Medscape: A 36-Year-Old Woman in Undetermined Pain: Osmosis USMLE Study Question of the Week

Just saw this on twitter and must say I agree..


Here is link to the test on Medscape:
A 36-Year-Old Woman in Undetermined Pain: Osmosis USMLE Study Question of the Week

It has gotten some comments and criticism.

 

Can't think of much to say to that other than it is very, very, very depressing. The only thing that surprises me is that someone thought this appalling "diagnosis" / situation should be made public.

@Jonathan Edwards Would this be acceptable in the UK?

 

It clearly illustrates that students are taught a logical fallacy: "If the problem cannot be identified, it means that it's some variant of psychogenic illness."

This is the polite version of what I wanted to say. The original version included the term mass delusion.

 

I've listened to medical professionals too. Had no idea it was pathological behaviour

 

A couple of replies to the original tweeter that struck a chord.

 

And on the note of one of the other answer alternatives, here was a piece of interesting history:

 

I am hugely disappointed in how few comments there are (on Medscape) to this "study question". Just 7 comments at time of writing. And one of those is "Excelent (sic)". Another one refers to "it's just pain". And yet another "It's just a woman trying to get help for a condition that's unlikely to be found in an ER setting." Not important, naturally. Nothing to see here. Move along.

 

@Arnie Pye maybe they meant "It's just pain" as in: "For heaven's sake it's just pain! Get this indulgent Munchausen diagnosis melodrama out of here!"
___________

I'm sure it's been said before, but what bugs me about this stuff is that it is conspiracy theory thinking. Listening attentively is suspect. Knowledge of treatments is suspect. Not seeking worker's compensation? ALL PART OF THE RUSE (I guess?)!
But...
Not listening? Very suspect! No knowledge of treatments? Also part of the ruse! Seeking benefits? GAAAAAAH!

So once they can't explain your symptoms, everything about you and everything you do is used as evidence to convict you of some psychological problem... and would be even if it were the opposite!

 

They seem to have received the message

 

Yes, the organisation who published the question has now retracted it and apologised, which is very good of them. But one wonders how something that blatantly bad made it past their content reviewers in the first place!

 

And on Medscape:
Editor's Note: Osmosis has removed this content from their database and requested it be retired on Medscape as of July 26, 2018. For more Osmosis USMLE Study Questions, read here.

It is great that this was addressed so quickly!

 

Better not, with that background. (It's meant as a half-joke.)

 

Stylist has an article about this:
Twitter unleashes fury over medical exam question - and for good reason

..we can only hope that this story will help to highlight this issue further and bring about a much-needed reformation of the healthcare system.

 

Thread merged

https://www.stylist.co.uk/life/meds...sis-fibroids-diagnosis-serena-williams/219755

 

This is why there are far too many doctors unwilling to go the distance to find an actual correct diagnosis.