The key information we should focus on is ONLY the following

If the number of female general surgery physicians in the under-35 category represented 8.5 percent of all the general surgery physicians, approximately how many male general surgery physicians were under 35 years of age?

The total is 37,000

We need the male out of the female i.e. the left part of 30% once you took off 8.5 = 22.5 %

\(37,000 \times 0.215 \approx 7,955\)

B is the answer

Total general surgery physicians in 1986 = 35000+2000 = 37000
Female 8.5% so male will be (30-8.5)%= 21.5%
Total physicians in under-35 category = 30 percent of 37000 = so the total number of male is 30-8.5 = 21.5% of 37000 = 7955

this is a bs question. It would require the words "in that category" to not be a bs question.
If the number of female general surgery physicians in the under-35 category represented 8.5 percent of all the general surgery physicians "in that category", approximately how many male general surgery physicians were under 35 years of age?

The question reads "all the general surgery physicians" implying that 8.5 percent of the estimated 37000 total were female under 35 then there is 3,145 female general surgery physicians under 35, and that is more than the total number of them.

I guess if this comes up on the gre we should just assume its a typo and take a guess that they mean in that category?

it is very interesting

37,000 * 0.3 = 11,000
37,000 * 0.085 = 3,145
11,000 - 3,145 = 7955
Answer: B

this question, though easy on the surface, is quite trickish.

because you are contrasting different quantities =>

i.e % of WHOLE group (All General Surgeons) vs. % of SUBSET (Under 35)