Dumb questions or just dumb people with questions?

[FutureNavyDOc]

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I noticed a thread on the Allo board, so I thought we should have one of our own.

Please post the dumbest/funniest/weirdest/most irrelevant questions from your didactic years. Thanks!

Try to keep these anonymous as far as who asked them since I don't want anyone to get singled out. Obviously people present at the time of the question will know who asked it.

I'm not saying asking questions is a bad thing, but it's when the questions are so simple that everyone else in the lecture hall already knows it


Here are a few of my favorites from my 2 didactic years from a combination of lectures and labs including ACLS training:
1. "Does the ATP have to get out of the Mitochondria?"- Biochemistry 1st year
2. "How much longer is this lecture going to run? I really need to pee."- Physical Diagnosis Heart sound lab 2nd year
3. "Is colorectal cancer contagious?"- asked of the Dean of our school after the Colorectal cancer program
4. "Do I have enough time on our break to sneak down and have a cancer stick?" During ACLS training at a hospital.
5. "What if your patient/lab partner doesn't have a PSIS?" asked of me while TAing a 1st year OMM lab. My reply: "Check for a pulse."
6. "Is this going to be on the test?" asked in damn near every lecture in the past 2 years.

 

[Nate]

The other day our Pharm professor said he was alive when the dead sea was still sick. I thought that was pretty funny but not dumb 😛

I have to admit I think 95% of questions are dumb so.... yeah

 

[EM2BE]

While a lecture was being videotaped for some reason, the prof got a call (he was on call). When he finished looking at his pager and announced he was on call, he said "Now what was I talking about? Oh great, just what I needed...to be on the blooper part of the tape." --I thought it was quite comical.

A girl in a master's program was called on to draw the cell membrane. I heard first she drew something that looked like sperm. Then the prof helped her by drawing 2 tails, then telling her to draw more than one. Then he told her that she needed to draw it in a bilayer. She drew the bilayer with the heads on the inside and the tails facing out. I was laughing so hard when I heard about this one.

 

[double elle]

"Okay, people, there are no stupid questions....only stupid people." - Mr. Garrison, South Park.

 

[FutureDocDO]

You have to understand that there are people in medical school that weren't biology majors. I know they have to take the prereqs but it's not like they have those stuff drilled into their heads for four years in a row. I was a biolgoy major so I'm not speaking for myself 😀 . I have to admit sometimes it's funny but hey if it slows down the professors so our hands/fingers can rest from the writing and typing or to just catch on taking notes I'm not complaining.

 

[jrf331]

NAvy DOc don't forget the chick that emailed the Dean because see thought some one stole here anatomy book, but two days later she found it where she left it in lab. Classic

Or that student the raised her hand and asked our Kaplan instructor “Could you focus on the stuff that is high yields for the boards”
---duh what is Kaplan!!

The student who took it upon him self to tell the Kaplan anatomy review lecturer what areas of anatomy the entire class was deficient in and then the student didn't even come to the first 4 hours of review. We all thought it great that he knew what the entire class needed for anatomy

 

[DOtobe]

A girl in my med school class asked during one of our lectures:

"Isn't 500 mL the same as a half a liter?"

😕

 

[IgE]

Today was the worst. In histology, someone asked about barr bodies in males. After the prof explained that males only have one X chromosome, so no barr bodies, someone else asked how females weren't effected by X linked recessive genes if the X chromosome was always inactive. The prof had to explain that different X chromosomes were active in different cells. I know that everyone wasn't a bio major, but there are assigned readings for every class. Bottom line, don't ask questions if you didn't bother to prepare for class. I blame whoever said there is no such thing as a stupid question for wasting about 20 minutes of my life today. There were a few other stupid questions too, but I can't remember them all. Oh yeah. Someone asked if people with Turner's syndrome had two barr bodies. Hmm... Sorry, my rant for the day. 🙂

 

[Amy B]

A girl in my med school class asked during one of our lectures:

"Isn't 500 mL the same as a half a liter?"

😕

Is it???😕

 

[Daddydoc]

Today was the worst. In histology, someone asked about barr bodies in males. After the prof explained that males only have one X chromosome, so no barr bodies, someone else asked how females weren't effected by X linked recessive genes if the X chromosome was always inactive. The prof had to explain that different X chromosomes were active in different cells. I know that everyone wasn't a bio major, but there are assigned readings for every class. Bottom line, don't ask questions if you didn't bother to prepare for class. I blame whoever said there is no such thing as a stupid question for wasting about 20 minutes of my life today. There were a few other stupid questions too, but I can't remember them all. Oh yeah. Someone asked if people with Turner's syndrome had two barr bodies. Hmm... Sorry, my rant for the day. 🙂

Do you by any chance go to KCOM? Your summary of the lecture sounded pretty familiar.

 

[Dr JPH]

A stupid question is a question not asked.

Remember...these people who ask these types of questions will be on the floors with you as interns and residents. Your patients will be their patients.

Its always easier to help a fellow classmate learn something than it is to ridicule. Things change 3rd and 4th year. You begin to work with people in your class that you never really knew. Helping eachother out will prove far more useful than working against eachother.

Everyone says or does something stupid at one time or another...no one is immune.

 

[jrf331]

A stupid question is a question not asked.

Remember...these people who ask these types of questions will be on the floors with you as interns and residents. Your patients will be their patients.

Its always easier to help a fellow classmate learn something than it is to ridicule. Things change 3rd and 4th year. You begin to work with people in your class that you never really knew. Helping eachother out will prove far more useful than working against eachother.

Everyone says or does something stupid at one time or another...no one is immune.

Leave it up to some one to ruin a good thread. How in the hell is finding things funny or stupid working against your fellow classmates?

 

[DOtobe]

But JP, you'll have to admit that the question I contributed to this thread is pretty dumb...I think I learned basic knowledge of the metric system in elementary school!

 

[Nate]

While I agree with you that the questions should be asked, I do not agree that during a lecture is the time to do it. One should think to himself if the question is something that would benefit the whole class to be heard or is it for my own knowledge. When someone asks some irrelevant detail just because they are curious, or about a "friend", "family member", or "some guy" it just isn't in the benefit of the class. If the professor doesn't cover it because time runs out, it is just one more thing we have to read on our own on top of everything else, just because the time runs out doesn't make the information go away. I guess this is just a pet-peeve of mine. I feel no professor should take questions during lecture time. If the question is interesting for the entire class it can be brought up next class.

 

[Dr JPH]

Leave it up to some one to ruin a good thread. How in the hell is finding things funny or stupid working against your fellow classmates?

So if that same classmate asked a question to you while in the hospital, you would laugh at them rather than help them?

If you would laugh at them then I guess youre not much of a team player. Would be interesting to see you function as a resident with interns & students looking to you for guidance.

If you would help them, then why would you make fun of them when they werent around? Sounds like youre a coward and OK with talking about people behind their backs but wont tell them to their face how you feel.

Just a thought

 

[jrf331]

So if that same classmate asked a question to you while in the hospital, you would laugh at them rather than help them?

If you would laugh at them then I guess youre not much of a team player. Would be interesting to see you function as a resident with interns & students looking to you for guidance.

If you would help them, then why would you make fun of them when they werent around? Sounds like youre a coward and OK with talking about people behind their backs but wont tell them to their face how you feel.

Just a thought

So you, being perfect, have never thought a question is dumb. And have never talked about a dumb question with fellow classmates, or have never thought a comment is funny and laughed. finding humor in medicine seem a great way to relieve stress. Lert me know how you do it and then maybe I can be like God too.

 

[Dr JPH]

So you, being perfect, have never thought a question is dumb. And have never talked about a dumb question with fellow classmates, or have never thought a comment is funny and laughed. finding humor in medicine seem a great way to relieve stress. Lert me know how you do it and then maybe I can be like God too.

I never said I was perfect. But I do remember being a first year student sitting in class and often not having a clue as to what the profs were talking about. Sometimes the overwhelming amount of information can cloud even the clearest of judgement.

I am simply saying give your colleagues the benefit of the doubt and realize you are working towards the same goal...to provide the best care you can for your patients.

I have seen great residents belittled by attendings in front of the entire team and in front of patients. The trend doesnt break easily. Perhaps ending it now would be better for the people you will undoubtedly work with (and for) in the future.

 

[scpod]

I noticed a thread on the Allo board, so I thought we should have one of our own.

I don't understand. Are we somehow less of a profession if we don't have all the same threads as the allo boards. If the allo boards decided to jump off of a cliff, does that mean that we have to do the same thing?

 

[Dr JPH]

I don't understand. Are we somehow less of a profession if we don't have all the same threads as the allo boards. If the allo boards decided to jump off of a cliff, does that mean that we have to do the same thing?

Yes!

Didnt you get the memo?

🙂

 

[FutureNavyDOc]

I don't understand. Are we somehow less of a profession if we don't have all the same threads as the allo boards. If the allo boards decided to jump off of a cliff, does that mean that we have to do the same thing?

Yeah, right on. They jumped, please go join them.👍


Actually, I thought it was an interesting thread and since I know many people at DO schools only read the DO threads and that many questions/topics, i.e. OMM are pertinent to only DO students it would be worth posting over here.

If you don't like the thread, feel free not to read it and/or post on it again. Have a pleasant and apparently bitter life.😀

 

[scpod]

Have a pleasant and apparently bitter life.

There are ony two bitter things in my life: thick, dark, black coffee, and Guinness Draughft.

 

[FutureNavyDOc]

There are ony two bitter things in my life: thick, dark, black coffee, and Guinness Draughft.

Never tried the Guinness Draughft, what the f is the difference betweenthat and the Draught?


Thought of another stupid question I overheard during anatomy lab during the genitalia lab. A girl at a table near us asked a prof to please show here where the Labia minora were on her cadaver. The prof walked over to her cadaver, noticed his parts and promptly told the girl, "The labia minora are on the female cadaver on the table next to yours."

 

[Nate]

I wish I could play... but since I am not anonymous and many classmates lurk here I will refrain and just chuckle to myself.

 

[Junkster]

DO NOT get me started on dumb questions during lecture... I swear, I'm THIS close to throwing something across the room at them.

I was also tempted to send out a mass email...

Dear Class,

It's come to my attention that some of us are asking redudant questions, bordering on stupidity.
If you have an urge to ask a question, please ask the two people sitting next to you. If they cannot give you an answer, please sit next to some other people for the following lecture. They are probably idiots just like you.


kekeke... to be fair, I think some people are not going over their material or have had little exposure to certain areas of subjects.

 

[IgE]

Do you by any chance go to KCOM? Your summary of the lecture sounded pretty familiar.

Yep.

 

[IgE]

A stupid question is a question not asked.

Remember...these people who ask these types of questions will be on the floors with you as interns and residents. Your patients will be their patients.

Its always easier to help a fellow classmate learn something than it is to ridicule. Things change 3rd and 4th year. You begin to work with people in your class that you never really knew. Helping eachother out will prove far more useful than working against eachother.

Everyone says or does something stupid at one time or another...no one is immune.

I understand that some members of my class may not have taken many of the classes I had as a biology major, but I still feel that if they can't take the time to prepare for class, they shouldn't waste my time in class. There are assigned readings for each lecture, and many of their dumb questions can be answered by the text book. I've noticed that quite a few people in my class haven't even purchased the books. I'm sorry for expecting a higher caliber of students in medical school. I also understand that sometimes it is impossible to be completely prepared for class especially considering that quite a few of my classmates have families. But if someone isn't prepared, they should write down any questions they have in their notes to find the answer for themselves later. Not only does this save the rest of the class from suffering through dumb question and answer time, it also facilitates better learning for the individual. Anyway, I'm going to finish preparing for tomorrow's lecture. Later.

 

[Dr JPH]

I understand that some members of my class may not have taken many of the classes I had as a biology major, but I still feel that if they can't take the time to prepare for class, they shouldn't waste my time in class. There are assigned readings for each lecture, and many of their dumb questions can be answered by the text book. I've noticed that quite a few people in my class haven't even purchased the books. I'm sorry for expecting a higher caliber of students in medical school. I also understand that sometimes it is impossible to be completely prepared for class especially considering that quite a few of my classmates have families. But if someone isn't prepared, they should write down any questions they have in their notes to find the answer for themselves later. Not only does this save the rest of the class from suffering through dumb question and answer time, it also facilitates better learning for the individual. Anyway, I'm going to finish preparing for tomorrow's lecture. Later.

As a classmate it is not your job to "expect" anything from anyone. Regardless of prior education, work experience or other life event you are all in the same boat. There are people in my class who were PTs, Pharmacists, Lawyers, etc. It didnt matter. We were in it together.

I agree that most, if not all, questions can be held until the very end of lecture, but for you so say you "expect" a certain level of education or preparedness from your classmates is ridiculous.

I'm sorry that not everyone is as well educated as you are and have such a great handle on the concepts being taught. Perhaps you should skip ahead a few years where you will be with students who at a more acceptable level in your mind. The time will come when someone expects something of you and you drop the ball. When that does happen see what gets a better response...your intern rolling his/her eyes or helping you work through the problem.

Good luck on clinicals. I hope you do well, though I do not expect it.

 

[FutureNavyDOc]

Good luck on clinicals. I hope you do well, though I do not expect it.

Wow, that might have been a bit harsh.

 

[IgE]

As a classmate it is not your job to "expect" anything from anyone. Regardless of prior education, work experience or other life event you are all in the same boat. There are people in my class who were PTs, Pharmacists, Lawyers, etc. It didnt matter. We were in it together.

I agree that most, if not all, questions can be held until the very end of lecture, but for you so say you "expect" a certain level of education or preparedness from your classmates is ridiculous.

I'm sorry that not everyone is as well educated as you are and have such a great handle on the concepts being taught. Perhaps you should skip ahead a few years where you will be with students who at a more acceptable level in your mind. The time will come when someone expects something of you and you drop the ball. When that does happen see what gets a better response...your intern rolling his/her eyes or helping you work through the problem.

Good luck on clinicals. I hope you do well, though I do not expect it.

Wow. Did you miss the fact that I was talking about being prepared specifically for that day's lecture as in reading the assigned pages in the book? I didn't say anything about anyone not being "well educated." Before you start talking, maybe you should think about what you are saying. And maybe my classmates will do the same. One can only hope....

 

[double elle]

KCOM alum here...

While I think everyone should have the right ask questions....I found in my first 2 years it eventually evolved into the SAME 1-2 people raising their hands and asking the dumbest frickin questions imaginable. You'd see that hand go up and the entire class would groan! However, this didn't happen until after first year was well under-way, because most of us realized the importance of simply getting THROUGH the material that we were going to be responsible for. It was always the same people asking questions because they 1)simply didn't prepare for class or 2)already knew the answer, just wanted to ask a question to illustrate to the class how smart they were. Those who fit into #2....they are the ones who STILL ask questions during conferences, and daily lectures in further attempt to solidify their intelligence to the rest of us. 🙄 It becomes exhausting. I also find it entertaining that EVERYONE but those types of people see right thru that behavior. Getting back to the classroom days...we all simply came to expect the token **** question (insert name!) with every single lecture. Class wasn't over until she'd asked at least one question. And, on rare occasion that it didn't happen, we'd all sit in our seats after the time was up and just look at her....like she had to give the "okay, class is really over because I'm not going to ask a last minute question and make us all get out of her late again" nod.

I can look fondly upon this now....made me mad as hell back then.

 

[It'sElectric]

As a classmate it is not your job to "expect" anything from anyone. Regardless of prior education, work experience or other life event you are all in the same boat. There are people in my class who were PTs, Pharmacists, Lawyers, etc. It didnt matter. We were in it together.

I agree that most, if not all, questions can be held until the very end of lecture, but for you so say you "expect" a certain level of education or preparedness from your classmates is ridiculous.

I'm sorry that not everyone is as well educated as you are and have such a great handle on the concepts being taught. Perhaps you should skip ahead a few years where you will be with students who at a more acceptable level in your mind. The time will come when someone expects something of you and you drop the ball. When that does happen see what gets a better response...your intern rolling his/her eyes or helping you work through the problem.

Good luck on clinicals. I hope you do well, though I do not expect it.

I think you're taking this all WAY too personal. He never even mentioned the word education. The center critique was individual's level of preparedness, and I agree. If you're not going to prepare before class (which I certainly don't do every single class), then don't treat the lecture hall as your time to get everything straightened out. Take some notes in the margins and check them out AFTER class. If you're still unable to grasp whatever concept is difficult, then feel free to shoot the prof an email.

There defintiely are some valid questions that arise during lecture (meaning a majority of your peers are just as confused), but they oh so rarely come from someone who is completely out of the loop as a result of little to no preparation. I'm happy to admit that during some classes that I haven't prepared for, I've found myself slightly confused. However, I knew that if I simply took the time to review the material more thoroughly AFTER class, I would likely be able to answer most all of my own questions.

The lecture hall is rarely a time to ask questions, unless prompted to by the lecturer.

 

[hossofadoc]

These were two statements in notes from one prof. at my school...I thought they were pretty funny.

1. 100% of H. Pylori infections are caused by H. Pylori.

2. Sudden death is the most common form of death.