MCQs

We had a practise exam a few days ago.  It doesn't count for anything, it was just an opportunity for us to have a go at the type of question that will hopefully turn up at the end of the year.

There was a fair bit of stuff in there that I had to guess at but I'm feeling reasonably confident that I won't crash and burn because I am a pretty good guesser.  Guessing isn't just about closing your eyes and stabbing your pen at the page (no, that's how you get IV drips in) - guessing is a game that you play against the evil genius who sets the exams.  If you know how he thinks, you can beat him.  And thus I present PTRs Incredibly Useful Guide To Doing Well In Multiple Choice Questions When You Haven't Really Bothered To Prepare Properly (tm).

The key fact to remember is this: one of the answers is right.  Another key fact is this: another one of the answers will be clearly wrong.  And finally, the other two or three answers will be there to confuse you.  My approach is to first identify the answer which is clearly wrong.  Then, one by one, eliminate the answers which confuse you.  Whatever remains, no matter how improbable it seems, is correct.

A brief example is in order.  Here is one of the questions from the practise exam that I used my photographic memory to capture:

A fifteen year-old boy presents with sudden onset severe scrotal pain.  Your best next step in managing this problem would be:

1. My first is in anaphylaxis but not in diarrhoea, my second is in Cushing and also in Parkinson, my third is in spleen but never in lymph and my last is in both E. coli and S. aureus.
2. Inject adrenaline straight into his heart. 
3. If three and a third surgeons can insult three and a third medical students in three and a third hours, how many medical students can two surgeons insult in four hours?
4. Take a detailed biopsychosocioeconomicopoliticogeometrical history.
5. Antiquis temporibus, nati tibi similes in rupibus ventosissimis exponebantur ad necem.

What do you think the answer is?  Apply my technique, figure it out and submit your answer in a comment!