Michael Natter: Progress Notes: Sweater
Discussion Questions
What stands out to you in reading @mike_natter’s comic?
How can one balance normalizing mistakes (“to err is human”) against feeling guilty and “exposed” for making one?
What does this piece tell us about how we experience, live with, and learn from our mistakes in health care?
Reflections from #MedHumChat
“The thing about it that really hit me the hardest was that the sweater was built up over 4 years in self-protection. Oftentimes it does feel like studying is just seeking protection from getting caught being wrong rather than a pursuit of knowledge”—@MGraceOliver
“I loved the piece. The imagery was so simple but really devastating. It does such a great job emphasizing how a mistake can make you feel vulnerable to another error, and like everything you bring to the table as a clinician is worthless”—@Ndouthit
“Making mistakes in most learning environments is often how we grow and progress but when the environment includes patients well being, colleagues judgements, and your own self sense identity, it can feel much heavier... does it have to though?”—@mike_natter
“What impressed me the most is how well he depicted the feeling of isolation and lost self confidence when we make mistakes in medicine. Even when we don't harm anyone and it's just a wrong answer to a question during rounds it's hard to walk past it.”—@ClaraGFaria1
About this #MedHumChat
“Progress Notes: Sweater” was paired with “The Point of No Return” by Dr. Elisabeth Poorman for a #MedHumChat on March 4, 2020 exploring Making Mistakes.
We were honored to be joined by both Dr. Natter (@mike_natter) and Dr. Poorman (@DrPoorman) for this discussion. Dr. Poorman is a primary care physician and author-speaker whose work focuses on medical provider wellness, social justice, and ethical care.
About the Author
Dr. Michael Natter (@mike_natter) is resident physician in internal medicine at NYU Langone and an artist. You can check out his artwork on his instagram page @mike.natter.