How Cartoons Got Me Through Medical School (And Why Your Brain Will Thank You for Doodling)

(A typical day of medical school for me. Holding Emily (who is also a doctor now), Jonathan, and Gabriel.)

Picture this: It’s my first day of medical school, and I have three kids under the age of five—a five-year-old, a three-year-old, and a 10-month-old baby. On top of that, I’m enrolled in a dual-degree MD/MBA program. Sleep? Overrated. Free time? A myth.

I didn’t have the luxury of hours to memorize dense medical textbooks. My study sessions were wedged between diaper changes, toddler tantrums, and strategically timed naps. I needed a foolproof survival strategy.

So, I did what any desperate medical student would do: I turned medicine into cartoons.

It started as a way to simplify overwhelming information, but these cartoons didn’t just help me pass my exams—they became six published books called Visual Mnemonics that helped thousands of other students master complex medical concepts.

Why Draw Like a Five-Year-Old When You’re Training to Save Lives?

Because your brain is wired for pictures.

Your hippocampus (the memory storage unit of your brain) doesn’t love long, boring lists. It loves stories, humor, and anything visually engaging. That’s why you can remember what your childhood home looked like but can’t recall what you had for lunch last Thursday.

So instead of brute-force memorization, I made medicine visual and ridiculous.

From Stick Figures to Synapses: How I Turned Med School into a Cartoon Network

1. The Immune System—A Medieval Castle Under Siege

Immunology was an absolute beast to memorize. So, I turned the immune system into a castle defense game:

• Macrophages? The castle guards on night duty, always patrolling for intruders.

• Neutrophils? The reckless knights who charge into battle, fight bravely, and then die heroically.

• B Cells? The royal scribes, writing detailed reports (aka, memory cells) about past invaders.

• Viruses? Sneaky spies disguised as common villagers, trying to infiltrate the kingdom.

Once I had this mental battlefield, everything made sense. Instead of forcing myself to recall which immune cell does what, I just imagined my castle under attack and let the characters play out their roles.

2. The Krebs Cycle—Reality TV Drama in Biochemistry

Every med student dreads the Krebs cycle. It’s a convoluted mess of molecules, arrows, and chemical reactions. But when I turned it into a reality show, it finally made sense.

• Acetyl-CoA? The main contestant, hoping to make it big (ATP).

• NADH and FADH2? The high-maintenance divas demanding attention (electrons).

• ATP Synthase? The grumpy producer, deciding who gets the energy payout.

• Oxygen? The VIP judge—if they don’t show up, the whole show flops (anaerobic respiration).

Once I started thinking of metabolism like a dramatic competition, I never struggled with it again.

3. Neurotransmitters—The High School Cliques of the Brain

The brain runs on neurotransmitters, and if you don’t know which ones do what, you’re in trouble. But instead of memorizing long definitions, I categorized them like a high school drama:

• Dopamine? The popular kid—everyone wants more of him (reward, addiction, motivation).

• Serotonin? The hippie yoga teacher, keeping everyone calm and happy.

• GABA? The strict principal, shutting down over-excitement (inhibitory neurotransmitter).

• Glutamate? The over-caffeinated student who won’t stop talking (excitatory neurotransmitter).

When an exam question came up, I just asked myself, Who’s running the show in this brain high school? and boom—I had my answer.

Why This Worked (and Why It Can Work for You, Too)

1. Reframing Creates Understanding – Instead of just memorizing, I restructured information into a system my brain already understood. Your brain is much better at processing stories than it is at recalling isolated facts.

2. Cartoons Are Flexible – With three tiny kids, I couldn’t sit down for uninterrupted study sessions. But I could sketch out a quick diagram while making dinner or waiting for a nap time miracle.

3. Stress Reduction – Medical school is intense, but drawing made studying fun. And when learning is fun, your brain retains so much more.

Final Thoughts: Why We Should All Be Drawing More (Even If You’re Not in Med School)

You don’t have to be a doctor to benefit from cartoons. Whether you’re trying to remember a new skill, understand a tough subject, or just keep your brain engaged, draw it. Stick figures work just fine. Bad art is welcome. The goal isn’t to be Picasso—it’s to make learning stick.

So the next time you’re struggling to understand something? Doodle your way through it. It might just change your life—or at least help you pass a really tough test.

Now, go grab a pen. Your brain will thank you.