Multimedia Art

Knowing the body is central to caring for patients. We are taught to identify pathology by comparing to a baseline – “normal” anatomy, “normal” physiology, “normal” movement. But what, really, is a “normal” body? This piece interrogates not bodies per-say, but rather corporeality. It challenges the viewer to see not only what is missing, but to see the way in which absence makes space for wholeness. This is dedicated to my queer and trans family.

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R REICHENBACH (she/her) is many things: a writer, a retired high jumper, a human fiercely committed to making the healthcare space safer for queer and trans patients, and an MS1 at the University of Arizona College of Medicine Phoenix.

anuary 2022. Acrylic paint on canvas. Cerebral microvascular anatomy under a microscope. Evokes tree trunks and branches with fruit or flowers. In many ways, it represents home. Home for a dream, home for the inspiration of my mother’s art, newfound time for home-hobbies like art in the wake of COVID-19, home, which is both a place and a feeling.

The inspiration for this piece was my time on the neurosurgery service and the patients.

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DARA FARHADI is a fourth-year medical student at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix. He graduated from The University of Arizona in 2016 with a degree in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science and then received a masters degree in Science Journalism from Boston University. He enjoys art museums, tennis, and video games.

When I saw the prompt about hope and relief this year, I think it was hard to not think about how the availability of the COVID vaccine has been the main source of hope for 2021 and 2022. It represents a return to normalcy. However, with vaccine resistance and misinformation spread, it feels that the color has been drained from the hope of the vaccine. It is available and effective but requires the trust of patients to actually receive the vaccine. Therefore, I felt it was representative to have the painting be in black and white. It is hope, but not a perfect solution.

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MEGAN CADIGAN is a fourth-year medical student pursuing Family Medicine. She has a long-standing love for the intersection between art and medicine and has used her artistic side as a guide for patient care as well as a form of stress relief throughout medical school. Her main mediums are drawing and painting (specifically acrylic) but would like to try her hand at oil painting and digital art.

This piece was simply born out of a desire to create without judgment. I have spent a lot of time thinking about travesties in the world, grappling with COVID patients, and progressing through demanding medical education. I sometimes feel that my art has to reflect that perfectionism. So, for this artwork, I let colors and style run the show. There is no meaning other than the power of sometimes just having fun. I encourage the viewer to tap into the same space.

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MEGAN CADIGAN is a fourth-year medical student pursuing Family Medicine. She has a long-standing love for the intersection between art and medicine and has used her artistic side as a guide for patient care as well as a form of stress relief throughout medical school. Her main mediums are drawing and painting (specifically acrylic) but would like to try her hand at oil painting and digital art.

As the Class of 2024 worked through their first year of medical school during the COVID-19 pandemic, most of their learning took place online. The classroom became a collage of faces pieced together on Zoom – physically separate, yet brought together in a digital environment. Even online, the Class discovered (as all medical students must) the intense dedication and focus that is required to succeed in a medical curriculum. While it is an honor to learn the science and practice of medicine, students often disconnect from other hobbies, creative interests, and relationships while in school.

The combination of physical isolation and mental fatigue lead to a few questions: Where are students finding joy? When can students find time to recharge and reconnect to their interests outside of medical school? Where do we go (away from our desktops) to rest from the challenges of medical education? And what (or who) do we return to the classroom with afterwards? After nine months of learning online, the Class of 2024 was invited to submit images or other media they connected with during their spring break. From their submissions emerged a series of digital collages. They include personal photographs, video clips, pieces of artwork, and quotations from movies and poems.

The final images were unplanned and created spontaneously. My single objective was to incorporate media from every individual who volunteered to submit something (35 total students). These collages are reflections of togetherness in the era of online learning. They symbolize how our unique interests interact within a community – creating new perspectives and unexpected outcomes. Three of the collages are featured here, each accompanied by a short poem.

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ERIK GARBER is a medical student in the Class of 2024 at the University of Arizona College of Medicine–Phoenix. He is interested in how self-expression and creativity are part of healing.

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ERIK GARBER is a medical student in the Class of 2024 at the University of Arizona College of Medicine–Phoenix. He is interested in how self-expression and creativity are part of healing.

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ERIK GARBER is a medical student in the Class of 2024 at the University of Arizona College of Medicine–Phoenix. He is interested in how self-expression and creativity are part of healing.

My first year of medical school I drew a very similar piece to this, but redrawing it was under much different circumstances. I did my ICU rotation in a pediatric cardiovascular ICU. I took care of a baby girl and grew very close to her parents. On my last day, her mom told me they called her “The Wildflower” because wildflowers can grow in any conditions. Hers was the first patient funeral I have ever attended, and this piece of art helped me reflect on my time with her.

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MERRION DAWSON is a fourth year medical student going into family medicine. In her free time she loves to paint, draw, listen to books on tape and spend time with her family.

The inspiration behind the art piece entitled “Inner Peace” came from being at home thinking about all the constant movement and stresses around us. It’s important to reflect and take a moment to disconnect from the world and reconnect with a part of yourself that brings pure independent joy. It can spark up new creative approaches and confidence for one’s self because constant world repetition can sometimes mask needed self-reflections. I created “Inner Peace” using an Apple pen and an Adobe app called Fresco on my iPad Pro to combine multiple brush and coloring techniques.

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ADOLPHO NAVARRO is is an award winning visual creative in the field of media production. From a young age, his passion has been creating unique art in all forms including digital pieces and video production stories.