Doctors’ Dilemma

Rules and Regulations for

ACP Michigan Chapter Associates’ Meeting 2008

 

Overview

 

Doctors’ Dilemma pits teams of residents against one another in a demonstration of medical knowledge. 

 

Structure of the Competition Series

  1. Elimination Round
    1. Teams:  Each residency program may register a team comprised of three members and one alternate for this preliminary (elimination) round, held during the May Associates’ Meeting.  All team members must be first or second year residents.
    2. Number of Sections and Categories:  The elimination round features a single section of questions organized into five categories.  Each category will contain five (5) questions of increasing difficulty and point value. 
    3. Final Question:  Only teams with a positive balance of points may compete on the Final Question.
  2. Regional Final Round
    1. Teams:  The top four teams from the Associates’ Meeting will compete against one another in the fall chapter meeting in Kalamazoo.
    2. Number of Sections and Categories:  The final round will feature two sections of five categories each, with five questions per category.  Questions in the second section will be worth twice as many points as those in the first section.
    3. Final Question: Only teams with a positive balance of points may compete on the Final Question.
  3. National Competition

The winning team from the regional final will proceed to the national competition at the spring National ACP meeting.

The Rules

  1. Initiating Play: The moderator will decide which team initiates play by drawing a name blindly from a hat or similar receptacle.  The selected team’s captain will request a category and a point value (e.g., Zebras for 200).
  2. Reading Questions:  The moderator will read the question aloud. Teams may activate their signal devices at any time after the moderator has begun to speak.  However, the question will be displayed on the screen only after the moderator has finished reading it.
    1. If a team signals before the moderator has completed reading, the moderator will stop reading at that moment. The question will not be displayed and the team will have to respond in the standard time allotted. If the team responds incorrectly, the moderator will repeat the question for the other teams, and play will proceed as usual.
  1. Responding to Questions
    1. Signaling Devices:  A team wishing to respond must activate the signaling device (typically a buzzer).
    2. Acknowledgement by the Moderator:  Since more than one team may think they have signaled the device, no one should answer until acknowledged by the moderator.
    3. Time to Answer:  After the moderator’s acknowledgement, the team must begin an answer within 10 seconds.
      1. The team members are allowed to discuss among themselves before answering in the stipulated time.
      2. If a team signals, is recognized, but fails to start an answer within 10 seconds, the team loses points equal to the value of the question. The question is open for another team to signal. 
      3. If no one signals to answer a question within10 seconds of it being read, then the question will be dropped and no team will forfeit points. 
    4. Form of the Response:  Answers can be in the form of a question or statement. Example: If the question is “Basic structural unit of protein” the answer may be in the form of a question (“What are amino acids?”) or the form of a statement (“amino acids”).  
    5. Partial Responses:  If a response is incomplete or only partially correct, either the moderator or a judge may ask the contestant to clarify his or her answer. There will be no challenges to the answers at the time of the contest. The judge’s decision is final.  
    6. Volunteering Information: If a contestant gives a correct answer but then adds incorrect information, the entire response will be ruled incorrect.  
    7. Incorrect or Invalid Responses:  If a team answers incorrectly, without signaling or without being recognized by the moderator, the point value of the question will be deducted from the team’s score. The question will then be offered to the other teams, who must signal and be recognized in standard fashion.  
  1. Maintaining Play: The last team to answer the correctly will pick the next category and question.
  2. Final Question: 
    1. Eligibility:  Only teams with zero or negative points will be ineligible to participate in the Final Answer.
    2. Wagers:  The final category will be specified (e.g. Cardiology), and eligible teams will designate their wagers.  Each team may wager all, part, or none of the points they have accumulated.  The amount of the wager will not be announced until all teams have answered the question.
    3. Reading the Question:  After all wagers have been made, the moderator will read the Final Question, which will then appear on the screen. 
    4. Responding to the Question:  Teams will have a pre-specified amount of time to formulate their question and write it on the provided index card.  The card will be returned to the moderator. 

                                                               i.      No signaling is required. 

                                                             ii.      Correct spelling is not essential, but legibility is.

    1. Evaluating Responses:  The moderator determines which responses are correct.  A correct response earns all the points wagered by the team, while an incorrect one results in the wagered points being deducted from the team’s score.  
  1. Final Score:  Final scores will determine team rankings. In case of a tie, a sudden death question(s) will be asked.  
  2. General Etiquette:  Each contestant must maintain a respectable demeanor throughout the contest. Any disruptions in the contest room will result in the immediate elimination of the individual in question from the contest. The team may volunteer to play the alternate member in such a situation. The audience is asked to maintain silence and not shout answers.

Personnel Involved in the Competition

  1. Moderator:  The moderator assumes complete direction of all contests, asks all questions, designates contestants to answer questions, accepts or rejects all answers with the help of the judges. He/she can ask for clarification of the answers. He/she may seek interpretation of questions and answers from the judges. The moderator designates the winner of each contest and shall at all times be in charge.
  2. Judges:  Judges knowledgeable in the subject matter will preside over the game. The judges may rule individually or jointly with the moderator on the acceptability of any answer. The judges’ decisions about content knowledge are final.
  3. Program/Equipment Operator:  One individual will be used to make sure the program and associated equipment are operating to their full potential.
  4. Timekeeper:  One individual will be used to record time and to indicate to the moderator the expiration of the time allowed in which to answer questions.
  5. Scorekeeper:  One individual will keep score for each contest. Scores will remain visible to the moderator, the contestants, and as far as possible, the viewing audience.

 

 

November 2006