The dumbest question ever asked on an exam thread

[han14tra]

---

Members don't see this ad.

During a practical in which you have less than a minute to answer, they asked, "How many muscles attach to the coracoid process of the scapula?"

We were suppose to be tested on the thorax. Upper arm was the last exam. I was frantically trying to go through about 100 muscles that we've learned in the back, arm, and forearm. Luckily, I said 3, which I think is right.

Pec minor, coracobrachialis, and short head of the biceps. Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[MilkmanAl]

How is that an unreasonable practical question? You have the muscles sitting right there in front of you. I had questions like that all the time on my written exams. Origin/insertion questions are the devil for many reasons, but if you have a cadaver in front of you, they're not nearly as bad.

That material may have been on the last exam, but they're not teaching you things so you can immediately forget them...unless you're in biochem or cell bio.

 

[Jolie South]

yea, I don't think that's a dumb question, either. I think it's actually a fairly easy one for an exam over old material. We always had a cumulative component to anatomy practicals.

 

[synapse lapse]

Agree, that is FAR from the dumbest question asked on an exam.

 

[WellWornLad]

If that's the kind of question that bugs you, you've got a long, long 2 years ahead of you.

 

[engineeredout]

Dumbest exam questions seem to come from OPP, that kind of question seems, well, normal.

 

[han14tra]

How is that an unreasonable practical question? You have the muscles sitting right there in front of you. I had questions like that all the time on my written exams. Origin/insertion questions are the devil for many reasons, but if you have a cadaver in front of you, they're not nearly as bad.

That material may have been on the last exam, but they're not teaching you things so you can immediately forget them...unless you're in biochem or cell bio.

There was no cadaver in front of me. There was a plastic scapula sitting there with a region painted. You had to identify the area as the coracoid process and then figure out the attachments.

 

[Jolie South]

There was no cadaver in front of me. There was a plastic scapula sitting there with a region painted. You had to identify the area as the coracoid process and then figure out the attachments.

Doesn't change anything. It's still a standard question.

 

[smq123]

There was no cadaver in front of me. There was a plastic scapula sitting there with a region painted. You had to identify the area as the coracoid process and then figure out the attachments.

The question is still pretty par for the course. <shrug>

 

[Depakote]

Welcome to the world where you're actually accountable for the material you learned previously. You don't get to forget about the shoulder just because the patient presents with an injury to the thorax.

 

[MedMan25]

During a practical in which you have less than a minute to answer, they asked, "How many muscles attach to the coracoid process of the scapula?"

We were suppose to be tested on the thorax. Upper arm was the last exam. I was frantically trying to go through about 100 muscles that we've learned in the back, arm, and forearm. Luckily, I said 3, which I think is right.

Pec minor, coracobrachialis, and short head of the biceps. Correct me if I'm wrong.

I agree with what has been previously said. Maybe, the question could have been worded to be a little more clinically-oriented like "a patient in an auto accident presents with a crushed coracoid process, which muscles will be affected" - we had questions like that all the time in anatomy. You'd still need to know which muscles were attached to the coracoid process, the question was just more practical. Anyway, get used to questions like that in anatomy, you'll see plenty more I'm sure.

 

[rock_climber]

i agree with above, that is not really a dumb question.

We had weekly pharm quizzes second year and on one micro quiz we were asked which OB was the first to routinely wash his hands prior to delivery (semmelweis was the answer)

 

[turkeyjerky]

i agree with above, that is not really a dumb question.

We had weekly pharm quizzes second year and on one micro quiz we were asked which OB was the first to routinely wash his hands prior to delivery (semmelweis was the answer)

Now that is a dumb question!

 

[FlowLimited]

i agree with above, that is not really a dumb question.

We had weekly pharm quizzes second year and on one micro quiz we were asked which OB was the first to routinely wash his hands prior to delivery (semmelweis was the answer)

Man, I would have been all over that question. I can't tell you how many lecturers brought that up over and over and over again.

 

[Jolie South]

i agree with above, that is not really a dumb question.

We had weekly pharm quizzes second year and on one micro quiz we were asked which OB was the first to routinely wash his hands prior to delivery (semmelweis was the answer)

We got something very similar about Semmelweiss on our ID final. A lot of people complained about that one.

 

[Blesbok]

I don't see why that is such a big deal. They didn't even ask you to name the muscles, they just wanted to know how many there were.

I have a better one, how many muscles are attached to the scapula and name them.

 

[han14tra]

I don't see why that is such a big deal. They didn't even ask you to name the muscles, they just wanted to know how many there were.

I have a better one, how many muscles are attached to the scapula and name them.

Supraspinatus, infraspinatus, subscapularis, long head of the triceps, biceps brachii, pectoralis minor, teres major, teres minor. Did I miss any?

I guess I didn't like the question because they usually give us clinically relevant questions and this wasn't one of them. I'd prefer a question about an injury to the rotator cuff rather than a "How many attachments" question.

 

[SouthernSurgeon]

Supraspinatus, infraspinatus, subscapularis, long head of the triceps, biceps brachii, pectoralis minor, teres major, teres minor. Did I miss any?

You missed 10...

 

[Bacchus]

There was no cadaver in front of me. There was a plastic scapula sitting there with a region painted. You had to identify the area as the coracoid process and then figure out the attachments.

I think I failed my first anatomy exam and I can tell you, coracobrachialis, short head of the biceps, and the pec minor.

 

[Bacchus]

You missed 10...

...including the superficial back muscles along with some intrinsics.

 

[ratbandit]

My boyfriend is auditing an undergrad anatomy class and this is an actual question from his exam:

Q: The whole/entire region between the hip and foot is referred to as the ______?

1. leg
2. lower limb
3. arm
4. upper limb

 

[Jolie South]

My boyfriend is auditing an undergrad anatomy class and this is an actual question from his exam:

Q: The whole/entire region between the hip and foot is referred to as the ______?

1. leg
2. lower limb
3. arm
4. upper limb

This is awesome.

 

[han14tra]

I think I failed my first anatomy exam and I can tell you, coracobrachialis, short head of the biceps, and the pec minor.

Keep your head up. I'm sure you didn't fail. And, even if you did, our profs said you basically relearn everything in the 3rd and 4th years anyway so the first 2 years have little influence on how good of doctor you'll be.

 

[Jolie South]

Keep your head up. I'm sure you didn't fail. And, even if you did, our profs said you basically relearn everything in the 3rd and 4th years anyway so the first 2 years have little influence on how good of doctor you'll be.

You can't get to 3rd and 4th year if you don't pass now.

 

[han14tra]

Just out of curiosity, are students at other med schools also learning how to read MRIs, CTs, ultrasounds, etc during anatomy? And, are you already interacting with standardized patients? I know a prospective student, and I was going to tell them that this is unique about my school but I don't really know if it is or not.

 

[Bacchus]

Just out of curiosity, are students at other med schools also learning how to read MRIs, CTs, ultrasounds, etc during anatomy? And, are you already interacting with standardized patients? I know a prospective student, and I was going to tell them that this is unique about my school but I don't really know if it is or not.

There was a good deal of radiology on our last exam (7 questions of 75). I have my first SP encounter on the 15th of September. We usually have one to two radiology lectures a week to correlate with anatomy lab and the region we're dissecting.

 

[Jolie South]

Just out of curiosity, are students at other med schools also learning how to read MRIs, CTs, ultrasounds, etc during anatomy? And, are you already interacting with standardized patients? I know a prospective student, and I was going to tell them that this is unique about my school but I don't really know if it is or not.

I don't think interacting with patients (real or standardized) or looking at imaging during anatomy are unique to your school.

 

[Isoprop]

Supraspinatus, infraspinatus, subscapularis, long head of the triceps, biceps brachii, pectoralis minor, teres major, teres minor. Did I miss any?

I guess I didn't like the question because they usually give us clinically relevant questions and this wasn't one of them. I'd prefer a question about an injury to the rotator cuff rather than a "How many attachments" question.

So you would have preferred it better if the question started with "A patient fractured her coracoid process..."

 

[smq123]

I guess I didn't like the question because they usually give us clinically relevant questions and this wasn't one of them. I'd prefer a question about an injury to the rotator cuff rather than a "How many attachments" question.

a) About 40% of the questions on Step 1 aren't "clinically relevant." In the entire course of MS3 and MS4, I've never needed to know which bacteria grew on chocolate agar vs. MacConkey agar. But there were a LOT of those questions on Step 1. What should I have done, complained to the NBME?

b) I got asked a VERY similar question while being pimped during surgery. Surgeons, radiologists, and pathologists, if they pimp, will often pimp straight anatomy questions - where does this attach? What vessel does this come off of? Where's the bifurcation point?

Not everything in life needs to come couched in a clinical vignette to be "clinically relevant."

I'm sorry the question threw you for a loop, but it's going to happen over and over and over again during your med school career.

 

[Dwindlin]

Just out of curiosity, are students at other med schools also learning how to read MRIs, CTs, ultrasounds, etc during anatomy? And, are you already interacting with standardized patients? I know a prospective student, and I was going to tell them that this is unique about my school but I don't really know if it is or not.

Nope, this is not unique to your school. We have had to interview standardized patients, and have imaging lectures that accompany each block.

 

[45408]

Just out of curiosity, are students at other med schools also learning how to read MRIs, CTs, ultrasounds, etc during anatomy? And, are you already interacting with standardized patients? I know a prospective student, and I was going to tell them that this is unique about my school but I don't really know if it is or not.

Well, they'll show you CTs and such, but you won't be able to read them very well until M3/M4. I still can't read an ultrasound.

 

[Janovec]

...our profs said you basically relearn everything in the 3rd and 4th years anyway so the first 2 years have little influence on how good of doctor you'll be.

I can't tell you how many times they told me this in medical school. It's not true. If you didn't learn it in pre-clin then you probably won't. You just get to 3rd/4th year and learn to function without it.

 

[aggie08]

I don't remember the exact question, but it boiled down to HOX gene and what organism it was discovered in.

Fly was the answer.

Relevant.

 

[MedMan25]

Just out of curiosity, are students at other med schools also learning how to read MRIs, CTs, ultrasounds, etc during anatomy? And, are you already interacting with standardized patients? I know a prospective student, and I was going to tell them that this is unique about my school but I don't really know if it is or not.

It's not unique to your school. Our school does the same. I think any decent school in the US has SP interaction, teaches you how to read CTs, MRIs, etc.

 

[phospho]

I don't think interacting with patients (real or standardized) or looking at imaging during anatomy are unique to your school.

very true...

15% of our practical was radiology... e.g. identifying which carpal bone is fractured, naming the muscles that insert onto the circled location on the xray, being able to tell the Annulus fibrosus from a nucleus pulposus on an mri, etc...

 

[Depakote]

CT reading for anatomy questions is fair game on Step I. It's good that they're getting you started now.

 

[phospho]

CT reading for anatomy questions is fair game on Step I. It's good that they're getting you started now.

I absolutely hate radiology images, and find their related questions much harder than the regular questions. I still find it so hard to tell things apart. I'm glad to hear that... at least something good is going to come out of them...

 

[Blesbok]

Supraspinatus, infraspinatus, subscapularis, long head of the triceps, biceps brachii, pectoralis minor, teres major, teres minor. Did I miss any?

I guess I didn't like the question because they usually give us clinically relevant questions and this wasn't one of them. I'd prefer a question about an injury to the rotator cuff rather than a "How many attachments" question.

You missed 10 of them

 

[Climberak]

Supraspinatus, infraspinatus, subscapularis, long head of the triceps, biceps brachii, pectoralis minor, teres major, teres minor. Did I miss any?

Hmmm... I'm counting 8 that he missed

Trap., Coracobrachialis, Levator Scap., Rhomboid Maj., Rhomboid Min., Serratus Anterior, Latissimus Dorsi, Deltoid.

What are the other 2?

You missed 10...

 

[phospho]

Hmmm... I'm counting 8 that he missed

Trap., Coracobrachialis, Levator Scap., Rhomboid Maj., Rhomboid Min., Serratus Anterior, Latissimus Dorsi, Deltoid.

What are the other 2?

I can only think of the omohyoid...

 

[SouthernSurgeon]

Hmmm... I'm counting 8 that he missed

Trap., Coracobrachialis, Levator Scap., Rhomboid Maj., Rhomboid Min., Serratus Anterior, Latissimus Dorsi, Deltoid.

What are the other 2?

I don't remember...I just know there are 18. Check wiki.

 

[phospho]

I don't remember...I just know there are 18. Check wiki.

lol! okay, I think I know what you're talking about... you're counting the biceps twice... once for the long head and once for the short head.... that does make sense though...

I just had my practical a few days ago 😀

 

[Climberak]

Sigh, it's a Saturday night on Labor Day weekend and we're discussing all of the muscles that attatch to the scapula....


...Yeah, I forgot about that omohyoid 😉

 

[ChiDO]

Here you go guys. 😀

1 = Long head of biceps brachii- attaches to the supraglenoid tubercle of the glenoid fossa
2 = Trapezius &#8211; superior region of scapular spine
3 = Deltoid &#8211; lateral region of scapular spine
4 = Long head of triceps brachii &#8211; infragelnoid tubercle of the glenoid fossa
5 = Teres Minor &#8211; Superior lateral border of scapula
6 = Teres Major- Inferior lateral border of scapula
7 = Latissimus Dorsi &#8211; Inferior angle of the scapula
8 = Rhomboid Major &#8211; Inferior medial border of the scapula
9 = Infraspinatous &#8211; Infraspinous fossa
10 = Rhomboid Minor &#8211; Superior medial border of scapula
11 = Levator Scapulae &#8211; Superior angle of scapula
12 = Supraspinatous &#8211; supraspinous fossa
13 = Omohyoid
14 = Serratus Anterior &#8211; Medial border and inferior angle of the scapula
15 = Subscapularis &#8211; subscapular fossa
16 = Pectoralis Minor &#8211; Inferior section of coracoid process
.17/18 = Short head of biceps brachii and coracobrachialis &#8211; lateral border of coracoids process.

 

[Climberak]

Pft... overachiever... 🙄

 

[MilkmanAl]

Only on SDN.

 

[ChiDO]

Only on SDN.

A 4th year from my school told me that he had to draw the scapula and name all the muscles attached during his ortho rotation while scrubed into a case.

I was also told to be prepared for any type of anatomy question during residency interviews..one guy had to draw the brachial plexus! 😱

 

[MilkmanAl]

Did he then have to post his answers on SDN for public scrutiny?

 

[XRanger]

latissimus dorsi is attached to scapula?

 

[PSUtoMD]

latissimus dorsi is attached to scapula?

Only slightly . . . only slightly.





[it usually has a few fibers that attach to the inferior angle]