We're alive and we survived.

We've been very absent from the blog recently, as I've been studying excessively for my board examinations. We got the results today that I passed. We're so excited and relieved after so much training. Perhaps now I can be better about blogging.

Step III

Step III is the final examination you have to take to become a "real" doctor.

What constitutes a real doctor? Once I graduated from medical school, I was given the title of doctor. But people still asked if I was a "real" doctor. I never said 'no, I'm not a real doctor', but I would end up explaining that I'm a resident. Well, I'm still a resident, but now I'm considering myself a "real" doctor.

There are ways that people could construe "real" doctor. When people ask that question, it is loaded with what may be prejudices or concerns. PhDs and other doctorate degrees are doctors, and they aren't imaginary. However, some people when asking this question would not think that they are real doctors. An example, if someone has collapsed in a movie theater, and someone cried out "Is there a doctor in the house?", they mean a doctor with medical training. I think I would take an emergency physician, critical care doctor, or a nurse who works in one of those locations. I would hope any paramedics or EMT would step up, even if they aren't "real" doctors, because they would be more useful than I would be likely.

That also brings up other doctors, such as dentists, DO's, podiatrists and chiropractors. Where do they fall in the discussion of "real" doctors. Too much for me to get into, and my answer would be a definite, 'well, it depends'.

Physics Exam

Today was the 1st of my three board examinations in Radiology. The subject was physics. I've had people ask me why I have to know any physics as a radiologist. I've sometimes asked the same question while studying.

It's important to know how each of the different 'imaging modalities' (x-rays, ultrasound, CT scans, MRI, fluoroscopy, PET scans, and other nuclear imaging studies) work. That way you know what the limitations of the exams are, what 'artifacts' (messed up images) are present, and how to fix things when they go wrong. We also learn about the harmful effects of radiation, and what the most likely risk is (very small).

The test went fine. I was glad there were no random numbers I should have memorized or bizarre equations to use. It'll take a while to get my results back though. If I pass, then I'll be 1/3rd a radiologist.

Are you the kind of person who's curious about how things work?
Do you feel like knowing the basics behind things at your job make you better at it?
Are you excited about the new large hadron collider?