2026-07-072026-07-07http://salesiana.dossiersoluciones.com/handle/123456789/124086One of the postulates of quantum mechanics is that the Hamiltonian is Hermitian, as this guarantees that the eigenvalues are real. Recently there has been an interest in asking if $H^\dagger = H$ is a necessary condition, and has lead to the development of PT-symmetric quantum mechanics. This note shows that any finite physically acceptable non-Hermitian Hamiltonian is equivalent to doing ordinary quantum mechanics in a non-orthogonal basis. In particular, this means that there is no experimental distinction between PT-symmetric quantum mechanics and ordinary quantum mechanics for finite systems. In particular, the claim that PT-symmetric quantum mechanics allows for faster evolution than Hermitian quantum mechanics is shown to be a problem of physical interpretation.16 pages; references added, sign error fixedQuantum PhysicsHigh Energy Physics - TheoryIs PT-symmetric quantum mechanics just quantum mechanics in a non-orthogonal basis?text