Good thing it wasn’t a powder day: The University of Utah

SAR member Marta Heilbrun invited me out to the University of Utah as part of the Igor Laufer visiting professor program. While there, I gave talks on renal cell carcinoma, CT of abdominal pain, and MR angiography to their residents and fellows. Had it been a powder day, I would have been speaking to an empty room. You see, Salt Lake City is snow starved, and I suspect that the U. will empty out at the first signs of serious “pow” (that’s “powder” for you non-skiers). All you SAR members in Boston should box up some of that snow you’re hoarding and send it westward!

University of Utah faculty, body fellows, and residents: Nicole Winkler (faculty, SAR!), Oliver Edwards, RJ Willmore, Ben Romney (fellow), Reza Pakdaman, Maryam Rezvani (faculty), Marta Heilbrun (faculty, SAR!), Jakie Taylor (fellow)

This time last year, I lectured in SLC at a urology conference and planned to ski with Marta. Unlike this year, there had been some fresh snow fall. Marta blew me off with the oft-used Utah expression, “no friends on a powder day”. That’s OK; she redeemed herself this time by skiing blue rectangles with me (she’s more of a triple black diamond of death kind of skier). We were joined by her hubby Ron and SAR member (and 2014 RSNA Outstanding Educator Award winner!) Paula Woodward.

with SAR members Paula Woodward (left) and Marta Heilbrun. 

When I arrived in Salt Lake City, Paula met me at the airport and drove me straight downtown, where she gave me a very educational, walking history tour. We were fortunate to see the massive Salt Lake Tabernacle organ in action during our walk through the Temple grounds. The original organ, dating from 1867, has since undergone multiple modifications and modernizations and now contains 11,623 pipes.

If you are in the mood for food while visiting SLC, I would recommend the Copper Onion where Paula treated me to a feast that I won’t soon forget. Marta also hit a homerun with her choice of restaurants, “Bodega”. Easily one of the hippest eateries in SLC, the menu featured some pretty edgy dishes. Who would have thought that caramel corn would go with white cheddar cheese and duck fat? OK, maybe that one wasn’t exactly in synch, but the chicken was killer! Like most hipster hangouts, Bodega believes in ethical food. In fact the chicken we ate died of natural causes. According to the autopsy report, the chicken was enjoying a cold one while taking a shower and slipped (how many times have you heard that one?). Had it been something other than Pabst, it might have survived.

Why I never drink beer in the shower.

That chicken had amazing sphincter tone. It took three of us to get the can out.

Dinner companions Leif Jensen, Paula Woodward (SAR!), Loren Longenecker (resident and UT Southwestern grad!), Marta Heilbrun (SAR!).

Like the Brigham, Utah’s Huntsman Cancer Institute has an intraoperative MRI scanner. But the real show-stopper was the view from the Institute’s cafeteria. 

It's a little hard to see the mountains in this photo, but they're out there. 

After my last lecture, I met with Marta and a few of her colleagues to talk about some interesting work they are doing to attempt to determine the actual value ($$) that a radiology resident or fellow adds to a radiology department. The answer is likely to be very controversial and far from straight forward given the large number of confounding factors, but the question is an important one in this era of value-based health care. I am certain that this work will attract plenty of attention as programs struggle to determine the residency program size that maximizes return on investment. Pretty soon, we’ll all have price tags. In a few years, you’ll be able to find me on the bargain-priced table along with my textbooks.

The Univ. of Utah residents put forth a value-laden performance in my unknown case conference. I think it had something to do with the water.

Why all the Utah residents are so smart. 

The residents were also treated to the most amazing lunch spread I’ve seen at a noon conference. Check out the chocolate covered strawberries… really? Isn’t it enough that you live 20 minutes from some of the best skiing in the world? You should have to eat sand.

Chocolate covered strawberries at noon conference? Seriously?

All things considered, it was a great trip and I highly recommend SLC and the Univ. of Utah’s medical center as places to visit. My only suggestion for improvement when the next Igor Laufer professor visits is that they drive him/her around in something bigger than a mini cooper. 

Mini coopers have infinite head room. Fortunately, it was a nice day.