Read Chapter 14: — THE FIRST REPORT

During the summer, Helen offered Daniel a supervised placement in nuclear medicine.

He accepted immediately.

The department was skeptical.

He was still a student. He could not issue final reports. He had no right to play at being a doctor.

Helen agreed with every objection.

"He drafts. We check. If he is wrong, we teach him. If he is careless, he leaves."

Daniel's first case involved suspected ectopic parathyroid tissue in the mediastinum.

He reviewed the biochemistry, ultrasound, CT and radionuclide imaging.

Then he wrote a cautious preliminary impression.

The lesion was later confirmed surgically.

A few trainees were impressed.

Dr Adrian Cross was not.

Cross had recently returned from a fellowship in the United States and wore his credentials like protective armour. He disliked the attention Daniel received and disliked even more that Daniel appeared unaware of violating an invisible hierarchy.

"One correct case proves nothing," Cross said.

"Agreed," Daniel replied.

The response annoyed him more than defensiveness would have.

The next case was lymphoma.

Then inflammatory disease.

Then an unusual bone lesion.

Daniel kept being useful.

Cross began waiting for the mistake.

Daniel knew he would eventually make one.

That knowledge made him work harder.