Morality Interview question

[arock456]

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I am very stuck between these questions because many people say that I should answer questions truthfully while others say that my answers should be based on what they want to hear....
Furthermore for these questions such as:
our friend is of Chinese descent and fluent in Mandarin. You both want to get into medicine. She registers for Mandarin 101, a course in Chinese language for beginners. The course coordinator asks that students who can already speak just a little bit of Mandarin should leave because this is a course for beginners. Your friend remains but makes a sufficient number of deliberate mistakes in the classroom discussions, in the required homework and in the examinations that she will not be detected and yet still receive an excellent grade. What would you do in this situation?

Is the right answer to brown nose?
I hate brown nosing.... and it's MY FRIEND...
I learned from my shadowing experiences that when patients tell the physician secrets about themselves that they aren't suppose to reveal it to law enforcement unless it is harming others.

 

[Goro]

This is a lousy question because we all know what you're going to say ("I'd tell her to drop, or I'd rat her out")

We also know that in real life you'd do no such thing.

We're pretty good in sussing out weasels who tell us what they think we want to hear, instead of speaking honestly.

You've been warned.

I am very stuck between these questions because many people say that I should answer questions truthfully while others say that my answers should be based on what they want to hear....
Furthermore for these questions such as:
our friend is of Chinese descent and fluent in Mandarin. You both want to get into medicine. She registers for Mandarin 101, a course in Chinese language for beginners. The course coordinator asks that students who can already speak just a little bit of Mandarin should leave because this is a course for beginners. Your friend remains but makes a sufficient number of deliberate mistakes in the classroom discussions, in the required homework and in the examinations that she will not be detected and yet still receive an excellent grade. What would you do in this situation?

Is the right answer to brown nose?
I hate brown nosing.... and it's MY FRIEND...
I learned from my shadowing experiences that when patients tell the physician secrets about themselves that they aren't suppose to reveal it to law enforcement unless it is harming others.

 

[The Robe of Robes]

This is a lousy question because we all know what you're going to say ("I'd tell her to drop, or I'd rat her out")

We also know that in real life you'd do no such thing.

We're pretty good in sussing out weasels who tell us what they think we want to hear, instead of speaking honestly.

You've been warned.

What if we answered honestly and said that despite the lack of morality behind her decision to stay in a class for the easy A, it isn't our place to force her out of the class or get her on the professors bad side. She paid for the class, so she can take it even if she's not a beginner.

Would we be judged hard?

 

[mikil100]

I dislike questions such as this as much as "soo...what if you get accepted to medschool elsewhere at school x.."

 

[Spinach Dip]

Thats a horrible question because there is only one reasonable answer (turn them in), which is also the least likely thing someone would ACTUALLY do to their friend.

The adcom might as well be saying: "lie to me."

 

[ivorypearls]

Encourage the friend to take the higher level class first. Explain how it's unfair to the non-native speakers who are struggling and that its more beneficial to her in the long run. Tell her the consequences if she gets caught (in our institution it is an honor code violation). This isn't a patient-physician situation. If worse comes to worse and she does not give in, inform the professor

 

[Chelsea FC]

U guys are all crazy. If these are the answers im never going to get into medical school. I would mention it once to the friend as part of my duty as a good friend and try to show them what they are doing is wrong . If they want to ignore my advice and stay in the class its totally up to them. If this was a more serious issue where someone life or a organisations reputation is on the line then this would be a different answer. But this would be none of my business in this context and context really matters in these cases

 

[arock456]

So I'm guessing from what everyone else is saying and @Goro, that it's okay to not report it to the teacher.

 

[Chelsea FC]

So I'm guessing from what everyone else is saying and @Goro, that it's okay to not report it to the teacher.

Answer truthfully thats the right answer . If you are the type of person to report him then be honest .

 

[Spector1]

seems like a loaded question.

I mean I'd rather say I'd turn in my friend and have the prof think I might be lying rather than just saying I wouldnt turn him in at all. Both options are not great

 

[Chelsea FC]

Whats the point of turning in your friend ?? I think this ones a easy question a bad one but easy. You mind your business . This is not a serious enough infraction . Having morals doesnt mean you are to police every situation you have to know when to pick and choose your battles ..
But everyone has different opinions

 

[Law2Doc]

Thats a horrible question because there is only one reasonable answer ...

well, there are multiple "reasonable" answers but only one morally correct one.

 

[goldy490]

There's usually two different iterations of this question, one is
a) "being dishonest in an UG class that doesn't really have a bearing on medical education"
and the other is
b) "cheating in med school"

I think for A you can honestly say that while you'd confront the friend, it isn't your place to police their behavior and prevent them from cheating. Her getting an A in this class doesn't really affect or harm anyone else. For B, always turn them in, because their cheating means they aren't learning things that could be necessary to save a human life one day.

 

[Chelsea FC]

There's usually two different iterations of this question, one is
a) "being dishonest in an UG class that doesn't really have a bearing on medical education"
and the other is
b) "cheating in med school"

I think for A you can honestly say that while you'd confront the friend, it isn't your place to police their behavior and prevent them from cheating. Her getting an A in this class doesn't really affect or harm anyone else. For B, always turn them in, because their cheating means they aren't learning things that could be necessary to save a human life one day.

I wouldnt even do so with B. Because they are checkpoints one have to pass to become a doctor. If he cheats it will catch up to him way before reaching to that level. If its a professional setting now where we are in direct control over peoples life then I would report if he did something unethical.

 

[Goro]

That's a perfectly OK answer. You all can't be responsible for other people's actions.

What if we answered honestly and said that despite the lack of morality behind her decision to stay in a class for the easy A, it isn't our place to force her out of the class or get her on the professors bad side. She paid for the class, so she can take it even if she's not a beginner.

Would we be judged hard?

 

[Goro]

Medical school is different. As my learned colleague L2D has mentioned, there is only one right answer. In med school and after, you don't tolerate cheaters. In fact, this is part of the honor code you'll be expected to sign upon matriculation. At the service academies, it's codified as something like "I will not cheat nor tolerate anyone who does".

@Law2Doc can probably comment more on the moral/ethical and legal obligations of a doctor to report wrongdoing.

I wouldnt even do so with B. Because they are checkpoints one have to pass to become a doctor. If he cheats it will catch up to him way before reaching to that level. If its a professional setting now where we are in direct control over peoples life then I would report if he did something unethical.

 

[Planes2Doc]

The answer is always: Yes, I would throw my grandmother under the bus if she was dishonest.