Too many doctors in the arts?

I was waiting for the doors to open at a show in Toronto with Colin Leslie—yes, Medical Post Editor Colin Leslie; we're that cool, and we were actually early, which also deserves applause. I struck up a conversation with another stranger who was waiting and mentioned that I was a writer. "She's also a doctor," said Colin, who thought it was cool. The stranger frowned. "No! I know too many doctors in the arts. No more doctors in the arts." This is the first time that I've encountered someone who flat out told me that what I do is wrong. Read: Happier at any size Of course people want me to be their family doctor. I tell them nicely that they can see me in the emergency room instead, and they don't usually push back after that, probably so I don't hold it agains them if they do come to the ER. This was also the first time that I have been told to my face that not only was I not allowed to engage in the arts, but nobody in my profession was allowed to be an artist either. I was so surprised that I just stared at her. However, I do think about this later, and with "l'esprit de l'escalier," what French call staircase wit, because you're paralyzed at the time. I'm not ashamed to be a writer. It's a part of my DNA. Might as well hate having brown eyes. In medical school, people thought it was kind of cool—maybe this weird thing I did, but they didn't bug me about it. They set off to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, and I would sit at home with my boyfriend and write. Different strokes for different folks, no big deal when we come together on the wards. Read: The sixth sense Now people are more likely to treat me as something of a mentor. Many, even most doctors want to write. I think all of us want to express ourselves and free ourselves from the tyranny of writing only: “80-year-old female, short of breath times five days, with an increasingly purulent cough …" I believe that all human beings are creative. It takes different forms, whether that means singing or choosing a wall colour or naming your child. But we all want to express ourselves. I can't imagine another profession where a stranger would order you not to create. Where you are not "allowed" to do anything except medicine 24/7 x 365 days a year. Hold their hands. Prescribe whatever they want. Write them endless notes for disability. Take on their nieces and nephews. You know where I'm going with this. Screw 'em. You are allowed, nay, encouraged, to become a full human being. Fling yourself in the arts. Have another child. Get a tattoo. I can't sign off on illegal behaviour, but we don't have to restrict our lives just because strangers tell us to. For me, it took me a long time to stop worrying about my parents' opinions, because I care about them and they invested heavily in my schooling. But in the end, I recognize that other people can and do run the emergency department. They can't write my stories (I'm too weird). And you know what? My mom reads my books now. In fact, her favourite is the sexiest one, Wolf Ice. Not sure what to do with that. Maybe a few years ago I would have been devastated to get called out by a stranger. Sometimes it's good to confront what seems like your worst nightmare so you can reflect on it and even laugh at it. Or not. Tell me what you think!

Too many doctors in the arts?

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More Blog Posts in This Series

The ‘L’ Word

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Blog Author

Dr. Melissa Yuan-Innes

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