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[treeclimbingmonkey]

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[wysdoc]

How do you answer an interview question like "Tell me about an unethical thing you have seen a physician do and what you did about it", if you have not seen a physician do something unethical yet.
Could I just say that all of my physician encounters have been just and that they have modeled their best behavior? Have you all seen physicians do unethical things during pre-med shadowing or clinical service?

That's also a secondary essay prompt for at least one school. Your answer should be your own story, and if you haven't observed unethical events yourself just say that.

 

[NITRAS]

Impressively stupid question. What kind of physician would do something unethical that a pre-med could see was unethical? If they aired their stupidity, they would not be practicing long.

 

[LizzyM]

I suppose that it is a test to see if you would call out unethical behavior if you saw it. But you can't call it out if you have not seen it so I don't believe it is a very reliable question.

I suppose that there would be those physicians who would knowing lie to patients, withhold information from patients (or families) for paternalistic reasons, work while impaired by drugs or alcohol, or behave (or speak) in a racist, sexist, or otherwise inappropriate way to or about patients, families, trainees or coworkers.

I think that it takes a lot of gumption to do anything about it as an underling and I wouldn't fault a pre-med who might do nothing but make a mental note of "what not to do" .

 

[Princeton Medical Student]

How do you answer an interview question like "Tell me about an unethical thing you have seen a physician do and what you did about it", if you have not seen a physician do something unethical yet.
Could I just say that all of my physician encounters have been just and that they have modeled their best behavior? Have you all seen physicians do unethical things during pre-med shadowing or clinical service?

Can medical schools stop asking ridiculous questions like this? Jfc

 

[Goro]

How do you answer an interview question like "Tell me about an unethical thing you have seen a physician do and what you did about it", if you have not seen a physician do something unethical yet.
Could I just say that all of my physician encounters have been just and that they have modeled their best behavior? Have you all seen physicians do unethical things during pre-med shadowing or clinical service?

You answer truthfully; you've never seen a clinician do that.

 

[LizzyM]

I see! So would it be ok to say "I haven't personally experienced or observed an unethical behavior in the medical workplace, but if I did, I would speak up and consult my superiors when addressing any suspicions I may have." ?

ok... who are your superiors?

Pretend I'm one of them. What would you say to me?

Just be prepared for those types of follow up questions.

Do you remember the TV show "what would you do?" Think about what you would do when faced with an unethical act.

 

[Proudfather94]

How do you answer an interview question like "Tell me about an unethical thing you have seen a physician do and what you did about it", if you have not seen a physician do something unethical yet.
Could I just say that all of my physician encounters have been just and that they have modeled their best behavior? Have you all seen physicians do unethical things during pre-med shadowing or clinical service?

The only one that really comes to mind to me is when a few nurses called out a doctor for charting that they did RN-MD rounding when they didn't.

 

[Proudfather94]

Yeah but for something like that, did you really speak up?

Nah the nurses did though.

 

[George Lincoln]

How do you answer an interview question like "Tell me about an unethical thing you have seen a physician do and what you did about it", if you have not seen a physician do something unethical yet.
Could I just say that all of my physician encounters have been just and that they have modeled their best behavior? Have you all seen physicians do unethical things during pre-med shadowing or clinical service?

Be honest. If you’ve not seen it then that’s your answer. If however you have witnessed unethical behavior it is obvious as to what you witnessed and what was your response. Having practiced for over 40 years I’ve seen gradations as well as outright negligence. In practice it’s easier to just step in to correct the issue as a resident having seen an attending surgeon totally f—- someone I told my chief I’d never send him another case. Bottom line it’s what you do when no one else is watching. I know I’ve always felt clean when I had no regrets for my actions. Good luck.

 

[tracheatoedoc]

I did my third year at the University of London. A man had been admitted with a right sided stroke. He developed a DVT in one of his lower extremities. The consultant and Registrar talked about not treating it, expecting the man to die of a PE. I can’t remember whether they treated the DVT or not, but they later discussed not giving him IV fluids, hoping to hasten his death. I talked them out of it. He was later admitted for another problem, at which point the consultant turned to me and reminded me that we should have let him die on the prior admission