"Donut of truth" is an often-heard metaphor for a CT scanner: “We didn’t know what was going on so we sent the patient to the donut of truth for the answer.” 

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I don’t know where the term originated, but it isn’t hard to imagine how it came about. Modern CT gantries look an awful lot like big donuts and the “truth” portion of the metaphor describes the unfortunate practice of diagnostic testing supplanting clinical thought.

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The “donut of truth” metaphor represents a way of practicing medicine that inspires me to teach physicians to do better. The goal for me and my learners is patient-centered, evidence-based, well-reasoned medical care. 

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Often, the search for definitive diagnosis distracts from asking the right questions to provide the best care for our patients. Even if diagnosis is our goal, we must remember that “truth” is a term best left for philosophy and mathematics—medicine rarely deals in certainties. Testing always requires interpretation and critical thought to be useful. 

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My goal is to equip learners with the skills to ask the right questions and to interpret answers in the context of each patient presentation. The “donut of truth” reminds me never to ensure my learners understand the complexities and nuances necessary to excellent medical care.