Thursday, November 18, 2010

Med School at the Movies

Sometimes, it seems, you can only memorize so many muscles that sound like Harry Potter spells (Extensor digitorum!) before taking a break from the anatomy atlas and popping in a DVD.

Unfortunately, one side effect of medical school appears to be constant reminders of things we've studied. Using The Princess Bride as a study aid? Inconceivable, you might say. But consider the following examples of high-yield medical miscellany...

Polydactyly: The six-fingered man who killed Inigo Montoya's father. He likely suffered from an autosomal dominant condition.

Acromegaly: Fezzik's great size stems from an excess of growth hormone production by the pituitary gland.

Reversible injury: As Miracle Max points out, "Mostly dead is slightly alive." Perhaps Wesley's hepatocytes simply needed time to regenerate.

Hypertrophy: R.O.U.S. = Rodents of Unusual Size.

Feel free to use this helpful study guide as you wish.

1 comment:

Lurkette said...

OK, I may have had too much coffee, but Extensor digitorum! is hysterical. I have been striking poses and shouting it around the house, to the alarm of... well, nobody actually. I'm alone at the moment. Which is probably all for the good.