State Laws

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freak7

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Hey all,

I just got out of a mock interview and one thing the interviewer had to say was that if I am going to be interviewing out of state, I need might want to have looked at the state laws which may apply when answering an ethical dilemma question. Is there any particular consolidated source that compares state laws on these sorts of topics? I found procon.org to be sort of useful and somewhat up to date but I'm curious if there are any other options. If not I'll just have to look up the laws via the state's .gov site. Thanks!

Edit: wording
 
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I think that is terrible advice lol
 
I think that is terrible advice lol
How so? I actually thought it was good advice since state laws may play a factor into your decisions on how to proceed.
 
If you're given an ethical scenario type question in an interview and state laws are particularly relevant, you're allowed to ask about the local state laws during your interview. This would show that you are actively listening and would demonstrate your thought-process to coming to an appropriate solution/conclusion
 
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It may be more important to know that you will need to know what the law is in that state at the time you are practicing and that is something you will be told. You should know that the age of majority depends on the state and that some states permit pregnant minors to make medical decisions for themselves and then for their offspring, and for all minors (above a minimum age) to make decisions about reproductive health care and care related to substance abuse. (So if a 15 year old wants a prescription for birth control pills or antibiotics for an STI, it might be legal in the state where you are practicing and you'll be briefed on those laws when you begin practicing.)

That would be a big one. I suppose another would be the laws related to being permitted to refuse vaccines for religious or philosophical reasons.

Are there any other state laws that would come into play in medical ethics? I suppose physician assisted suicide and the laws regulating the prescribing of marijuana.
 
How so? I actually thought it was good advice since state laws may play a factor into your decisions on how to proceed.

How in God's name are you suppose to know all of the laws regarding ethics as a pre-med? They want to see that you have morals and some understanding of right/wrong
 
It may be more important to know that you will need to know what the law is in that state at the time you are practicing and that is something you will be told. You should know that the age of majority depends on the state and that some states permit pregnant minors to make medical decisions for themselves and then for their offspring, and for all minors (above a minimum age) to make decisions about reproductive health care and care related to substance abuse. (So if a 15 year old wants a prescription for birth control pills or antibiotics for an STI, it might be legal in the state where you are practicing and you'll be briefed on those laws when you begin practicing.)

That would be a big one. I suppose another would be the laws related to being permitted to refuse vaccines for religious or philosophical reasons.

Are there any other state laws that would come into play in medical ethics? I suppose physician assisted suicide and the laws regulating the prescribing of marijuana.
That really is the big one that I was concerned about. I just felt it couldn't hurt looking up some more common dilemmas.
 
If you're given an ethical scenario type question in an interview and state laws are particularly relevant, you're allowed to ask about the local state laws during your interview.
I didn't know that! I think that's what I'll end up doing. Hopefully they'll just respond with "just answer what you would do".

Thanks a lot!
 
I didn't know that! I think that's what I'll end up doing. Hopefully they'll just respond with "just answer what you would do".

Thanks a lot!

If I recall aren't you applying to UW? They said in a presentation that thinking out loud during ethical scenarios is encouraged as it shows your critical thinking and reasoning.

What do you know?
What do you need to know to answer the question?
How do I go about finding the answer to those things that I need to know?
How can I apply these things to a conclusion?

... I assume this notion applies to all medical school interviews.
 
Agree with others that this is really stupid advice. The point of these questions is not whether you have insider knowledge of exactly what to do, but where your common sense is, and to be able to articulate your answer, and your thought processes.


Hey all,

I just got out of a mock interview and one thing the interviewer had to say was that if I am going to be interviewing out of state, I need might want to have looked at the state laws which may apply when answering an ethical dilemma question. Is there any particular consolidated source that compares state laws on these sorts of topics? I found procon.org to be sort of useful and somewhat up to date but I'm curious if there are any other options. If not I'll just have to look up the laws via the state's .gov site. Thanks!

Edit: wording
 
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