The practical portion of the pathology final exam was a multiple choice exam where we had to identify a bunch of organs and figure out what was wrong with them. It was a little like looking at an abstract art exhibit in that I had no freaking clue what anything was. I probably could have bubbled in the answers before walking into the room and gotten the same score.
The only saving grace was that I could tell from the blank (and terrified) looks on my classmates' faces that everyone was equally clueless.
At the end of the practical, there was an "extra credit" question. I remember looking at the organ and having absolutely zero idea what part of the body I was looking at, much less being able to hazzard a guess what was wrong with it. I remember exchanging baffled looks with the other students at the station with me and finally we all started snickering. "Good thing we have this extra credit," someone commented.
I attempted to find a photo online of that particular organ and I did find one that's a pretty good likeness. It's the wrong pathology, but I think it illustrates my point:

Yeah, what the hell is that thing?
I have Robbins in front of me, and I'm still mystified.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to guess heart, it looks pretty muscular and there is some sort of vascular opening in the upper left. Then there are the petechae and splotchy things across it- I'm going to say pericarditis of some sort. This photo is super obtuse.
ReplyDeleteI know the photo isn't very clear, but believe me when I say that's exactly what it looked like.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a liver that has been cooked by my partner.
ReplyDeleteheavily ulcerated stomach? LES (w varices?) on the top right? Don't ask me where the rugae went... May make sense if that is the pylorus in the top left... whatever it is its gross!
ReplyDeleteNobody's guess is even close.
ReplyDeleteDon't worry about the pathology. Just tell me what organ it is.
Uterus?
ReplyDeleteI'm gonna go out on a limb and say spleen. Some spleen love.
ReplyDeleteVaginal tissue or esophagus?
ReplyDeleteThymus gland?
ReplyDeleteAdrenal gland?
ReplyDeleteChicken breast.
ReplyDeleteI wanna say skin?
ReplyDeleteNope to all.
ReplyDeletelung?
ReplyDeleteClearly this is a diaphragm overlaying the liver with the IVC in the upper right hand corner. The parietal surface is studded with plaques which could be due to mesothelioma, carcinomatosis, infection, or less likely fibrinous pleuritis.
ReplyDeleteBladder
ReplyDeleteword verification:
mychirp
Its Admiral Ackbar from Star Wars before he's put on his moisturer
ReplyDeleteAorta?
ReplyDeleteOMFG, Is that a Testicle!?!!?
ReplyDeleteAnyone find it funny that 2nd year PRE MED knows "clearly" what it is? I am a surgical intern and I could make it out to anything and justify it to myself at this point.
ReplyDeletei second aorta
ReplyDelete(2nd year premed)= college sophomore?
How big is it? I'd feel pretty silly guessing the earlobe if the pictured thing is eighteen inches across.
ReplyDeleteThis is fibrinous pericardium suffering from pericarditis.
ReplyDeleteOr, it is a satellite view of Mars.
dinner?
ReplyDeleteFrom the thumbnail, I thought it was somehow a face. Ack!
ReplyDeleteI was gonna go with diaphragm... but now that someone has "clearly" ID'd it as such, I want to change my vote on principle.
ReplyDeleteWell, for shits and giggles, I am going to guess it is a penis (not in its normal state), but have no idea what the pathology is. Not even sure if I am in the ballpark.
ReplyDeleteOh boy. I'm going to guess colon? Let's say crohn's? Something about that upper right hand corner reminds me of an ileocecal valve...
ReplyDeleteOkay, either the 2nd year pre-med student cheated with google image search, or we have a real-life Martha Masters on our hands (no, not the classical guitarist).
ReplyDeleteJust took a break from studying ischemia/infarct lectures from today for an exam next week. I am afraid, very afraid. Is "seriously messed up" good enough...lol?
ReplyDeleteThe pre-med got it! It's the diaphragm.
ReplyDeleteLOL. You won't EVER use that knowledge again, unless you become a pathologist.
ReplyDeleteI honestly thought it was the heart... shame, beat by a pre-med student :P
ReplyDelete