You might be a radiologist if…

Another RSNA came and went, and what can I show for it? I have attended the RSNA for quite a few years, and I love every minute of it. I come away with new ideas, some refreshing of old ideas, and a growing sense of awe to be a part of a specialty that can mobilize such a massive array of bright, innovative people and cutting-edge technology. A few spectacular dinners are a nice touch too. I love the RSNA and I’m okay with that. Some people complain that they get too much radiology, but for me that can’t happen. That would be like getting too much money, or too much ___ . Well, you fill in the blank.

I was born and raised in a small town in West Virginia, since there weren’t any big ones at the time. At least now there are several stop lights. I lived in a town where I could tell someone that I lived “out the 4-lane” and they would know exactly where I meant. I have warm feelings for the place I come from and the people who live there, which leads me to this interlude. I kind of enjoy redneck humor. Jeff Foxworthy has made a career of the “you might be a redneck if…” line. As an academic radiologist, I recall experiences that define my career choice in much the same way that Mr. Foxworthy defines the redneck moniker. These are experiences most of us can relate to. So, in that spirit “you might be an (academic) radiologist if:”

Certainly you have had such experiences that punctuate your career in this specialty. I hope that when you reflect upon them, you also smile with satisfaction at the great choice you made.