iRADiX

"For clearing an exam you have to master the exam, not the subject."

DNB Theory

Most of the questions asked in DNB theory are from previous papers. So please do prepare all the 10 years question papers. (Previous question papers of DNB are available for free download on the iradix website).

One must draw at least one diagram per question. Examiners have separate marks for diagrams.

It is criminal to leave a question unattempted. Even if you do not know the exact answer to a question, please do answer it.

Attempt all questions in order. You have to attempt ALL the questions so it is useless waste of time to decide which question to answer first.

DNB Practical

The examiners look for basics, not advanced knowledge.

Basics should be clear. e.g. Is it a lung mass or mediastinal mass? You should know the differences clearly and thoroughly. Most of the times the whole viva is based on this and the student are unable to answer the basic question.

It appears that the wandering radiologist has recently caught the wandering eye of the editors at IRADIX. At their request, I will be trying to contribute two blogs a month to IRADIX. This should serve two purposes; firstly get me two write more regularly and secondly give me the opportunity to exhibit my ignorance publically! The blogs will be on issues that relate to radiology education and practice with potential to expand into subjects that interest readers at IRADIX.

My first foray in this relates to the issue of radiology education. The topic is a large one where many facets need individual attention. Since residents, having been badgered by their teachers and patients for so many years are the most thick skinned, I think it is only appropriate to begin with them as they are least likely to get offended.

My views on education are backward. If, for a minute we look back at why we get an education and what its ultimate goal is, it might give us a better perspective on how we should go about it.

Processes

The editorial titled “The 'why' of Radiology and related issues" in the August 2008 issue of The Indian Journal of Radiology and Imaging by Dr. Bhavin Jankharia makes an interesting reading. I couldn't agree more with Dr. Bhavin. This should be the ideal. But the ideals are hardly ever met. At the start of my practice I have received cigarette pack paper on the back of which "Chandrawati, X-Ray chest PA" is written by the referring doctor, the age and sex is 'allotted' by our technician. Immediately after the X-Ray exposure the patient goes back to the referring clinician to wait there and an attendant or some distant relative, who is usually unaware of the type of patient's illness, comes to collect the report. We usually have good rapport with just a couple of clinicians out of a hundred and of those rarely one or two are readily available to give information about the referred patient. More over he may not remember about which patient we are talking about. If the clinician himself accompanies the patient for investigation then our goal will be met but if he is an important one then other patient's displeasure is audible. We have to write the report without having any information about the patients illness like teleradiologists.

The one thing that sets us apart from all other “repairers” is that we deal with human beings.