Multiple choice

Though eminently renowned, Dr. McKenzie is not as competent a surgeon as his reputation suggests. Over the past 3 years, only 14 patients, out of every 50 he has operated upon, have recovered completely after the surgery.

Which of the following, if true, most weakens the above argument?

  1. Dr. McKenzie has performed some of the most difficult surgeries of late.

  2. Dr. McKenzie specializes in surgeries of the type that are not so common in the region.

  3. The hospital where Dr. McKenzie works has state–of–the–art surgical equipment but not much technological back up.

  4. In most cases, patients get referred to Dr. McKenzie after they have been turned away by other surgeons as hopeless cases.

  5. Though Dr. McKenzie is an expert in his field, he has not had the time to update his knowledge about the latest developments in the field of medicine.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

(4): The evidence states the low number of patients that have recovered to support the conclusion. Option (4) weakens it by providing an alternative explanation. Patients are invariably so gravely ill that they have been turned away by other (perhaps less competent) surgeons. What is being challenged is his competence, not his updating or otherwise (5) or technological back up(3). Difficult surgeries (1) and specialised surgeries (2) do not mean risky surgeries.

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