Indiana University: Definitely not a fly-over program

No SAR visiting professorship would be complete without a visit to Indiana University. SAR member Dean Maglinte makes certain of that! Former VP Desiree Morgan dropped by for some talks last year, and they've been raving about it since. Because lecturing on the pancreas was part of her gig, she threw a pancreas party for the residents that stole the show- my show! How was I supposed to compete with a pancreas party? Dean had requested prostate MRI as my topic, and despite delivering what many would consider a seminal talk, every one there viewed Desiree with such vast deference that even my best joke (“Rectum? Damn near killed him!) couldn't get a rise out of the audience (at least the residents should be better prepared for their ABR digital exam now). While I’m sure there are some places in the world where a prostate party would be welcome, University of Indiana wasn’t one of them. Word of advice for next year’s Igor Laufer professor- everyone loves a party, so pick an organ that goes well with punch and cookies.

IU residents and fellows

My first night in Indianapolis, Dean Maglinte and SAR member Kumar Sandrasegaran treated me to dinner at St. Elmo steakhouse, where they are known for their fiery hot shrimp cocktail consisting mostly of fresh horseradish. Horseradish, a perennial plant of the Brassicaceae family, has been used for years as a medicinal for sinus disorders. I can vouch for its effectiveness, as well as its deliciousness, as St. Elmo’s fire effectively denuded the mucosal lining of my entire upper respiratory tract.

Not for the faint of sinus: The shrimp cocktail at St. Elmo's.

The IU Abdominal Imaging faculty impressed me with their academic productivity and teaching efforts despite RVUs in the upper quartile. I sensed that their deep commitment to the academic mission sustains them through these challenging times. For many of their scientific endeavors, they benefit from an impressive, fully integrated radiology/pathology database. They also integrate daily, organized teaching efforts into the workflow to ensure the best possible experience for their residents and fellows.

Kumar Sandrasegaran running a reading room conference for the residents.

My visit wasn’t all work and no play. My tour of the Methodist hospital campus was a thinly veiled attempt to justify my riding the “people mover”. This consists of an automated, elevated light rail train that runs a regular route above the streets of Indianapolis between hospitals (supposedly the only private line of its type to run over public streets). It lends a Disneyesque quality to the Medical Center, when it isn’t catching fire (which it did less than a month after opening). For more facts about IU's people mover, try the following: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiana_University_Health_People_Mover

The IU people mover- more fun than Disneyland

I also witnessed first hand something more dangerous than a people mover fire (even if the lethal effect takes years to develop)- the pork tenderloin sandwich. The heart of this official state sandwich of Indiana (yes it really is the state sandwich) consists of an enormous breaded and fried slab of pork.

The state sandwich of Indiana. Yes, that's a normal-sized bun. 

My last night, I enjoyed a memorable dinner with members of the Radiology Department, including interim Chair Himanshu Shah and many colleagues from the SAR. As might be expected in the presence of such a diverse and talented group, the dinner conversation ranged from the origins of wine to the benefits of a clean colon. I try to learn something new from every place I visit, and that night I learned that Princess Diana regularly engaged in the practice of colonic cleansing (go ahead, google it). Having experienced a thorough colonic purge the last time I ate pizza at the Miami airport, I can’t say I’m a fan (although I did get an idea for a novel CT colonography prep involving iodine-labeled mozzarella). Whether it was the late hour or our raucous banter, the restaurant was thoroughly cleansed of diners by the time we left. 

SAR members at IU from the left: Marc Kohli, Dean Maglinte, Kumar Sandrasegaran, and John Lappas. It took the photographer so long to set up this shot that Kumar fell asleep.