Spinal segments!!

[Kris1]

So here is the situation. I recently finished my first anatomy exam and I missed a few things that I feel I should have received credit for. Specifically dealing with the 21 spinal segments that we have in our vertebral column. Our lecturer's definiton of a spinal segment is that part of the spinal cord that corresponds to one pair of spinal nerves. He asked us to "name the spinal segment" on a tagged cadaver. However, we never covered how one would name a spinal segment. I can name vertebrae (i.e. lumbar vertebra 4=LV4) and I can name nerves (i.e. cervical nerve 5= C5), but when asked to name a spinal segment I put CV4-CV5. According to our lecturer, that was wrong. The answer was C5. But isn't that a spinal nerve? And how does one make the distinction? What is the right way to name a spinal segment? What can I use as a resource to argue this and get some points back?

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[MeowMix]

I do not know the answer to your question (actually, I didn't even read your whole post), but I can tell you that if you take this approach throughout med school, you will be stressed and unhappy. Let it go. It's not really important. Over the next 2 years, you will have multiple chances to get upset at lecturers who write bad exam questions with wrong answers. Your life will be a lot better for relaxing and forgetting about it, than if you argue for those extra points. And your fellow students will probably like you better too.

If you want to figure out the right answer for your own benefit, that's a good thing to do.

 

[Cold Penguin]

I do not know the answer to your question (actually, I didn't even read your whole post), but I can tell you that if you take this approach throughout med school, you will be stressed and unhappy. Let it go. It's not really important. Over the next 2 years, you will have multiple chances to get upset at lecturers who write bad exam questions with wrong answers. Your life will be a lot better for relaxing and forgetting about it, than if you argue for those extra points. And your fellow students will probably like you better too.

If you want to figure out the right answer for your own benefit, that's a good thing to do.

I agree. How many bad exams have I had in the past? Numerous. The more you spend time thinking about it, the more anger towards the lecturer (or the exam) will be built inside you. Lecturers are human with feelings, and it will be impossible for them to stay fair and objective for anything that will happen around you in class (i.e. future exam grading, LOR, any little references within the department, etc). Furthermore, if what you experienced was not fair, it goes the same for other students in class.

Just let it go and try to do better the next time. Unfortunately, the world is not perfect.

CP

 

[Kris1]

I agree. How many bad exams have I had in the past? Numerous. The more you spend time thinking about it, the more anger towards the lecturer (or the exam) will be built inside you. Lecturers are human with feelings, and it will be impossible for them to stay fair and objective for anything that will happen around you in class (i.e. future exam grading, LOR, any little references within the department, etc). Furthermore, if what you experienced was not fair, it goes the same for other students in class.

Just let it go and try to do better the next time. Unfortunately, the world is not perfect.

CP

Great advice from both of you. I suppose I'm just holding on because our prof challenges us to argue these points for the sake of learning how. He wants us to type these up formally and I would like a source for reference.

 

[nosugrefneb]

With the exception of the cervical region, spinal segments are named according to the vertebrae above them. The segment between L2-L3 is L2, between T11-T12 is T11. The cervical region has a segment above C1, though, so despite having 7 vertebrae, it has 8 segements and works the opposite way: The spinal segments are named according to the vertebra below them (and then C8 is tacked on to the end). So, the segment between occiput-C1 is C1, between C4-C5 is C5, between C6-C7 is C7, between C7-T1 is C8.

Nothing wrong with clarifying something you don't understand after the fact for the sake of understanding it. Don't worry about the points though.

 

[OrnotMajestic]

So here is the situation. I recently finished my first anatomy exam and I missed a few things that I feel I should have received credit for. Specifically dealing with the 21 spinal segments that we have in our vertebral column. Our lecturer's definiton of a spinal segment is that part of the spinal cord that corresponds to one pair of spinal nerves. He asked us to "name the spinal segment" on a tagged cadaver. However, we never covered how one would name a spinal segment. I can name vertebrae (i.e. lumbar vertebra 4=LV4) and I can name nerves (i.e. cervical nerve 5= C5), but when asked to name a spinal segment I put CV4-CV5. According to our lecturer, that was wrong. The answer was C5. But isn't that a spinal nerve? And how does one make the distinction? What is the right way to name a spinal segment? What can I use as a resource to argue this and get some points back?

Well Kris, the lecturer is actually correct. The spinal segment is indeed C5, if I'm catching what you are saying. What specifically was tagged? Yes, it's picky as hell and it sucks....but this is how they get a "bell curve" on tests in med school. The attention to nauseating detail is what shoves you past the pack. If you take the supposed top 10% of undergrad and put them in med school...they want there to be a bell curve adjustment. What does that mean? It means knowing pointless details.

 

[Kris1]

Well Kris, the lecturer is actually correct. The spinal segment is indeed C5, if I'm catching what you are saying. What specifically was tagged? Yes, it's picky as hell and it sucks....but this is how they get a "bell curve" on tests in med school. The attention to nauseating detail is what shoves you past the pack. If you take the supposed top 10% of undergrad and put them in med school...they want there to be a bell curve adjustment. What does that mean? It means knowing pointless details.

I stand corrected. Thanks!

 

[Cold Penguin]

I stand corrected. Thanks!

Regardless, it is perfectly fine to vent here on SDN. Good luck!

 

[Nerdoscience]

I think the people on SDN are trying to be supportive and give good advice, but can sometimes come across as being condescending and belittling. I don't think that is the intention. I do agree that worrying about each little point will eventually drive you crazy; I know from experience.

I never really cared about those little points until one Pharm exam where I knew I answered the question correctly, but got points taken off for not answering something that wasn't asked in the question. I took this all the way to the course director after the professor disagreed with me and accused me of being overly antagonistic with the faculty. Talk about a self-fulfilling prophecy. I was furious.

In retrospect, I still think she was not only wrong, but incredibly rude to me as well. But does it really matter? No. I'm just glad she's a PhD, and doesn't have patient contact. You're going to come across times when you are wrong but you think you are right. There will be times you know you're right, but you're treated like you're wrong. These times will be more numerous than you can count. They will be frustrating, but you need to put them in perspective, vent when you need to, and, if it helps, find out the real answer for your own knowledge and satisfaction.

 

[Law2Doc]

I never really cared about those little points until one Pharm exam where I knew I answered the question correctly, but got points taken off for not answering something that wasn't asked in the question. I took this all the way to the course director after the professor disagreed with me and accused me of being overly antagonistic with the faculty. Talk about a self-fulfilling prophecy. I was furious.

Everyone has been frustrated by this kind of situation but usually realizes the potential of damaging one's own reputation by not just letting this kind of thing go after just talking to the immediate professor. It's a very political world out there and even if you are 100% right, no one likes someone who will go over someone else's head for just a few points. Med schools are small and gossippy, even amongst the professors/deans and it's a big risk to be known for this kind of point-grubbing. And grades in the basic science years just don't matter enough to destroy your rep over. Pick your battles.

 

[Nerdoscience]

After our meeting it no longer had anything to do with the points, but rather the way she addressed me. But really, my point was that it doesn't really matter. That's exactly what I was saying. What kind of person she is does not affect my medical education in any significant way. But I do admit it feels good knowing that she'll have to deal with the consequences of being a *****(self-censored) for the rest of her life.