What Is a Hematology MCQ?

Hematology is the study of blood, the blood-forming organs and blood diseases. A hematology multiple-choice question or hematology MCQ is a test question designed to assess a doctor or medical student's knowledge of the science or specialty of hematology. These multiple-choice questions are asked during paper examinations or with computer testing software. Hematology MCQ's might be used during study of that topic in medical school, during the medical licensing examination required by the student's country or as part of the board certification process for specialization in hematology, internal medicine or a related field.

Examples of hematology MCQ's are available on the Internet via both paid and free sites, found within self-study test books and computer programs, and even offered in practice exams available from a given country's medical licensing board. The correct answers to these multiple-choice questions are not obvious or easily determined. Hematology MCQ's are designed to not only test a student's ability to memorize multiple facts, but also require deductive reasoning. The field of hematology involves most aspects of internal medicine, oncology and clinical laboratory tests.

Internet "banks" of multiple-choice questions — and those of hematology MCQ's specifically — usually consist of a brief synopsis of a patient, some clinical aspect of his or her condition and perhaps some laboratory or radiology results. The medical school student or physician is then asked to choose among five similar diagnoses, or appropriate treatment plans, or symptoms that would be expected to accompany the patient's condition. The correct answer is indicated, although a student may or may not find an explanation for the answer.

Official practice websites that usually require paid memberships provide practice hematology MCQ's in addition to explanations of why a given answer is correct. Practice books and DVDs provide this service as well. This allows the doctor or medical student to understand the theory behind the answer as opposed to simply trying to memorize questions and answers. Unofficial Internet multiple-choice question banks may or may not provide the correct answer, much less an explanation as to why it is considered correct.

Finally, there is a warning for those medical school graduates of any nationality who are preparing to take the United States Medical Licensing Examination ® (USMLE®). The administering organization holds an extremely strict interpretation of test misconduct that includes posting on the Internet or otherwise disseminating or using any information on test questions, including attempting to recall questions or even using posted questions as a study guide. Be careful and mindful of this restriction if you plan to take the USMLE®.