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Application Guide 2024:
Interview
Medical Ethics Interview Questions Guide & 100 MMI Ethics Questions
Medicine Admissions Experts
Introduction
Many candidates find MMI medical ethics questions to be amongst the most intimidating questions that can be posed to them. They often don’t know how to answer them, or what interviewers are looking for.
Check out this guide to learn how to answer ethical interview questions and you’ll be acing them in no time at all.
You will learn about how to answer medicine MMI ethical questions and learn about each of the four pillars of medical ethics and be able to use them in answers to stand out at your medicine interview.
See the end for a list of 100 common medicine interview ethics questions that you must prepare for in 2024.
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Why ask medical ethics questions?
As with any type of interview question, an awareness of why it’s being asked can help you to construct your answer appropriately.
Universities ask medical ethics questions in interviews for many reasons. In particular, they do so to test:
Ethical principles: A medical student should have good ethical intuitions, seeking to help people and not cause harm. If you answer these questions in an unethical manner, universities will consider it a red flag.
Logical thinking: Ethical questions are a great way to apply principles to a real-life problem and show off your ability to tackle something that you have never seen before.
Communication skills: Ethical scenarios can be complex, interweaving numerous important factors which you ought to be considering. If you can explain yourself clearly and coherently, interviewers will be impressed.
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What prior knowledge should I have about medical ethics?
Technically, no prior knowledge is needed for these questions unless you are given reading material by your university - for instance, Bart’s Medical School will send you an article to read in advance of your interview.
However, it can help greatly to have an awareness of important medical ethics issues. In particular, research the four pillars - you can read our full guide to this ethical framework here. You should think through these for any question, and they will guide your answer.
Additionally, familiarise yourself with key GMC ethical guidance on the GMC duties of a doctor. Certain documents will teach you what standards are expected from medical students and doctors. You should consider checking out:
The NHS Constitution: Found here, the NHS constitution details its key principles and can be an invaluable resource for understanding how it functions in interviews.
GMC Outcomes for Graduates: The first of two GMC documents on our essential reading list, outlines the key NHS values that the General Medical Council expects from tomorrow’s doctors.
GMC Good Medical Practice: These guidelines detail the GMC’s expectations for practising medicine, and can be great to discuss in ethics questions in particular. Find them here.
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How to answer ethical interview questions for the medical school interview
Follow our simple four step approach to answer medical ethics questions when asked for your own opinion:
Briefly explain why this is a difficult topic and it is commonly debated
Explain the rationale behind one side of the argument
Explain the rationale behind the other side of the argument
Reach a conclusion and your own opinion if asked, summarising the previous points
This is a simple way to answer all such medical ethics interview questions and will help ensure that you create a balanced argument that the examiner is looking for.
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Medical Ethics Answer: The Introduction To Your Answer
Sometimes, one of the trickiest parts of an answer can be knowing where to start. For ethics questions specifically, think about the following key tips:
Show empathy: Throughout your interview, you are being constantly assessed on your ability to show empathy. Many ethical questions deal with difficult topics - choosing between patients for a dialysis machine, dealing with terminally ill patients etc. Acknowledge this and you’ll show the interviewer that you see patients as more than just ethical problems.
What is the difference between empathy and sympathy?
Empathy vs sympathy: Empathy is generally better in a medical context and more importantly, it describes your ability to put yourself in the shoes of another and understand their perspective. Sympathy refers to feeling sorry for the plight of another person and is generally less productive and reassuring when using this in a medical interview.
👉🏻 Read more: Empathy vs Sympathy in the Medicine Interview
Ethical Frameworks
Introduce your metrics/framework: Are you going to talk about the principle of justice? Perhaps you’ll use the concept of consequentialism? Whatever it is, mention it from the outset and your answer will be tied together more effectively.
Your own ethical opinion
Outline your stance, if you have it: If you are being asked to take a stance on an issue, you don’t need to have this from the outset! It’s okay to talk through your ethical reasoning before coming to a conclusion towards the end of your answer. However, if you are already confident then tell this to the interviewer initially. How to answer ethical interview questions for the medical school interview
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The content of a medical ethics answer
The most important thing to consider when answering a medical ethics question is that there usually isn’t a single correct answer - however, there are certainly wrong answers!
The most common mistake made by good candidates when it comes to these questions is to explore a single aspect of an issue in lots of detail.
Regardless of how good your analysis is, it is always better to show that you can understand all sides of an argument and approach a topic from multiple viewpoints. In particular, think about:
Which ethical system you are using: Remember that no ethical framework is perfect. If you explore something from a beneficence standpoint, then how about doing so from a justice one as well?
Why someone might draw the opposite conclusion: For every candidate that defends opt-out organ donation, there is another who argues for an op-in system. Think about why someone may disagree with you, and engage with the strongest form of their arguments. Take them at their best rather than their worst, and you too will show off your best ethical reasoning.
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Dealing with follow-up medical ethics questions
Chances are, however, well you argue your case, you will be challenged. This is because multiple viewpoints can be held on ethical issues - many of them valid! Expect to be challenged, and remember these tips when you are:
Don’t take it personally: Being challenged doesn’t mean that your answer was bad - all candidates are challenged! Don’t take this as a sign of anything, as it isn’t, and you shouldn’t let it throw you off your game.
Invite follow-up questions: If you have a particular part of your answer that you’d like to expand on more, then mention that you’d be happy to do so. The interviewer may be keen to hear you elaborate. You can also do this more subtly by leaving some parts of your answer open-ended.
Know when to stick or switch: Sometimes, you’ll face a challenge that you cannot respond to or simply didn’t think of and changes your mind. If this is the case - switch! It shows an ability to listen to others and not be stubborn. However, don’t do so on a whim. If you can stand your ground, then you shouldn’t change your answer. Show confidence in yourself and your beliefs.
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The Four Pillars of Medical Ethics For Medicine Interviews
Medical ethics in the interview process can be difficult to navigate. Ethics describe how a doctor should act and behave, and showing good ethical reasoning can be key to securing offers to study at medical school. Candidates often struggle with knowing where to start when trying to think of answers to the ethical questions posed to them. One key framework that you can use when responding to ethical questions is that of the four pillars.
The four pillars of medical ethics are a tetrad of principles that should guide your thought process. In particular, almost every question that you could be asked will link to at least two of the four pillars. Thinking through them methodically can be a great starting point to help you generate content for a response. In this article, you will find each of the four pillars explained - in addition to guidance on how to incorporate them into your answers.
What are the four pillars of medical ethics?
The 4 pillars of medical ethics are:
Beneficence
Autonomy
Non-Malificience
Justice
We will now cover each of these in turn, explaining what they are, and why they are important for your medical interview and how you can weave these in to boost your medicine interview answers in 2024.
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Beneficence
Beneficence meaning: The quality or state of producing or doing good. Essentially, to benefit your patients.
Beneficence is perhaps the most intuitive of the four principles - do good. However, this invites a number of further questions that can be useful fodder for ethical discussion in interviews.
To whom do doctors owe beneficence? Doctors do, of course, have a duty of care to their patients. However, this duty of care also extends outwards. Doctors ought to report deteriorating blindness to the DMV, for instance, to prevent a patient from posing a risk to others on the road. In this regard, doctors ought to ‘do good’ to society as a whole.
Who decides what is beneficial? It can be easy to say that doctors should ‘do good’. However, it can be harder to say what ‘good’ actually is. All patients have different conceptions of what is in their best interests, and this lack of universality means that you should act in what a patient believes their best interests are - even when this conflicts with your own opinions.
What happens when I don’t have the means to do good? Sometimes, the gold standard treatment isn’t available - the NHS has a limited budget and limited staffing. Tough decisions may have to be made, which links to the principle of justice.
👉🏻 Read more: NHS Junior Doctor Strikes
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Non-maleficence
Non-maleficence meaning: The obligation of a physician not to harm a patient.
Non-maleficence is the flipside of beneficence. It is one thing to ‘do good’; it is another to ‘do no harm'. In particular, consider scenarios where you may have to do harm to do good, or those where something which many would perceive as ‘harm’ is in fact considered good.
To what extent does this rule have to be broken? Consider a patient with necrotising fasciitis (flesh-eating bacteria) in their leg. The leg may have to be amputated to prevent the spread of bacteria and save the patient’s life. This is certainly harmful, however, it also does good in the long term.
What is ‘harm’? Many would say that ‘harm’ is a clear concept - death, injury, and disease are all harms. However, this may not always be the case and harms exist relative to each other. Death may be harmful to a healthy 30-year-old, but to a terminally ill patient with a poor quality of life, it is perhaps less harmful than continuing to live.
👉🏻 Read more: Euthanasia and Assisted Dying in the UK
👉🏻 Read more: Organ Donation & UK Organ Transplant Dilemmas
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Autonomy
Autonomy meaning: The quality or state of being self-governing. Essentially, the ability to make your own decisions about your life.
Some medical ethicists consider the preservation of autonomy to be the ultimate goal of medicine. After all, what point is there in having a healthy and functional body without the capacity to use it and live your life as you please?
Autonomy is the principle that enables patient choice over their treatment or lack thereof. Anyone who opts into treatment should not have their ability to decide stripped from them. However, there are several complicating factors when it comes to autonomy that you should be aware of.
Positive vs negative autonomy: Positive rights are those which should be facilitated - in this case, by the government or NHS. For instance, abortion can only exist as a positive right as it requires medical assistance to be safe. The government must provide access to abortion services. Negative rights are those that someone should not interfere with, but no one owes you. For instance, the right to not be harmed is a negative right. Someone cannot give it to you, but if no one interferes with it then you have it.
👉🏻 Read more: Abortion in the UK
Competence: For a patient to be able to make their own decisions, they must demonstrate that they are of sound mind and body. Essentially, they can take in, weigh up, retain, regurgitate and compare the information. If they do not - for instance, following a traumatic brain injury - then doctors may decide on their behalf.
Gillick competence: Gillick competence refers to a set of criteria that should be used to determine if an underage child can make their own medical decisions.
👉🏻 Read more: Gillick Competence and Fraser Guidelines
Danger to self or others: If a patient is deemed to be a danger to themself or others, then they may be kept even against their will. This is most commonly seen concerning psychiatric patients suffering from those conditions which may make them aggressive or dangerous.
Confidentiality interview questions are also very common, and relate in part to autonomy - a patient should be able to decide to whom they disclose personal information, except in cases where there may be a risk of harm to the other party.
👉🏻 Read more: Confidentiality in Health Care
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Justice
Justice definition: Justice refers to the idea that medical action ought to be fair for all.
Justice refers to fairness and righteousness in the distribution of benefits, rights, and privileges. In the field of medical ethics, justice is a concept that guides the distribution of healthcare resources and the allocation of medical treatments across different individuals.
There are a number of different approaches to justice, including:
Distributive justice - focuses on the fair distribution of resources
Retributive justice - involves punishment for wrongdoing.
In the field of medical ethics, justice often involves ensuring that all patients have access to necessary medical care, regardless of their ability to pay or other factors.
Another word for justice is fairness. Other synonyms for justice include equity, righteousness, impartiality, and even-handedness. It is important to carefully consider the meaning of justice when making decisions in ethical situations, as it can significantly impact the lives of patients and the healthcare system as a whole.
Justice is often considered the most complex of the four principles, as it takes into account a plethora of factors. In particular, you should be aware of the following:
Anti-discrimination: Of course, any doctor who discriminates against someone based on a protected characteristic can be stripped of their license. All patients must be treated equally and fairly without regard for their background. This relates even to patients who have committed immoral actions, such as high-security criminals.
Inequalities in healthcare: Access to healthcare is not equal. Factors such as wealth and location play a role in your ability to not only access healthcare, but also maintain a healthy lifestyle in the first place. Gender and race play further roles in the extent to which people from different backgrounds can suffer from different conditions, and be misdiagnosed. For instance, women are often underdiagnosed for heart attacks and many medical schools fail to incorporate imagery of dermatological conditions on non-white skin into their curriculums. LGBTQIA+ healthcare issues, such as access to gender-transitioning services or HIV/AIDS treatment, also face obstacles.
Equity vs equality: Equality means treating everyone equally, and equity means treating everyone according to their needs. For instance, giving 4 lateral flow tests to every household would be equal. However, providing 6 to households of 6 people and only 2 to households of 2 people would be equitable.
QALY (quality-adjusted life years): The QALY is often used to determine how much the NHS should spend on treatment. A single QALY is a year of life at full quality. Two QALYs could therefore be 2 years of full-quality life or 2.5 years of life at 80% quality. These ought to be considered equal under a QALY system. Consider the flaws of this system, as well, however - does it imply that people suffering from chronic illnesses should be deprioritised for treatments?
👉🏻 Read more: QALYs: The Ultimate Guide
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Using the four principles in interviews
Once you have familiarised yourself with the four principles of medical ethics and the relevant subtopics, you may be wondering exactly how to answer ethical questions or examples of medical ethics questions for the interview.
Additionally, look at our other articles, such as those on the Archie Battersbee case, Charlie Gard case, Abortion or Harold Shipman on further aspects of the interview process.
For individual help, get in touch with us at TheUKCATPeople. We offer expert medical interview preparation, including for specific medical schools. Check out the packages that we offer here!
Check out our other articles on NHS Hot Topics:
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Deontology In Medical Ethics
Deontology is an ethical theory that says that actions are right or wrong based on a set of rules or duties.
It is important in medical ethics because it helps to ensure that patients are treated with respect and dignity and that they are protected from harm.
Deontology is a way of thinking about ethics that focuses on what we ought to do, rather than what is good or bad. It is based on the idea that there are certain duties or obligations that we have, regardless of the consequences of our actions.
In the context of medical ethics, deontology is important because it helps us to make decisions about how to treat our patients in a way that is respectful of their dignity and autonomy. For example, deontology would require us to respect a patient's right to refuse treatment, even if we believe that the treatment would be in their best interests.
Here is an example of how deontology might be applied to a real-world situation:
Imagine that you are a doctor and you have a patient who is terminally ill. The patient asks you to help them to die. From a deontological perspective, you would have to consider the following duties:
Your duty to respect the patient's autonomy
Your duty to do no harm
Your duty to act in the patient's best interests
In this case, you might argue that your duty to respect the patient's autonomy outweighs your other duties. This is because the patient has a right to make their own decisions about their healthcare, even if those decisions are not what you would recommend.
Of course, deontology is not the only ethical theory that can be applied to medical ethics.
Other theories, such as utilitarianism and virtue ethics, also have important roles to play. However, deontology is a valuable tool for guiding our decision-making in the complex and challenging world of medical ethics.
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Utilitarianism & Virtue Ethics in Medical Ethics
Utilitarianism
Utilitarianism is an ethical theory that says that the right action is the one that produces the greatest good for the greatest number of people. It is important in medical ethics because it helps us to make decisions about how to allocate resources and how to treat patients in a way that maximizes the overall good.
Here is an example of how utilitarianism might be applied to a real-world situation:
Imagine that you are a public health official and you have a limited budget for a vaccination programme.
You are faced with two options:
Vaccinate all of the children in a small village, even though the risk of them contracting the disease is relatively low.
Vaccinate a smaller number of children in a large city, where the risk of contracting the disease is much higher.
From a utilitarian perspective, the second option is the right one, because it will save more lives overall. This is because there are more children at risk in the large city, even though the risk per child is lower.
Virtue ethics
Virtue ethics is an ethical theory that says that the right action is the one that a virtuous person would perform. It is important in medical ethics because it helps us to develop the moral character that is necessary to make good decisions in difficult situations.
Here is an example of how virtue ethics might be applied to a real-world situation:
Imagine that you are a doctor and you are treating a patient who is in a lot of pain. The patient is asking for you to prescribe them a powerful painkiller, even though you know that the painkiller is addictive.
From a virtue ethics perspective, you would have to consider the following virtues:
Compassion
Honesty
Integrity
You might argue that your compassion for the patient requires you to prescribe them the painkiller, even though you know that it is addictive.
However, you might also argue that your honesty and integrity require you to tell the patient about the risks of the painkiller and to offer them other options, such as non-addictive pain relievers or physical therapy.
Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to prescribe the painkiller is a complex one that must be made on a case-by-case basis.
However, virtue ethics can help us to develop the moral character that is necessary to make a good decision in this situation.
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100 Medical Ethics Interview Questions for 2024
Here you can find a list of some of a 100 MMI ethics interview questions that would help shape your revision, and can act as the backbone of all of the medical school interview ethics questions that you practice.
Informed Consent Medical Ethics Questions (5 Questions)
What are the ethical principles underpinning informed consent?
How can we ensure that patients understand the risks and benefits of medical procedures before they give their consent?
How can we ensure that patients have the capacity to give informed consent?
What should doctors do if a patient refuses to give informed consent for a necessary medical procedure?
What is the role of advanced directives in informed consent?
Patient Confidentiality Medical Ethics Questions (10 Questions)
What are the ethical principles underpinning patient confidentiality?
When is it ethically permissible to breach patient confidentiality?
How should doctors balance the need to protect patient confidentiality with the need to share information with other healthcare professionals or with the legal system?
How should doctors manage situations where they have a duty to warn third parties about a patient's potential to harm them?
What are the ethical implications of using social media to share information about patients?
How do you ensure patient confidentiality when using electronic health records?
What are the potential ethical challenges of data breaches in healthcare?
When might patient confidentiality conflict with the public interest?
What are the ethical considerations when sharing patient information for research purposes?
How do healthcare professionals maintain patient confidentiality in a multidisciplinary team?
👉🏻 Read more: Confidentiality in Health Care
End-of-Life Care Medical Ethics Questions (5 Questions)
When is it ethically permissible to withhold or withdraw life-sustaining treatment?
How can we ensure that patients have access to the end-of-life care that they want?
What are the ethical implications of euthanasia and assisted dying?
How do advance care planning and Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) orders factor into end-of-life ethical considerations?
How do cultural and religious beliefs influence end-of-life decisions and how should doctors handle them?
Resource Allocation Medical Ethics Questions (10 Questions)
What are the ethical principles that should guide the allocation of scarce healthcare resources?
How should we prioritise patients in emergency situations?
How should we decide who should receive access to new and expensive medical treatments?
How should we ration health care resources when there is not enough to go around?
What are the ethical implications of using market mechanisms to allocate healthcare resources?
How do Quality-Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) factor into resource allocation decisions?
What are the ethical considerations around funding treatments for self-induced conditions, such as smoking-related illnesses?
How should the healthcare needs of the ageing population influence resource allocation?
What ethical concerns arise from the NHS postcode lottery?
Should age be a consideration in resource allocation?
👉🏻 Read more: NHS Postcode Lottery
👉🏻 Read more: QALYs: The Ultimate Guide
Clinical Trials Medical Ethics Questions (5 Questions)
What are the ethical principles that should guide clinical trials?
What are the different types of clinical trials?
What are the ethical implications of using placebos in clinical trials?
How should we balance the need to advance medical knowledge with the need to protect patients from harm?
What are the ethical implications of conducting clinical trials in developing countries?
Genetic and AI Ethics Medical Ethics Questions (5 Questions)
What are the ethical implications of using artificial intelligence in medicine?
What are the ethical challenges posed by genetic testing and gene editing?
How should doctors approach the issue of conflicts of interest in genetic interventions?
How do privacy and confidentiality concerns manifest in genetic testing?
How might AI impact decision-making autonomy in patient care?
Medical Professionalism & Ethical Conduct Medical Ethics Questions (10 Questions)
How should medical professionals handle situations where they have made a mistake?
What are the ethical responsibilities of a doctor when faced with a colleague who may be impaired or incompetent?
How should healthcare professionals handle the boundaries of the patient-doctor relationship?
What are the ethical considerations surrounding doctors participating in strikes or work stoppages?
How should whistleblowers be protected and encouraged in the medical field?
What are the ethical implications of medical professionals engaging in dual relationships (e.g., treating friends or family)?
How do you navigate the potential conflict between personal beliefs and professional duties?
How should medical professionals handle gifts, hospitality, or incentives from patients or pharmaceutical companies?
What are the ethical concerns related to self-promotion or advertising in medicine, especially on social media?
A patient with HIV reveals to you that they have not disclosed this to their partner. What should you do?
Ethics in Medical Advancements Medical Ethics Questions (10 Questions)
How should the medical community approach the ethics of organ cloning or lab-grown organs?
What are the ethical considerations surrounding telemedicine and its potential barriers?
How do ethics play a role in the approval of new medical devices or technologies?
What are the ethical implications of health tracking or surveillance technology?
Should there be ethical guidelines surrounding "DIY medicine" or self-administered treatments facilitated by technology?
How do we balance the speed of medical innovation with ensuring patient safety?
What ethical concerns arise from the commercialisation or patenting of medical advancements?
How should the medical community handle situations where technology provides a treatment advantage but is not widely accessible?
How should the ethical considerations of "enhancement technologies" like gene doping or neural enhancements be approached?
What are the disadvantages of using AI in medicine?
👉🏻 Read more: AI In Medicine in 2023
General Medical Ethics Questions (20 Questions)
What influenced the Junior Doctors in the UK to strike and how should hospitals ensure patient care during such events?
How might the contract issues faced by junior doctors impact patient care and the broader NHS system?
What impact could nursing strikes have on patient outcomes and hospital operations?
With the GP shortage in the UK, how should the NHS prioritise care while ensuring quality standards are met?
How might the introduction of a 7-day NHS affect medical professionals, patients, and the healthcare system's efficiency?
How might the NHS Medical Apprenticeship Programme address shortages or skills gaps within the medical profession?
How do the core values of the NHS guide decision-making in complex or controversial scenarios?
What strategies should the NHS employ to ensure equitable treatment and representation of BAME staff?
How should healthcare professionals approach whistleblowing, particularly when patient safety is at risk?
How does the NHS postcode lottery impact patients' access to care and what measures can be taken to ensure equitable care regardless of location?
How do QALYs impact decisions on the treatment funding and allocation of resources within the NHS?
What are the potential implications for patient care and the wider healthcare system if the NHS is privatised?
Given the ageing population in the UK, how should the NHS adapt its care model to cater to the specific needs of older adults?
What measures should be in place to address the challenges posed by winter pressures and bed shortages in the NHS?
How might the integration of AI in medicine change the landscape of diagnosis and treatment within the NHS?
Following the Harold Shipman case, what protocols should be in place to prevent similar incidents in the future?
How might healthcare professionals respond to public fear or distrust after high-profile cases such as the MMR scandal by Andrew Wakefield?
What were the key failures identified in the Shropshire Maternity Scandal and how can healthcare institutions prevent such events in the future?
How does the principle of Gillick Competence inform medical decisions involving children, particularly in contentious situations?
How can healthcare professionals differentiate between sympathy and empathy and why is this distinction important in medical practice?
👉🏻 Read more: The Charlie Gard Case
👉🏻 Read more: The Dr Bawa Garba Case
👉🏻 Read more: The Harold Shipman Case
👉🏻 Read more: The Archie Battersbee Case
👉🏻 Read more: Andrew Wakefield & The MMR Scandal
👉🏻 Read more: The Lucy Letby Case
👉🏻 Read more: The Shropshire Maternity Scandal
👉🏻 Read more: The Francis Reports & Mid Staffordshire Failings
👉🏻 Read more: Martha's Rule: NHS Hot Topics
👉🏻 Read more: BMA Junior Doctor Strikes in the UK
👉🏻 Read more: Junior Doctor Contract Issues in the UK
👉🏻 Read more: Nursing Strikes in the UK
👉🏻 Read more: NHS GP Shortage in the UK
👉🏻 Read more: 7 Day NHS
👉🏻 Read more: NHS Medical Apprenticeship Programme
👉🏻 Read more: NHS Core Values
👉🏻 Read more: BAME Staff in the NHS
👉🏻 Read more: Whistleblowing in the NHS
Scenario-Based Medical Ethics Questions (20 Questions)
Blood Transfusion Refusal: You are a junior doctor working in an NHS hospital. A 14-year-old patient requires a blood transfusion following a road traffic accident. However, both the patient and their parents refuse the transfusion due to their religious beliefs. How would you approach this situation, and what are the key ethical principles at play?
Experimental Treatment Abroad: A patient with terminal cancer wishes to undergo an experimental treatment not yet approved in the UK but has shown promise abroad. They have researched extensively and wish to try it, even if it means travelling overseas. How do you advise and support your patient, and what ethical considerations arise?
Teenage Contraception Confidentiality: You are a GP in a local surgery. A 16-year-old patient comes to you seeking contraceptive advice, but she insists you do not inform her parents. How do you handle this situation, considering patient confidentiality and safeguarding issues?
Managing Aggressive Behaviour: While on a rotation in a geriatric ward, a patient with advanced Alzheimer's disease becomes aggressive towards the staff. The patient's family suggests using sedative medications to manage their behaviour, but you're concerned about the ethical implications. How do you proceed?
Intoxicated Patient in A&E: During your shift in A&E, a patient who is visibly intoxicated demands immediate treatment for a minor injury while there are critically ill patients waiting. How do you ethically prioritise care in this situation?
Disclosure of Medical Error: A colleague confides in you that they made a minor error during a procedure, which had no adverse outcomes for the patient. They are contemplating whether to disclose the error to the patient. What advice would you give, and what are the ethical principles to consider?
Organ Transplant Allocation: An organ becomes available for transplantation. Two patients on your ward could benefit from the transplant. One is an elderly individual with multiple comorbidities, and the other is a young individual with a history of drug misuse. How do you approach the allocation, and what are the ethical considerations?
Unprofessional Commentary: You overhear a fellow medical student making derogatory comments about a patient's lifestyle choices. How would you address this situation, and what ethical concerns does it raise about professionalism and respect?
Mental Illness and Medication Refusal: A patient diagnosed with a severe mental illness refuses to take their prescribed medication, fearing side effects. They've been sectioned under the Mental Health Act before. How do you manage their treatment while respecting their autonomy and ensuring safety?
Alternative Therapies in Paediatrics: During your paediatric rotation, parents of a child with a rare but treatable condition refuse conventional treatments in favour of alternative therapies. They firmly believe this is in the best interest of their child. How do you approach this delicate situation, balancing the child's best interest and parental autonomy?
Domestic Abuse Disclosure: During your placement in general practice, a patient you are consulting with becomes tearful and discloses a history of domestic abuse. They plead with you not to inform anyone, including the GP overseeing you. How do you navigate this situation, and what are the ethical considerations?
Questionable Clinical Decisions: While shadowing a consultant during ward rounds, you witness them making a decision that you believe is not in the best interest of the patient. You are unsure whether to raise your concerns, fearing potential repercussions on your placement assessment. What do you do, and what ethical principles are involved?
Cadaveric Photography: In your anatomy class, you're working with cadaveric specimens. A fellow student takes a photograph of a specimen to share with friends on social media, claiming it's "for educational purposes". How do you respond, and what are the ethical concerns surrounding patient dignity and confidentiality?
Peer Blood Draw Concerns: During a clinical skills session, you are practising taking blood from a peer. They express discomfort and anxiety about the procedure but don't want to be seen as "uncooperative". How do you approach this situation, ensuring your peer's well-being while also fulfilling your learning objectives?
Psychiatric Interview Dilemma: You are on a psychiatry rotation and are assigned to interview a patient who has been admitted following a suicide attempt. The patient becomes very distressed during the interview and asks you to leave. However, you feel the information might be crucial for your case presentation the following week. How do you handle this scenario, balancing your educational needs with the patient's well-being and autonomy?
Drunk Doctor: During a night shift, you suspect that one of the senior doctors on duty is under the influence of alcohol. You notice subtle signs of impairment in their speech and coordination. How would you address this situation, considering patient safety and professional conduct?
Academic Honesty: While studying for an upcoming exam, a colleague approaches you with a set of questions they claim are from the upcoming paper, offering to share them with you. What do you do in this situation, and what ethical principles are at play regarding academic honesty?
Attendance Forgery: You are on a rotation and realise that a fellow junior doctor often asks others to sign them into teaching sessions that they don’t attend. They justify it by saying they're reading up on the topic independently. How do you respond to this, considering the importance of attendance and peer responsibility?
Self-medication Dilemma: A close friend of yours, also a medical student, confides in you that they've been feeling overwhelmed and have occasionally taken prescription medications not prescribed to them to help cope. How do you handle this delicate situation, taking into account both your friend's well-being and the ethical issues surrounding self-medication?
Mistaken Identity: While on a clinical rotation, a patient mistakes you for a fully qualified doctor and begins to ask detailed questions about their care and prognosis. You’re tempted to answer based on your knowledge
Some further reading on NHS Hot Topics and Ethical Topics Here:
👉🏻 Read more: Privatisation of the NHS
👉🏻 Read more: Ageing Population in the NHS
👉🏻 Read more: NHS Longterm Plan
👉🏻 Read more: NHS Winter Pressures & Bed Shortages
👉🏻 Read more: Euthanasia & Assisted Dying in the UK
👉🏻 Read more: Organ Donation & Organ Transplant Dilemmas
👉🏻 Read more: Abortion in the UK
👉🏻 Read more: Gillick Competence & Fraser Guidelines
👉🏻 Read more: Sympathy vs Empathy in Medicine Interviews
👉🏻 Read more: Capacity in Medicine Interviews
If you’re looking for guides to other possible medicine stations, including how to answer questions like these mock medicine interview questions, then check out the other articles in our Ultimate Medicine Interview Guide 2023!
For individual help or 1-1 medicine interview tutoring, 1-1 mock interviews or general medicine interview coaching, get in touch with us at TheUKCATPeople. We offer expert medical interview preparation, including for specific medical schools.
Check out the packages that we offer here!
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Related Links
Free Guides
Important Cases in The NHS: MMI Interview Guides
Ethics For MMI Medicine Interviews
MMI Interview Stations
NHS Hot Topics 2024
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