RSNA Blog

I arrived yesterday to a snowy greeting. I love seeing snow-covered trees. We don't get that in the Seattle area.

Some quick observations about Chicago.

• People here LOVE honking their horns. I don't remember this much honking in New York, and I was just there two months ago.
• Our shuttle driver cut off a cab. The cabbie laid on his horn for a full minute
• When he finally got around us, he opened his window for what I was sure was going to be "the bird," but instead he made a very aggressive gesture with his open palm - all 5 fingers extended. It was almost as if he was saying to our driver, "If your face were closer, this hand would be pushing it, you stupid-head."
• RSNA is every bit as big as I remember, but I also remember more people. Granted, the last time I was here was 1999, but there were actually places to sit in the lectures, even if you arrived a little late. I guess the economy effects radiologists, too.
  
• RSNA, for those that don't know, is the Radiological Society of North America. Believe it or not, but it's one of the largest meetings in the world, rivaling car shows and Consumer Electronics.
  
• There are individual booths here that cost over a million dollars to set up. All for me.
  
• Radiologists are recognizable by their blue badges. If I walk into a group of vendors, they immediately single me out.
• Radiology companies, like car companies, have "booth babes."
• Radiology vendors have entertainment budgets! Unlike the old days where they could take you to a strip club (I'll tell that story in Vegas with little prompting), now they can only buy you dinner.
• Morton's Steakhouse makes one helluva 3 1/2 pound lobster.
• I've made it to every lecture and they're not half-bad.
  

I'd write more, but I'm off to another recruiting dinner.