Post by University of Washington - School of Medicine

What does humanities and arts make possible in medical education? Gillian Soo's mixed-media project reflects on professional identity formation and the uneasy transition from "playing doctor" to becoming one. The piece recreates a childhood kindergarten class photo using collage, ink and watercolor. In the image, a young Soo wears an oversized white coat, serving as a visual metaphor connecting childhood imagination with her present experience as a medical student. By combining childhood imagery with present-day anxieties, Soo highlights the complicated process of professional identity formation within medicine and asks how students can grow into the role of physician without losing sight of who they were before medicine. Read more: https://bit.ly/4eVjrpp #HumanitiesInMedicine