Past Exam Questions
55 questions from past oral exams — practice, self-grade, and track your progress
What is the difference between apoptosis and necrosis?
What are the types of necrosis? Which is accompanied by inflammation?
Why does diabetes predispose to gangrene?
Describe the signaling cascade of apoptosis. Role of mitochondria?
What is the main difference between acute and chronic inflammation?
What is the mechanism of fever? Role of prostaglandins?
What leukocytes are involved in acute vs chronic inflammation?
What proteins are expressed on endothelial cells during leukocyte recruitment?
Difference between benign and malignant neoplasia?
Explain multistep carcinogenesis. Name two driver mutations.
What is the role of p53? What happens when it is mutated?
Explain Knudson's two-hit hypothesis using retinoblastoma.
Describe the metastatic cascade. Rate-limiting step?
Define EMT. Which transcription factors drive it?
How does PTEN loss cause immunotherapy resistance?
What is the tumor microenvironment? Role of CAFs?
Pathophysiology of T1DM vs T2DM.
Describe microvascular complications of diabetes.
Compare AD and AR inheritance with examples.
Explain genomic imprinting using Prader-Willi and Angelman.
Chromosomal disorders: Down, Turner, Klinefelter — main features.
Describe Fragile X syndrome — molecular basis.
Compare AML, ALL, CML, CLL.
Differentiate Hodgkin from non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
What are exosomes? Role in cancer progression?
Endocrine therapy of ER+ breast cancer.
Mechanism of tamoxifen. Side effects?
Compare aromatase inhibitors and GnRH agonists in breast cancer.
Define hypertrophy, hyperplasia, metaplasia, atrophy.
Explain Barrett's esophagus — metaplasia and risk.
What is autophagy? Dual role in cancer?
Mechanism of ROS-mediated cell injury.
Explain the four mechanisms of diabetic microangiopathy.
Compare Graves and Hashimoto thyroiditis.
Classify anemias by MCV.
Explain RAS oncogene activation.
What is the role of NF-κB in inflammation and cancer?
Describe the complement system pathways.
Mechanism of wound healing — phases and key cells.
Compare granulomatous inflammation in TB and sarcoidosis.
Describe BCR-ABL and the Philadelphia chromosome.
Pathophysiology of sickle cell anemia.
Mitochondrial inheritance — features and example diseases.
Mechanism of carcinogenesis by HPV.
What is angiogenesis in cancer? Therapeutic targets?
What is the Warburg effect?
Describe atherosclerosis pathogenesis.
What is amyloidosis? Classification and stain.
Pathophysiology of Cushing syndrome.
Difference between hyperplasia and dysplasia.
What is paraneoplastic syndrome? Give examples.
Describe immune checkpoint inhibitors mechanism.
Explain DNA mismatch repair and Lynch syndrome.
Mechanism of action of GnRH agonists in prostate cancer.
What is the role of miRNAs in disease?