Figures.

Thanks to everyone who e-mailed me and commented to send me stuff about amyloid and sarcoid.  I read everything you sent me, and it was marvelous.  I felt very smart.

So naturally, now that I actually knew things about these diseases (for example: amyloidosis is more than just “pink”!  It is also frequently different shades of pink!), the shelf exam proceeded to ask me these 2 puzzlers :

1.  An African-American walks in with some lung symptoms – you know this is sarcoid, right? and

2.  Hey, what’s that disease that sounds suspiciously like TB except for the “non-caseating granuloma” thing?

… Okay, those may not be entirely faithful word-for-word translations, but C’MON ASK ME SOMETHING WITH SUBSTANCE.

So it turns out I’ve now gotten through 75% of medical school without needing to know any other facts about this disease.

*jazz hands*  Medical education!

(Now, I know what you’re thinking.  You almost blurted out loud to your computer, “But Action Potential, those actually ARE the major facts about sarcoid”.  You didn’t say this, and I admire your restraint, but you definitely thought it.

All I can say is that if I were a patient with sarcoidosis, and I asked a doctor about it, I would be a little put off if they nodded their head sagely and said “Ah, yes. The disease with the… fibrosis.  But not the pink fibrosis, the other kind.  The kind you get if a question mentions African-Americans and chest x-rays.”)

But I guess my point should be that the shelf exam went okay and I’m pretty happy about it.