You are a 3rd year medical student doing hospital rotations. A fellow medical student who is doing rounds with you often shows up to these sessions tired, messy, hungover, or even drunk. One day you found him in the lunchroom unaccompanied, so you decided to talk to him. Please enter the lunchroom.

Where answers to this question lose points

Our scorer marks every answer on three parts. For each of the 86 applicants who finished this question on Confetto, we took their first scored answer and counted the part that scored lowest.

• Structure: a clear order and a clear point41 of 86
• Content: covering what the question needs22 of 86

Confetto data as of November 8, 2026. A part is shown only when 20 or more applicants share it. Answers where two parts tied are not counted toward either. We never show anyone's answers or details.

What this question tests

• Ethics
• Communication
• Professionalism

How to structure your answer

1. Stay in the scene (15 seconds). Alex introduces himself as a fellow student from the medicine rotation, asks permission to sit, and explains that he wanted to check in privately. He talks directly to his colleague with care throughout, rather than stepping outside the conversation to address the assessor.
2. Ask about them (45 seconds). Alex begins with one open question about how things have been going, giving his colleague room to explain in his own words. He explicitly offers time and a listening ear, making space to hear the full response before moving into concerns or advice.
3. Name the feeling (40 seconds). Alex names the exhaustion he sees today and the repeated appearance of being worn down during rounds, expressing concern without assuming the cause. He acknowledges the demanding rotation and difficulty opening up, offers support, and leaves a few seconds of quiet for his colleague to respond.
4. Say it plainly (45 seconds). Alex plainly describes repeatedly smelling alcohol, including today, and asks about drinking and current impairment without labeling or shaming his colleague. He explains that possible impairment requires pausing patient care and involving the supervisor, promising discretion and accurate reporting rather than secrecy.
5. Agree a next step (30 seconds). Alex proposes contacting the supervisor together privately, letting his colleague choose who speaks first and offering to stay during the call. He respects those choices while making clear that the safety concern must still be raised, and suggests asking about confidential student support.
6. Common pitfalls. Stepping out of the lunchroom conversation to explain the plan to the assessor would break the scene, while jumping straight to an alcohol lecture would bypass listening. Promising secrecy or letting the colleague refuse necessary escalation would undermine the clear safety boundary this answer establishes.

Example answer from Confetto

Example answer from Confetto. Not a real applicant's answer.

“Hey, it’s Alex, from your medicine rotation. Is it okay if I sit with you? I’ve been hoping to catch you somewhere private. I care about how you’re doing, and I wanted to check in without the rest of the team around.”

“How have things been going for you lately? Take your time. I’m here to listen, and we don’t have to rush through this.”

“You look exhausted today, and I’ve noticed you’ve seemed worn down on several rounds recently. I’m concerned you might be having a hard time, although I don’t want to assume I know what’s behind it. This rotation has been demanding, and it can be difficult to tell someone when things aren’t going well. You don’t have to put on a brave face with me. …”

“There’s something difficult I need to say plainly. On more than one occasion, I’ve smelled alcohol on your breath during rounds, and today I noticed it again. I don’t know how much you’ve had or what’s going on, so I need to ask: have you been drinking today, and are you feeling impaired right now? I’m not here to label you or shame you, but I can’t ignore a possible risk to you or our patients. If you might be impaired, we need to pause your patient care and involve our supervising physician. I’ll be discreet, but I can’t promise to keep a safety concern between us. I can promise to describe only what I’ve observed and be honest about what I don’t know.”

“Can we work out the next step together? My preference is that we contact our supervisor together now, somewhere private. You can explain first, or I can start if that feels easier. If you don’t want to come, I still need to raise the concern, and I’ll tell you exactly what I’m sharing. We can also ask about confidential student support. For right now, are you comfortable having me stay with you while we make that call?”

Use it for its structure. Interviewers can tell a memorized script, so tell your own story.

Keep going

• You are a medical student. The morning after a graduation-week party at a campground, your best friend Jenna asks you to come over. She tells you she left the party early and drove home after drinking. Enter the room and talk to Jenna.
• You witness a fellow resident making derogatory remarks about patients from a particular socioeconomic background. How do you address this unprofessional behavior?
• You are a physician at a community event when an acquaintance asks for your professional opinion on a rash on their arm. How do you respond while maintaining professional boundaries?
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