Dr. Elena Rodriguez had grown frustrated with the limitations of conventional pain management treatments for her chronic pain patients. Standard...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Dr. Elena Rodriguez had grown frustrated with the limitations of conventional pain management treatments for her chronic pain patients. Standard pharmaceutical interventions often provided only temporary relief, and many patients developed concerning side effects or medication dependencies. Seeking more comprehensive solutions, Rodriguez began incorporating mindfulness meditation techniques, herbal remedies, and acupuncture into her practice-approaches that had shown promise in addressing pain conditions that resisted traditional medical treatments. Her integrated methodology, which combines these time-tested practices with evidence-based physical therapy and careful biometric monitoring, has enabled her to help patients who had previously found little success with conventional approaches alone.
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
To advocate for Dr. Rodriguez's recognition as a pioneer in holistic medicine
To contrast traditional healing practices with evidence-based medical treatments
To explain how Dr. Rodriguez addressed limitations in conventional pain treatment
To outline the challenges of integrating alternative therapies into mainstream medicine
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Dr. Elena Rodriguez had grown frustrated with the limitations of conventional pain management treatments for her chronic pain patients." |
|
| "Standard pharmaceutical interventions often provided only temporary relief, and many patients developed concerning side effects or medication dependencies." |
|
| "Seeking more comprehensive solutions, Rodriguez began incorporating mindfulness meditation techniques, herbal remedies, and acupuncture into her practice—approaches that had shown promise in addressing pain conditions that resisted traditional medical treatments." |
|
| "Her integrated methodology, which combines these time-tested practices with evidence-based physical therapy and careful biometric monitoring, has enabled her to help patients who had previously found little success with conventional approaches alone." |
|
Part B: Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Dr. Rodriguez developed an integrated pain management approach that combines alternative therapies with conventional treatments to help patients who hadn't succeeded with standard methods alone.
Argument Flow: The passage starts with Rodriguez's frustration about conventional treatment limitations, explains what those limitations were, describes how she responded by adding alternative therapies, and concludes by explaining her complete integrated approach and its success with previously unsuccessful patients.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The right answer should explain how Rodriguez dealt with the shortcomings she saw in standard pain management.
To advocate for Dr. Rodriguez's recognition as a pioneer in holistic medicine
- This suggests the passage is advocating for Rodriguez to get recognition as a pioneer.
- The passage doesn't argue for recognition—it simply describes what she did.
To contrast traditional healing practices with evidence-based medical treatments
- This suggests the passage contrasts traditional healing with evidence-based treatments.
- Rodriguez actually combines both types—she's not contrasting them but integrating them.
To explain how Dr. Rodriguez addressed limitations in conventional pain treatment
- This captures exactly what our analysis shows: Rodriguez faced limitations in conventional treatment and found ways to address them.
- Matches our prethinking about focusing on her response to the problem.
To outline the challenges of integrating alternative therapies into mainstream medicine
- This suggests the passage outlines challenges of integration.
- The passage doesn't discuss challenges—it describes successful integration.