Central PA Medicine Spring 2018 - 29

daup h i n c m s .o rg

Silver Linings, Jehan Momin.
Wild Onions. 2017.
1st place winner in Visual Art.

B

rowse through any medical stu- artists" that came before me. Nevertheless,
dent's bookshelf and I bet you'd I consistently drew and painted but did
find a copy of Frank Netter's not think of art as anything more than
Atlas of Human Anatomy. Dr. a hobby. Fortunately for us, Dr. Netter
Frank Netter, aptly regarded as "The also continued to draw and went on to
Michelangelo of Medicine," grew up create medical illustrations that would
enjoying drawing and painting. To his become some of the highest quality
mother's displeasure, the young Frank anatomy learning tools used to this day.
Netter dreamed of becoming an artist.
Eventually he succumbed to parental
I went on to study the pre-medical
pressure to find a more "suitable" career sciences at Bucknell University and
and ended up studying at New York subsequently gained acceptance to Penn
University Medical College to become a State University College of Medicine
surgeon. Dr. Netter's story may resonate (PSUCOM), all the while retreating
with many of those who had childhood to art in my free time. During medical
dreams of becoming artists, musicians, school, I was inspired by Frank Netter's
or athletes but were thwarted to pursue anatomical drawings and the intricacies
more 'stable' career paths.
of the human form. I took inspiration
from histology slides, radiographs, and
In my apartment on the campus of the a variety of forms of imaging. At first, I
Milton Hershey Medical Center, you'll drew simple diagrams to help me learn
find Dr. Netter's Atlas perched atop a anatomy in my courses. Over time, I
shelf displaying various other medical created a few larger pieces I submitted for
school textbooks. Like Dr. Netter, I too publication to Wild Onions, PSUCOM's
had childhood dreams of pursuing art annual humanities journal. Not thinking
as a career but diverted my plans when I of myself as anything more than a hobbyist,
was told cautionary tales of the "starving I was elated when I learned I had not only

gained publication in this journal, but also
won first place for one of my pieces. I
never felt such affirmation for my artwork
and the positive reception encouraged me
to continue medical illustration.
The sense of fulfillment I gain through
art is, in no small part, attributable to
the medical school I attend. PSUCOM
encourages its students and faculty to pursue the arts and recognizes the profound
connection between the humanities and
medicine. In fact, PSUCOM established
the nation's first humanities department in
a medical college and continues a tradition
of supporting the humanities through
funding and recognition of student and
faculty art. For me art has always been
something I did to have fun and relieve
stress, but what has become increasingly
evident is the role it has played in my
professional development and success
during medical school.

Central PA Medicine Spring 2018 29
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