Decision Making Flashcards

A budget of $12,000 is split among three departments: Research gets 50%, Operations gets 30%, and Admin gets the rest. How much does Admin receive?

Answer: $2,400

Admin gets 100% − 50% − 30% = 20%; 20% of $12,000 = $2,400.

A patient asks their doctor not to tell their spouse about a terminal diagnosis. The doctor should:

Answer: Respect patient confidentiality and not disclose without consent

Confidentiality is a core medical principle; information belongs to the patient and cannot be shared without consent except in specific legal or safety circumstances.

No mammals can photosynthesize. Dolphins are mammals. Which argument form does this represent?

Answer: Deductive syllogism

This is a classic deductive syllogism — a valid conclusion follows necessarily from two true premises.

A study claims people who own cats have lower blood pressure than those who don't. A critic argues that calmer people are more likely to own cats. This critique describes:

Answer: Confounding

Confounding occurs when a third variable (calm temperament) is associated with both the exposure (cat ownership) and the outcome (blood pressure).

A scheduler must assign 4 tasks (W, X, Y, Z) sequentially. X must come before Z. Y must be last. W must come immediately before X. Which order is valid?

Answer: W, X, Z, Y

W must immediately precede X, X must precede Z, and Y must be last — so W, X, Z, Y satisfies all constraints.

A hospital reduces waiting times from 45 minutes to 36 minutes. What is the percentage reduction?

Answer: 20%

Percentage reduction = (45 − 36) / 45 × 100 = 9 / 45 × 100 = 20%.

A medical student witnesses a senior doctor dismiss a patient's pain complaint without examination. The best immediate action is to:

Answer: Politely advocate for the patient and suggest a brief examination

Advocating for the patient while remaining professional is appropriate — it addresses patient welfare without escalating prematurely.