MD POST study materials
MD POST study resources

MD POST flashcards

MD POST · Build recall with a focused review session.

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Main idea
The central claim that the entire passage is written to support. Every other sentence either explains, illustrates, or qualifies it.
Implied statement
A claim the passage logically requires but does not state outright. It follows from the text alone, without outside assumptions.
Scope error
An answer choice that is broader or narrower than the passage supports, often signaled by words like all, only, or never.
Author's tone
The attitude the writer conveys through word choice and evaluative language, such as neutral, skeptical, approving, or urgent.
Comma splice
Two independent clauses joined by only a comma. Repair with a period, a semicolon, or a comma plus coordinating conjunction.
Dangling modifier
An introductory phrase whose intended subject is missing from the main clause, so the phrase appears to describe the wrong noun.
Subject-verb agreement
The verb must match the head noun of the subject in number, ignoring intervening prepositional phrases that may contain plurals.
Parallel structure
Items joined by and, or, or in a series must share the same grammatical form, such as all infinitives or all nouns.
Percent change
The difference between new and old value divided by the old value, multiplied by one hundred to express it as a percentage.
Average speed
Total distance traveled divided by total elapsed time. It is not the arithmetic mean of the separate speeds on each leg.
Slope formula
The change in y divided by the change in x between two points on a line, written as (y2 minus y1) over (x2 minus x1).
Compound interest
Interest calculated on both the original principal and previously accumulated interest, growing faster than simple interest over time.
Ratio scaling
Multiplying every part of a ratio by the same factor keeps the relationship unchanged while matching a given total or quantity.
Escalation trigger
A condition requiring referral upward, such as risk of harm, suspected misconduct, legal exposure, or a decision beyond your authority.
De-escalation sequence
A calm approach that listens fully, acknowledges the person's concern, states limits clearly, and then offers acceptable options.
Need-to-know sharing
Disclosing confidential information only to people who require it to perform their duties, never through informal or public channels.
Behavior-focused feedback
Feedback that describes specific observable actions and their impact rather than labeling the person's character or motives.
Fact versus inference
A fact is directly seen, heard, or measured; an inference is a conclusion drawn from it and must be labeled as such.
Observation conditions
The lighting, distance, weather, and obstructions present at the time, which affect how reliable the observation is.
Perceptual narrowing
Under high stress, attention concentrates on the perceived threat, reducing awareness of peripheral details and sounds.
Description order
A consistent sequence for recording a person: number, sex, age range, height, build, hair, clothing, then distinguishing marks.
Chunking
Grouping separate items into meaningful units, such as digit strings or phrases, so working memory can hold more information.
Spaced practice
Distributing study sessions across days rather than massing them together, which produces stronger and longer-lasting retention.
Retrieval practice
Recalling material without looking at notes. The effort of retrieval strengthens memory more than rereading the same text.
Recognition versus recall
Recognizing a correct answer among options is easier than producing it unaided; free recall is the hardest of the three.
Misinformation effect
A leading or suggestive question asked after an event can alter a witness's memory of what actually occurred.
Chronological narrative
A report organized in the order events happened, so a reader can reconstruct the sequence without guessing.
Direct quotation
A person's exact words placed inside quotation marks and attributed. Paraphrased speech takes no quotation marks.
Twenty-four-hour clock
Time written as four digits from 0000 to 2359, avoiding ambiguity between morning and evening and used consistently throughout.
Addendum correction
A dated, initialed addition that fixes an error in a completed report without erasing or overwriting the original entry.
Objective language
Wording that reports observable actions and statements without editorial words such as obviously, unfortunately, or allegedly.
Report essentials
The core facts a report must establish: who was involved, what happened, when and where, how it occurred, and what action followed.