What Is in a Name?

Norman E. Bolus, MSPH, MPH, CNMT

A name defines who you are, such as Ethan, Bella, Leah, Leon, Danielle, and LeAnn—the names of some of my colleagues’ children. Many people have asked me about my name and have pointed out how appropriate it is that my surname is “Bolus” and that I have an affiliation with nuclear medicine. I tell them that my grandfather was the inventor of the bolus injection. Then, after a distinct pause, I say, “That is not true.” It actually is just a coincidence that my family surname is a commonly used technique in our field. If you ask me in person, I will be happy to explain the entire story of how my family surname ended up as “Bolus.” When I first started working on the national level, several spell checks converted my name to “normal bolus.” I contemplated that this was even more appropriate and then started pondering what exactly a normal bolus is.

The reason I chose to write on the importance of names, and how they define someone or a group of people, is the issue of the possible name change of the SNM. At the June annual meeting, the voting membership is deciding whether to change the name of the SNM to the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging. In my opinion, the proposed name does 2 very important things. It preserves our past and prepares us for the future. By the time this issue comes out for the annual meeting, we will be at the point of voting on this important possible change in what defines us as a society and profession. If we do change our name, as we probably should in my opinion, many questions will remain and a possible domino effect will occur throughout our field. Will state societies of nuclear medicine change their names? Will educational programs, labs, clinics, and departments change their names? Will the Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology change its name? Will we as a profession officially acknowledge and embrace molecular imaging as a distinct part of what we do and how it defines us, as it actually has been since nuclear medicine began as a profession? All are possibilities as we move forward.

Perhaps our profession is at a crossroads in how it should define itself, and perhaps this change will be a bridge to another name 50 years from now.“Yesterday is but today’s memory, tomorrow is today’s dream.”—Kahlil Gibran

You will find 2 more continuing education possibilities in this edition of JNMT, along with more chapter bios and an invited editorial on the new ICD-10 requirements that will occur in the future. In addition, on Facebook you will find the first of a series of situational judgment scenarios: “When a Person’s Name Can Make a Big Difference: Getting a Patient from the Waiting Room.” This is a new feature that I hope draws interest from the readership and encourages discussion. Please go to www.snm.org/facebook to read the scenario and to add your comments and suggestions on how to deal with this possible situation.