“It’s one of the few fields in surgery that isn’t limited by a system like the heart or bones,” she explained “We’re limited only by the anatomy of the head and neck. The head is an interesting canvas because you can’t hide your face like you can much of your body on a day-to-day basis. It takes a fine hand to operate.”
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July 2022It’s this approach that helps Dr. Silver meld her art with the science of medicine, particularly with an otolaryngology focus. She’s interested in facial plastic surgery, both reconstructive and cosmetic. “You can really make a difference in someone’s life doing reconstructive surgery,” Dr. Silver said. “In an intense cancer resection, you see how to bring the skin together, not only cosmetically, but also in a way that’s functionally good for the patient. Cosmetic surgery is also interesting because it has the power to make people so good.
“The one difficult thing in being an otolaryngologist is that we’re on call for airway emergencies,” added Dr. Silver. “We’re the airway experts of the hospital. You get minutes to save people’s lives. It’s been a really powerful experience. Being in those situations, the pressure and calm that comes over you is profound. I’m working on an art piece right now about an emergency surgical airway where we need to hold in the trachea. There’s the brutality of that, but also the peace and the beauty of it, that we’re trained to do this and to help people in this situation.”
Looking Ahead
As Dr. Silver moves forward in her training and through her career, she realizes that making time for her art will be a challenge—but it won’t be impossible.
“I feel that it would be really difficult to not paint in the future,” she said. “I carry an iPad around with an Apple pencil and I’m always sketching to some degree, both for work to understand a surgical procedure and the anatomy, as well as to unwind. Painting is sometimes an outlet and sometimes a distraction. When you have a heavy day, it’s almost meditative in a way. I’m not thinking about the day or a patient who isn’t doing well when I paint.”
Dr. Silver creates her art at her home in Rochester, where she lives with Jennifer Silver, her wife of six years, and their dogs, a French bulldog named Nacho and a pug named Noodle. Silver is glad that Jennifer isn’t a healthcare worker; she currently works for ACT, a nonprofit organization that provides educational resources and administers a national college admissions examination. “It’s a nice break when we’re together. I can leave my work at the office,” she said.