Traditional medical practitioners have long emphasized the importance of in-person consultations, arguing that physical examination and direct patient...
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
Traditional medical practitioners have long emphasized the importance of in-person consultations, arguing that physical examination and direct patient interaction remain essential for accurate diagnosis. _____ many patients now prefer the convenience and accessibility of telemedicine appointments, especially for routine follow-ups and non-emergency concerns.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
Similarly,
Therefore,
Nevertheless,
For example,
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Traditional medical practitioners have long emphasized the importance of in-person consultations, arguing that physical examination and direct patient interaction remain essential for accurate diagnosis." |
|
| [MISSING TRANSITION] |
|
| "many patients now prefer the convenience and accessibility of telemedicine appointments, especially for routine follow-ups and non-emergency concerns." |
|
Part B: Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: There's a tension between traditional medical practitioners' emphasis on in-person consultations and patients' growing preference for telemedicine convenience.
Argument Flow: The passage presents the established medical profession's position favoring in-person visits, then reveals that patient preferences are moving in a different direction toward telemedicine options for certain types of appointments.
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
- Looking at our analysis, we have traditional practitioners emphasizing in-person consultations on one side, and patients preferring telemedicine on the other side
- These are opposing viewpoints - practitioners want one thing, patients want something different
- The logical connector we need should signal contrast or opposition
- It needs to show that despite what traditional practitioners emphasize, patients have different preferences
Similarly,
Similarly
✗ Incorrect
- "Similarly" signals agreement or parallel thinking
- This would suggest patients prefer the same thing practitioners emphasize, but that's the opposite of what the passage shows
Therefore,
Therefore
✗ Incorrect
- "Therefore" indicates cause and effect - that patient preferences result from practitioners' emphasis
- The passage doesn't suggest practitioners' emphasis caused patient preferences for telemedicine
Nevertheless,
Nevertheless
✓ Correct
- "Nevertheless" signals contrast despite a previous point
- Perfect fit: despite practitioners emphasizing in-person consultations, patients still prefer telemedicine
- This creates the logical opposition our analysis predicted
For example,
For example
✗ Incorrect
- "For example" introduces a specific illustration of a general point
- Patient preferences aren't an example of practitioners' emphasis - they're the opposite