhD, Associate Research Scientist, Cellular & Molecular Physiology; Delhi, India
“I painted Flourish while recovering from cancer therapy to express my final feelings as I moved on. Self-reflection is a big part of the recovery process as one comes to terms with life-defining illnesses, finding one’s place in the bigger picture of what it all means. I decided to be more determined in what I do, live purposefully, and flourish.”Self-Reflection
Pencil DrawingChang Su ’21, YSM Student; Xi’an, China and Calgary, Canada
“Humans are unable to see themselves directly. The self we observe is through media—a mirror, a lake, the lover’s eyes, or even a shiny bucket. The medium through whichwe choose to see our reflections determines our impression. Perhaps a mirror most accurately reflects ourselves, but it may not always be the medium we choose. Reflected in your lover’s eyes, you are a loved, beautiful human being. Reflected in an X-ray machine, you are nothing but bare bones. Reflected on a shiny bucket, the self I see is elongated, lacking in color, flat, with giant bags under my eyes. For someone with severe imposter syndrome like me, perhaps it is impossible for me to see myself in my true form.”
I Think and This Is All That I Am
Acrylic on canvas and chalkKonstantinos Tsiakas, Postdoctoral Associate, Department of Psychiatry; Athens, Greece and Toronto, CanadaAndrea Weinstein, Postdoctoral Associate, Department of Psychiatry; Ontario, Canada
“The painting aims to depict how self-reflection can be perceived from different humans and surroundings. Each person may interpret the painting in a different way based on how they perceive self-reflection. Some questions/guidelines about self-reflection are hand-written and are part of the exhibit.”