FCPS Part 1 Medicine MCQs by Subject: Anatomy, Pathology & Pharmacology

FCPS Part 1 Medicine and Allied doesn't test clinical medicine in isolation — the paper draws heavily on the basic sciences, and in HighYield's Medicine question bank, Anatomy, Pathology and Pharmacology are three of the largest subjects by question volume, ahead of many clinical topics. Below is a sample across all three.

Anatomy

1. A mid-shaft fracture of the humerus most classically places which nerve at risk, presenting as wrist drop?

• A) Median nerve
• B) Ulnar nerve
• C) Radial nerve ✅
• D) Axillary nerve

2. The recurrent laryngeal nerve, whose injury during thyroid surgery can cause hoarseness, is a branch of which cranial nerve?

• A) Glossopharyngeal (CN IX)
• B) Vagus (CN X) ✅
• C) Accessory (CN XI)
• D) Hypoglossal (CN XII)

Pathology

3. Reed–Sternberg cells, seen on lymph node biopsy, are the diagnostic hallmark of which malignancy?

• A) Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
• B) Hodgkin lymphoma ✅
• C) Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia
• D) Multiple myeloma

4. Psammoma bodies on histology are most classically associated with which subtype of thyroid carcinoma?

• A) Follicular carcinoma
• B) Papillary carcinoma ✅
• C) Medullary carcinoma
• D) Anaplastic carcinoma

Pharmacology

5. A dry, persistent cough is a well-recognised class side effect of which antihypertensive drug group?

• A) Calcium channel blockers
• B) Thiazide diuretics
• C) ACE inhibitors ✅
• D) Beta-blockers

6. Long-term isoniazid therapy is classically supplemented with which vitamin to prevent peripheral neuropathy?

• A) Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)
• B) Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) ✅
• C) Vitamin B12
• D) Vitamin C

Why the Basic Sciences Still Decide Your Score

It's tempting to focus revision on clinical Medicine topics and treat Anatomy, Pathology and Pharmacology as "already done" from MBBS. In practice, they are tested at FCPS Part 1 depth — more detailed and more integrated with clinical scenarios than at undergraduate level — and in HighYield's own Medicine bank they make up a larger share of the question pool than General Medicine itself.

HighYield's FCPS Part 1 Medicine and Allied question bank covers every subject in the paper — basic sciences and clinical — each question explained. For a full syllabus breakdown, see our FCPS Medicine Syllabus guide, or check the most repeated FCPS Part 1 Medicine MCQs to see which topics to prioritise. Try the first 20 questions free, no sign-in required.