The Fun of Medical Fiction with Shirlene Obuobi, MD
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Who is Shirlene Obuobi and what is her debut novel On Rotation about?
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You're listening to the Nocturnous Conversations. I'm Emily Silverman. Over the last couple of years, we've had a lot of physician authors on this podcast, but usually their books are nonfiction books, which cover a certain topic or theme in healthcare. Today's guest is a physician author of fiction, which I'm so excited about because lately I've been so hungry for physician-authored fiction. And she's here to talk about her debut novel, On Rotation. Her name is Shirlene Obobi, and she's a Ghanaian American physician, cartoonist, and author who grew up in Chicago, Illinois, Hot Springs, Arkansas, and the Woodlands, Texas. When she's not in the hospital, and let's be honest, even when she's in it, she can be found drawing comics, writing on her phone, and obsessing over her three cats.
She currently lives in Chicago, where she's completing her cardiology fellowship, and her debut novel On Rotation has been featured on national outlets such as Teen Vogue, The Washington Post, and Good Morning America. Sherlene and I had a wonderful conversation in which we explored her creative process, the joys of writing about love, the joys of writing black women physician characters, her decision-making process about how much of the narrative to keep inside the hospital versus outside of it, and finally what work she is excited to be reading these days. I am just blown away by Shirlene's energy and creative drive and loved every minute of this conversation, and I hope you do too. But first, here is Shirlene reading an excerpt from her novel on Rotation.
It had been two and a half months since my last meeting with Dr. Wallace, a short interim for an audience with someone of her station. But doctor Wallace had a vested interest in my matching into a residency program. As the face of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee, she had fought tooth and nail for every black student who had walked through the hollowed halls of our medical school over the last fifteen years, and her ability to continue doing so was at least in part contingent on our success in the match. So when she called for a surprise check-in meeting, I wasn't entirely surprised. Besides, I had something else I wanted to discuss. I saw you honored Peds. Congratulations, she said. Peppermint, she offered, waving toward the latest addition to the disaster of her desk, a clear jar of mints.
Remembering Ricky's declaration that I was a peppermint patty, I shook my head. Thank you, I said. Dr. Berber of all people had given me a glowing evaluation. Angela is always upbeat and ready to learn, it said. Her fund of knowledge is impressive for a fresh third year. Obigayne might be harder, she said. But you'll do fine. Keep this up and I think we'll be in the clear for your residency apps. Now About your project. I had finished the first draft of my D V T prophylaxis literature review weeks ago, and it had been sitting unaddressed in my PI's doctor Donahue's email inbox ever since. I told Dr. Wallace as much, and she scowled, crossing her arms. That's not good, she said. There are some big conference deadlines coming up.
Email him again to check in. She tapped her chin. What about another project? Just in case this one falls through. There are a few others on that list that I thought looked promising. My hands curled on my knees, and I sat up as straight as possible, meeting Dr. Wallace's eyes directly. That was the best way to get her attention, I'd learned. Be commanding, don't slouch, avoid self deprecation. Come prepared with hard data. Actually, I said, I want to do something else. An original project. I told her then, about the boy in the trauma bay, about his mother and the assumption of his guilt. About the man from years ago in the emergency department.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
Who is Shirlene Obuobi and what is her debut novel On Rotation about?
0:00–4:59
2
Why does the episode begin with a reading of an excerpt from On Rotation?
4:59–9:20
3
How did Shirlene’s early life and medical training shape the story’s perspective?
9:20–13:15
4
What is Shirlene’s creative process for turning hospital experiences into fiction?
13:15–18:07
5
How does the novel balance hospital scenes with life outside the clinic?
18:07–23:05
6
Why did Shirlene choose to make On Rotation a love story about a Black female physician?
23:05–28:15
7
What reactions and feedback has On Rotation received from readers and the medical community?
28:15–33:00
8
What advice does Shirlene give to aspiring writer‑physicians and creative professionals?
33:00–38:12