The month of June marks both the birth and death of actress Judy Garland, who is the legendary actress behind The Wizard of Oz’s Dorothy. When I think of this classic movie, I picture the tornado scene, the Munchkins and their yellow brick road, the four quirky friends Dorothy meets along the way, and the very loud wizard.
But while I’m at work, the scene that comes to mind most is the one in which those legs stick out from underneath Dorothy’s house, once it lands in Munchkin land, adorned with none other than those Ruby Slippers.
Why?
Because looking down from up top, while at work, resembles that image. I look down past my white coat, and all I see are extended feet.
Have you ever looked down and smiled during your workday because the pair of shoes you’re wearing brings you pleasant thoughts?
In a field where high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, and even death are contended with on a daily basis, I do. Sometimes all I need is a quick reminder of something light, something happy- a reminder of home- and it brings a smile to my face.
Because, after all, there’s no place like home.
A Challenge
So, without further ado, here was a challenge I threw out there, to a group of my female physician colleagues- show me your ruby slippers- the pair of shoes you gaze down on, while at work, that keep you moving forward, but also allows you to think warm thoughts of your home, sweet home.
My challenge was met with so much enthusiasm, and so much creativity, that it became almost overwhelming. Almost. But not quite.
Here was my own photo. Just to give every doc who was interested an idea of what it was that I meant. Because thinking outside of the box is never easy to explain.
And another.
So, with May at its end, and June saying hello to us from just around the corner, I took to the task of preparing a Ruby Slippers shot for each of the 34 upcoming days. And because there were so many entries, I extended it by 4 extra days, because there were too many fabulous contributions from my colleagues. Plus, it felt special to extend it to the 4th of July, a celebratory day to mark the ending to the countdown.
I’ve condensed the 34 days of our ruby slippers into one article, here on the blog. On Instagram, some will be featured on their particular day, so follow along here!
Please don’t skip the ending. There’s a special challenge for all of you readers out there as well- because the Ruby Slipper Challenge doesn’t just end with the doctors- and it’s not one to miss!
34 Days of Ruby Slippers:
June 1st:
Leaning against the wall before 0500 trauma rounds, a radiologist awaits for the day to begin.
June 2nd:
Both a pediatrician AND a baker. No joke. This doctor has talent.
More pediatricians:
From top left, clockwise: a pediatrician borrows a colleague’s coat (because their little patients can get scared when they wear one). Second: this is how they do pediatrics in Florida. Third: brightly colored sandals for the kids. Fourth: adding color into our tools as a rainbow stethoscope adorns the neck of this pediatrician.
June 3rd:
(A special date for me, as it’s my husband’s birthday. In honor of your birthday, babe, a little cardiologist’s Ruby Slippers)
A before and after. Clinic day on the left, cardiac cath lab on the right. A cardiologist hard at work.
June 4:
A neurologist’s take, as her tool, the reflex hammer, steals the show.
June 5:
A vascular surgeon prepares for battle, loupes on and ready to operate. Below, her leaded glasses on and ready.
June 6:
Protective gear covers this gastroenterologist’s Ruby Slippers as the X marks the water pedal.
June 7:
Taking a break from the lenses of a microscope, a pathologist pauses to look down.
And here’s another, both serving our country and her patients. A big kudos and a thanks.
June 8th:
A medical epidemiologist specializing in ID/Public Health has her Slippers up on the desk, right in front of her tool, the SAS code.
June 9th:
Two family medicine residents in training. I find that it not s coincident that both should sport patterns in a bid brighten up their day- one Navajo, the other rainbows.
Stay strong, ladies. Somewhere over the rainbow.. you residency training will end.
June 10th:
(Birthdate of Judy Garland, and in her honor, the slippers that most resembled the true Ruby Slippers of the bunch)
This doctor sent her Ruby Slipper shot over to her parents, while they were each at work, and then received their versions back. Her mother had on the same exact pair, while her father, a load operator at an open pit iron mine, positioned his hard hat between his boots.
Now what better photo than this to subtitle, Home, Sweet Home!
June 11th:
(The following four days have been purposely placed in consecutive order. Figure out why.)
A little belly pops up up below, and obscures the view of the feet. With and without covering.
I couldn’t help but chuckle at the ‘donut’ box peeking at us on the side there and it ended up being her adorable mouse pad:
June 12th:
An Obstetrics/Gynecology specialist prepares herself for a C-section delivery.
June 13th:
An appropriate follow-up to the last. A baby sits atop a pediatrician’s lap.
June 14th:
Shifting gears ahead to take on the field of geriatrics. How beautiful is this interaction between a geriatrician and her patient!
June 15th:
A little vintage doc.
June 16th:
Orthopedic surgeons looking down at their own Ruby Slippers, ready to confront anything that splashes their way.
June 17th:
These beauties adorn the feet of a previous guest on the blog. She is one of my 7 Doctors with Brains and Style. Guess which one she is.
June 18th:
This is how they do it in the Air Force. Saluting you for your service.
June 19th:
Love this. Full term and still at work. Deserving of feet up on a pedestal.
And another baby bump- this one from an internist. Note the insulin pump tubing on the right of the belly for tight control of this mother-to-be and her baby. As she said, “Because we’re patients, too. Diseases don’t discriminate,” Well said.
June 20th:
Shoes in the morning before changing.
Shoes after, ready to take on the hospital.
June 21st:
Pumping while at work. We don’t stop at anything.
June 22nd:
And again, not stopping at anything.
This one of a dermatologist who dropped something on her toe. Yikes. Ruby Slippers nonetheless. We take them as they come in our field!
June 23rd:
A general surgeon pumps in between cases! Wow.
June 24th:
When the tables turn. This doctor spends the night in the hospital on the ‘other side’, as her mother is admitted for emergency surgery. Apparently for this doc, the chair sucked as a bed. She just had to let us know. So glad her mother was ok.
Other docs sporting sneakers:
A call-day called for sneakers for these medical doctors.
June 25th:
Sitting across one woman with breast cancer after another, an oncologist takes on her day as she embraces her own Ruby Slippers.
June 26th:
A surgeon dons some beautiful shoes during her rounds..
June 27th:
An emergency room physician looks down at her Ruby Slippers as she flashes her weapon of choice- the ID badge.
June 28th:
A trio of Ruby Slippers adorn the feet of this stylish doc. Here are three different days of her view down south.
June 29th:
Hard at work means lunching at our desk. View from the top while stealing a moment for lunch. An internist’s take.
June 30th:
A family medicine who focuses on teens sets things straight when her stethoscope reads, ‘I’m the doctor’..
Her Ruby Slippers? A more playful addition to her gear.
July 1st:
An opthamologist’s quick glance down catches both her Ruby Slippers and this hand-held eye chart.
Another opthamologist hold down a lens, and both inverts and miniaturizes her ruby slippers at once. Quite the magician.
July 2nd:
An anesthesiologist. They may not be glamorous, she says, but they keep her body happy during 13 hour days in the operating room. And they NEVER go home. Blood sweat and God-knows-what-else can stay at home. Her words verbatim.
An ENT takes a break to peer down, as she holds onto her otoscope.
July 3rd:
A fashion fail, according to this neonatologist, who woke up before the crack of dawn for 5:30 AM newborn rounds and mismatched her shoes. Lucky for her, the newborns didn’t seem to mind.
July 4th:
A surgeon’s red, white and blue peek out from under her coat, in honor of this special day.
Oh, and a little bonus at the end of the list:
This submission from a doctor off from work- a little reminder that, looking down, we’re basically all the same..
.. and to ‘get shit done.’
** The Ruby Slippers Challenge **
All of us have our Ruby Slippers, whether we are doctors, lawyers, salespersons, hairdressers, teachers, or stay-at-home-mothers. Males or females, whatever it is we do, we have our own version of our Ruby Slippers.
You can now participate in our open Ruby Slippers Challenge!
Prepare your own Ruby Slippers image and post it on social media, using the hashtag #rubyslipperschallenge. You can do it for fun on your own, or take on the challenge as part of the giveaway we are hosting.
First of all, the most creative photos will be selected to be included in a future ‘Ruby Slippers’ post here on the blog! We will your participation with use of the hashtag!
Second, A Prize!
In addition, one submission will be picked by readers (that’s you!) to win a original custom made image of themselves on an 8 x 10 fine art paper, by the talented Jamison Reid Designs.
She created an image exclusively for Dr. Corriel, shown left, which I am framing both for work and for my home office. It’s just THAT GOOD.
Some of the artist’s work can be seen in her Etsy shop, but remember, yours will be custom made and on a paper that’s ready to frame. You will also receive a digital file of the image, that can be used on logos, stickers, or profile pictures. It is yours exclusively. The artist herself will be working with you to create the image. This custom order is worth upwards of $200 but will be free to the lucky winner. Read the rules below and good luck.
Have fun with your photos. The more creative, the better.
Here Are the Rules.
To enter into the giveaway and feature, you must share the Ruby Slippers Challenge post, found on Facebook or Instagram, and tag three friends (posting this article instead of the challenge post will also count- don’t forget to tag the friends!) You must then like the Facebook or Instagram page of Dr. Corriel (that’s me). As a bonus entry, you can like Jamison Reid Designs, the artist, on Instagram or her etsy shop. Once you do this, hashtag any submissions on either your FB or IG with #rubyslipperschallenge so we can track them. Eligibility will run from June 1st to July 4th at 11:59 PM. The top 10 photos will then be picked and voted on by readers, and the one voted best will win the giveaway. Giveaway is not sponsored or endorsed by FB or IG.
Here are more physician Ruby Slippers, for those who didn’t quite make the 34 days. I thank you all for contributing and want to showcase your efforts here: