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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What was Paul's father's occupation?

2. What did Paul study as an undergraduate student?

3. Where would Paul camp when his regular room in Part 1, Section 2 were occupied?

4. At the time Paul was suffering from weight loss and back pain, how long had he been training to be a neurosurgeon?

5. What is Verghese's specialize in as a physician?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Abraham Verghese say that his foreword should have been an afterward?

2. What was Paul's educational journey?

3. By the end of medical school, what did most students focus on for their specialties?

4. How does Verghese describe the meeting he had with Paul?

5. Who was Shep Nuland?

6. Why wasn't technical excellence enough as Paul treated patients during his residency in Part 1, Section 3?

7. What did the first X-rays Paul had reveal and what did the doctor think his issues were?

8. How did Paul's father inspire him?

9. How did Paul describe his father?

10. Why did Lucy, Paul's girlfriend in Part 1, Section 2, cry when she viewed an EKG while studying at Paul's apartment?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Paul commented that terminal illness should have been the perfect gift for someone who wanted to understand death. Why should his illness have been a gift for Paul, and why was it so difficult for him to understand and live through his diagnosis of a terminal illness?

Essay Topic 2

Paul felt that he lost the ability to chose the path his life was taking. Why did Paul feel after his illness that he no longer could choose his own path? How did he cope with that realization and how did he view the path his life was taking at that point in time?

Essay Topic 3

Paul's life was shaped by events and people from his childhood. What were the main events and people that shaped who Paul became and how did those events and people shape his life? What was the strongest influence and why?

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