LSAT 118 | Section 3 | Logical Reasoning: Q19

LR Question 19 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Editorial: Medical schools spend one hour teaching…

QUESTION TYPE: Necessary Assumption

CONCLUSION: Medical schools should spend more time teaching preventative medicine [if their goal is to make medicine cost-effective].

REASONING: Medical schools spend ten times more time teaching curative medicine compared to preventative medicine. Preventative medicine cuts medical costs greatly.

ANALYSIS: The argument doesn’t tell us why less time is spend teaching preventative medicine. Maybe it’s easier to learn preventative compared to curative medicine.

___________

1. It doesn’t matter why preventative medicine is cheaper. It only is necessary that it is cheaper. 
2. This would support the argument. But such a precise cost-savings figure is not necessary.
3. This isn’t necessary. They could switch some hours from curative medicine to preventative medicine instead.
4. This isn’t necessary as long as preventative medicine saves more money than curative medicine.
5. CORRECT. If this isn’t true then maybe medical students are already learning everything they need to know about preventative medicine.