“A new comic will be used to teach medical students about the role of shame in their training to become doctors.
“NEEDLESTICK by former UK Comics laureate (2019-21) Hannah Berry, aims to support those experiencing shame, which is common in a healthcare environment.
“The resource, published in the Graphic Perspective of The New England Journal of Medicine Vol. 386 (2022) 1587-1589, portrays the experience of a US-based dermatology resident, Olivia Davies while she was in medical school. Olivia scrubbed in on a surgery and stuck herself with a needle while closing the patient. In that moment, she doubted her abilities and considered quitting.
“The project has been funded by the Exeter-Duke Collaboration Fund (2020-2021) and an Enhanced Research Award from the Wellcome Centre for Cultures and Environments of Health (2021), University of Exeter and is part of the Wellcome Trust funded Shame and Medicine Project.“