Artist’s statement: perfect fit

My 2-panel drawing Perfect Fit, on the cover of this issue, documents my journey through medical education—my reflections on stepping into a new identity as a student and soon-to-be doctor. I used colored pencil and marker on toned paper to explore the excitement, trepidation, hesitancy, and anxiety that come with this transformation. Perfect Fit, by Stephanie Batch, MD. Colored pencil and marker on toned paper. Published with the artist’s permission. Each panel depicts a figure getting dressed. The one on the left shows the short white coat of a first-year medical student as too big, with its sleeves needing to be cuffed, and its front hanging loosely. I felt small in that oversized coat, as if I were playing dress-up. While wearing this coat, I wrestled with overwhelming lecture material, self-doubt, and the awkwardness of standardized patient cases. The right panel presents the hospital-issued scrubs of a third-year medical student on clinical rotations—­baggy, generic, one-size-fits-all. To wear them, I had to tighten the waist, adjust, and adapt. Though still oversized, they fit ­better than the coat, ­reflecting how I was beginning to find my ­footing. Pathophysiology started to make sense in practice. Patient ­interactions became more natural, and my clinical confidence had grown. As I now near the end of medical school, this series serves as an homage to my growth, learning to wear the clothes, embrace the responsibilities, and carry the weight of the initials “M.D.” is a lifelong journey of discovery and self-evolution. While this chapter is closing, I look ahead to residency and beyond, ready to continue learning, shaping, and growing into my own “perfect fit” for each stage of my medical career.