How Doctors Think, Chapter 1: Flesh-and-Blood Decision Making

Before You Read: Vocabulary 1) Take a look at this list of vocabulary from this chapter. How familiar are you with these words or phrases?
I know this word well and use it. internship dire ballast angina anemia relevant acute hypothesis linear irony coalesce heuristics cognition anxiety alleviate I have an idea of the meaning. Ive seen it, but dont know it. Ive never seen it.

1) Compare your answers with your partner, and try to explain the definition if you know a word but your partner doesnt. 2) Can you think of a synonym for any of these words? Write it next to the word. Compare your synonyms with a partner. 3) Choose five words to practice. Look up the definition and write a sentence connecting the word to you or someone that you know.

Before You Read: Prediction Guide Talk about each of these statements with a partner. Do you think it is true or false? Dont look at the book yet. ____________1. The diagnosis of a patient in a real-life situation usually follows a linear model of thinking and acting. ____________2. The effects a doctors inner feelings have on his/her thinking are researched extensively and discussed in medical schools often.

These statements are related to the content of chapter 1. Make a prediction of what chapter 1 will be about:

While You Read: The following questions and activities have been created as a study guide for you to use while you read. They are in order with the chapter, and you should read each question/activity before you continue reading to help you understand what you should be looking for. Take the time to write your answers in your notebook. The page numbers where the answers can be found are located at the end of the question. 1. Just like you, the author was at one time a student. Find examples of the study strategies he used throughout his time in medical school. Then discuss whether you have ever used these strategies before. (27-28) 2. What can you tell about the state of health care and a persons socioeconomic status? (28-29) 3. In your own words, what is Groopmans point in William Morgans story? (31-33) 4. What is a paper case? What would be the opposite of a paper case? (33)

5. What is the irony behind linear analysis and reasoning when it comes to doctors thinking in real-life situations? (34) 6. Paraphrase (put into your own words) the following quote from page 34: flesh-and-blood decision making pivots on what is called pattern recognition. The key cues to a patients problem whether from the medical history, physical examination, x-ray studies, or laboratory tests coalesce into a pattern that the physician identifies as a specific disease or condition. 7. What is cognition? What is the difference between the cognition of an economist and a physician? (35) 8. Define heuristics. When will a doctor use heuristics most often and why? Take notes in your notebook any time heuristics are mentioned. (35-37) 9. Define the phrase optimal emotional temperature. (36) 10. Use the explanation in the text to create the Yerkes-Dodson law on task performance below: (36-37)
1.2

0.8 Column1 0.6 Column2 Column3 0.4

0.2

11. Define the phrase productive anxiety. (37) 12. Summarize the conclusion from pages 39-40 in three sentences or less.

After You Read: Return to the Prediction Guide Go back to the Prediction Guide for this chapter. What are the correct answers? After You Read: Review Vocabulary Go back to your vocabulary list from the introduction. How many of those words can you find in this chapter?