Pamela: Physicians training for a medical specialty serve as resident

Question

Pamela:  Physicians training for a medical specialty serve as resident staff physicians in hospitals.They work such long hours—up to 36 consecutive hours—that fatigue impairs their ability to make the best medical decisions during the final portion of their shifts.

Quincy:  Thousands of physicians now practicing have been trained according to the same regimen, and records show they generally made good medical decisions during their training periods. Why should what has worked in the past be changed now?

Which one of the following, if true, is the most effective counter Pamela might make to Quincy’s argument?

(A) The basic responsibilities of resident staff physicians in hospitals have not changed substantially over the past few decades.

(B) Because medical reimbursement policies now pay for less recuperation time in hospitals, patients in hospitals are, on the average, more seriously ill during their stays than in the past.

(C) It is important that emergency-room patients receive continuity of physician care, insofar as possible, over the critical period after admission, generally 24 hours.

(D) The load of work on resident physicians-in-training varies according to the medical specialty for which each is being trained.

(E) The training of physicians should include observation and recognition of the signs indicating a hospitalized patient’s progress or decline over a period of at least 36 hours.

garcmillan · Accepted Answer

Let's simplify what Pamela and Quincy say:

Pamela: Trainers work long hours -> Not best decissions at the end of shift
Quincy: They make good decisions -> why change?

Since there is proof that now trainers are making good decisions, we need to find that something changed to show Quincy that if we maintain the same working hours then they will start taking bad decisions:

(A) The basic responsibilities of resident staff physicians in hospitals have not changed substantially over the past few decades.

If responsabilities haven't changed then we would be supporting Quincy's argument, as everything continues to be the same so trainers would still be taking good decisions.  Incorrect

(B) Because medical reimbursement policies now pay for less recuperation time in hospitals, patients in hospitals are, on the average, more seriously ill during their stays than in the past.

Since patients are now more ill than in the past, then there has been a change. But how does this change affect the argument. Well, if people alre more seriously injured now, then trainers could start taking worse decisions than before as cases are more difficult to deal with. I like this one.  Keep it down for now

(C) It is important that emergency-room patients receive continuity of physician care, insofar as possible, over the critical period after admission, generally 24 hours.

emergency-room patients? This is not related to the argument nor to the fact that trainers can take worse decisions now.  Incorrect

(D) The load of work on resident physicians-in-training varies according to the medical specialty for which each is being trained.

Ok, workload varies. But this doesn't indicate a change. It varies now and in the past. So if trainers continue to take good decisions, they will also continue after this statement.  Incorrect

(E) The training of physicians should include observation and recognition of the signs indicating a hospitalized patient’s progress or decline over a period of at least 36 hours.

It's good you tell me what the training consists of, but I want to know why now it's not good trainers work that long hour.  Incorrect

OPTION B

Skywalker18 · Answer

Pamela:  Physicians training for a medical specialty serve as resident staff physicians in hospitals.They work such long hours—up to 36 consecutive hours—that fatigue impairs their ability to make the best medical decisions during the final portion of their shifts.

Quincy:  Thousands of physicians now practicing have been trained according to the same regimen, and records show they generally made good medical decisions during their training periods. Why should what has worked in the past be changed now?

Which one of the following, if true, is the most effective counter Pamela might make to Quincy’s argument?

(A) The basic responsibilities of resident staff physicians in hospitals have not changed substantially over the past few decades.- incorrect, the is opposite of what we need

(B) Because medical reimbursement policies now pay for less recuperation time in hospitals, patients in hospitals are, on the average, more seriously ill during their stays than in the past.- Correct, something that was true in the past is no longer applicable. The circumstances faced by today's doctors are more challenging than those faced by ones in the past

(C) It is important that emergency-room patients receive continuity of physician care, insofar as possible, over the critical period after admission, generally 24 hours.- supports Quincy's argument, as you would want the same physician to be working their shift during those first 24 hours to maintain continuity

(D) The load of work on resident physicians-in-training varies according to the medical specialty for which each is being trained.- irrelevant- this is something that has not changed

(E) The training of physicians should include observation and recognition of the signs indicating a hospitalized patient’s progress or decline over a period of at least 36 hours.- irrelevant

Answer B

unraveled · Answer

Pamela:  Physicians training for a medical specialty serve as resident staff physicians in hospitals.They work such long hours—up to 36 consecutive hours—that fatigue impairs their ability to make the best medical decisions during the final portion of their shifts.

Quincy:  Thousands of physicians now practicing have been trained according to the same regimen, and records show they generally made good medical decisions during their training periods. Why should what has worked in the past be changed now?

Which one of the following, if true, is the most effective counter Pamela might make to Quincy’s argument?

(A) The  basic responsibilities of resident staff  physicians in hospitals  have not changed substantially  over the past few decades. - WRONG. Goes against Pamela instead.

(B) Because medical reimbursement policies now  pay for less recuperation time in hospitals ,  patients  in hospitals are,  on the average ,  more   seriously ill during their stays than  in the past. - CORRECT. A reason to think over for why Quincy's argument may stand to lose value.

(C) It is important that emergency-room patients  receive continuity of physician care , insofar as possible, over the critical period after admission, generally 24 hours. - WRONG. Its a nice suggesttion to make but does not counters Quincy's argument.

(D) The  load of work on resident physicians-in-training varies according to the medical specialty  for which each is being trained. - WRONG. Still Quincy's argument remains as it is. Offers no counter like C.

(E) The training of physicians  should include observation and recognition  of the signs indicating a hospitalized patient’s progress or decline over a period of at least 36 hours. - WRONG. Like C only. Seems more inclined towards Quincy's argument instead of counter it.

Answer B.

VerbalBot · Answer

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Pamela: Physicians training for a medical specialty serve as resident

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