I feel like I've somewhat arrived in the world. Last year, I burst into the realm of publishable science through a brief mention of "technical assistance" in the Acknowledgments section of a paper put out by the lab I used to work in--and in a decent journal, too (Impact Factor 4.287). Sure, it was the second last line in the whole article in a section most consider trivial but I felt duly acknowledged. I remember my delight when I first saw the publication. I read the Acknowledgments over and over to myself, savouring the sound of my name each time my mind pronounced it. Yes, I had worked hard in that job and put in many hours at the lab, but it was a job anyone with at least an iota of tenacity could have done. But nonetheless, I felt important. I felt that the world--or at least that one person who reads every last word in Atherosclerosis--could not deny my existence. But that was a year ago, long forgotten if ever even noted to begin with.

Well, today I stared at an article in the October 2008 issue of Radiology for quite a while. I couldn't believe that my name was yet again in print. This time, it did not hide beneath the word "Acknowledgments." No, my name was front and centre. Of course, by "centre" I do mean nested smack in the middle of the pack of authors, fourth of eight--definitely nowhere near first author position. But still, I had made it all the way from the parting thoughts of an article to the first page, taking claim for manuscript drafting/revision, manuscript final version approval, literature research, statistical analysis, and manuscript editing. It still all seems slightly surreal to me, knowing that my name will be printed on some paper and distributed to libraries all over the world or float across the screens of those who access it online. In reality, this shouldn't be that big of a deal: Who really cares about the clinical and economic impact of extracolonic findings from screening CT colonography? Even if it's but a few people, I'll still enjoy my fleeting moments in the sun, glowingly cast those unnecessary glances at my article, and brace for the rapid decline back into obscurity.