Today we’d like to introduce you to Grace Farris.
Hi Grace, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I am an internal medicine doctor who works mostly in the hospital with medical trainees (residents and students). In 2018, while I was living and working in Manhattan and raising two little boys, I started sharing motherhood comics on Instagram every evening. I had written a comic strip in my college newspaper, but never in a million years did I expect to return to comics. My motherhood comics developed a readership on my Instagram account (@coupdegracefarris) and on a women’s lifestyle website called Cup of Jo. In 2022 my first book was published: Mom Milestones. In 2026 my debut picture book More than a Million came out, followed by my book See One, Do One, Teach One: The Art of Becoming a Doctor, which is a graphic memoir about medical school.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
In March of 2020 I was leading my division of hospital medicine when we saw some of the first Covid patients in New York. Everyone was scared. One of my young colleagues developed Covid and died. For 6 weeks my kids (aged 8 and 4 at the time) stayed with my mother-in-law while I worked at the hospital and took care of hundreds of patients with Covid. I did not see them for six week, and missed Easter with them that year.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m proud that I have been able to illustrate what it’s like to be a physician and mother. Before I started medical school, it was really hard to picture what my life would be like, and what the interplay between work and family would be. I have enjoyed drawing comics about this to hopefully encourage people who are interested in working in healthcare. Anytime I meet a young person who wants to pursue a career in medicine, or nursing, or pharmacy, etc. I feel very grateful!
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
My nephew was born at the end of 2019, and I didn’t want to live faraway from him as he grew up. So, in July of 2020 we moved from NYC to Austin. I left a leadership position in New York to move to Austin, and my career trajectory changed because of this move. I’m grateful for the opportunity to be close to my niece and nephew though.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.farrisgrace.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coupdegracefarris/
