I’m having an identity crisis

“Well then, why not just call yourself a vascular specialist?” Good point I thought as I lay there on his couch. But then it occurred to me that perhaps physicians who weren’t surgeons but who also dedicated themselves to vascular diseases could also refer to themselves as vascular specialists.

What would differentiate us? After all they can’t operate but I can. Wouldn’t this somewhat ambiguous word “specialist” further cause me an even greater identity crisis?

My brain started racing. Now I realized I was jealous of all those other specialists whose professional identity was defined by their specialty’s name. Everyone knows that a gynecologist treats only women, the orthopedist can mend broken or diseased bones, and the proctologist treats ... well, you know what!

“Maybe I’m a vasculologist?” I suggested.

He remained silent. Time seemed to expand. But in that darkened room I began to understand that he could not provide me with the answer to my identity crisis. It was up to me, my colleagues, and my specialty organization to explain to the lay public and other doctors what makes us so special. That we are indeed surgeons but that unlike any other specialty we alone can provide all forms of therapy to patients with vascular disease.

I was proud of this epiphany, and I eagerly shared it with him. He nodded approvingly. “You have made good progress but time’s up.”

As I stood to leave I noticed that he was rolling up his pant leg and staring at a bulging varicosity. He mumbled, “Hmmm … I’d better show this to my cardiologist. It may be serious.”

Dr. Samson is a clinical professor of surgery (vascular) at Florida State University Medical School, is president, Mote Vascular Foundation, and is an attending vascular surgeon, Sarasota (Fla.) Vascular Specialists. Dr. Samson also considers himself a member of his proposed American College of Vascular Surgery.