The interview question bank

Competing duties with no perfect answer: consent, confidentiality, fairness.

• EthicsAdvanced·MMI station · MD, DO, PA

  Genetic testing shows the husband isn't the father. The wife begs you not to tell him. Then he asks you if anything came back abnormal. What do you say?

  Confidentiality · Integrity · Communication

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  Sample answer outline

  1. 1Clarify the facts: who ordered the test, for what clinical question, and whose information this is.
  2. 2Answer his actual question truthfully: report the results relevant to the child's health. Non-paternity was an incidental finding, not what the test was for.
  3. 3Don't lie, and don't disclose what isn't yours to share. You can say you will go over the medical findings with both parents.
  4. 4Speak with the wife privately: understand her fears, check her safety, encourage her to consider disclosure, offer counseling.
  5. 5Involve genetics colleagues and ethics, and follow local law and policy, which vary.

  What makes it work

  • It separates honesty from full disclosure, which is the heart of the dilemma.
  • It keeps the child's medical interests in view.

  Avoid

  • Telling the husband outright, or lying to him.
  • Treating it as a simple yes or no.

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• EthicsAdvanced·MMI station · MD, DO, PA

  A 9-year-old with measles begs you for the vaccine. The parents still refuse. Do you vaccinate?

  Autonomy and consent · Communication

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  1. 1Spot the clinical detail: a child who already has measles won't be helped by the measles vaccine now. The priority is treating them, isolating them and protecting contacts.
  2. 2Explain the frame: a 9-year-old can't consent alone; parents decide unless their choice puts the child at serious risk.
  3. 3Explore the parents' reasons with respect and correct misinformation. The illness is a natural moment to revisit vaccines for the child's siblings and the child's other vaccines.
  4. 4Keep the child's voice in the room: acknowledge their fear and explain what will happen.
  5. 5Notify public health as required.

  What makes it work

  • Catching the clinical premise shows careful reading, which interviewers love.
  • It respects parents while still protecting children and the public.

  Avoid

  • Vaccinating against the parents' wishes without legal grounds.
  • Lecturing the parents.

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• EthicsAdvanced·MMI station · MD, DO, PA

  A patient with Down syndrome is pregnant and wants to keep the baby. Her mother and husband want her to have an abortion. What do you do?

  Autonomy and consent · Communication · Equity and access

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  1. 1Start from a presumption of capacity: Down syndrome alone does not mean she can't make this decision.
  2. 2Assess capacity for this specific choice, with supports: plain language, time, visual aids, a trusted advocate.
  3. 3Meet with her alone to hear her wishes free of pressure, and screen for coercion.
  4. 4Acknowledge the family's worries and bring them into planning support for her, not into overriding her.
  5. 5If capacity is truly lacking, follow legal surrogate processes and involve ethics, still centered on her values.

  What makes it work

  • It avoids the common trap of assuming disability means incapacity.
  • It treats the family as partners without handing them the decision.

  Avoid

  • Siding with the family because they seem more "reasonable".

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• EthicsIntermediate·MMI station · MD, DO, PA, Nursing, Residency

  A Jehovah's Witness patient refuses a blood transfusion they need to survive. What do you do?

  Autonomy and consent · Cultural humility · Communication

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  1. 1A competent adult can refuse even life-saving treatment. Your job is to make sure the refusal is informed, voluntary and consistent with their values.
  2. 2Talk with them privately to check for pressure from family or community.
  3. 3Explore what they will accept: bloodless surgery techniques, cell salvage, iron, medicines that boost blood production.
  4. 4Document the conversation and their decision clearly, and keep caring for them fully.
  5. 5Note how it differs for a child or for an unconscious patient without an advance directive.

  What makes it work

  • It respects autonomy while doing everything else possible.
  • Showing the contrast with a child proves you understand the limits.

  Avoid

  • Trying to persuade them out of their faith.
  • Treating the refusal as a reason to step back from their care.

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• EthicsAdvanced·MMI station · MD, DO, PA

  A 12-year-old asks you for birth control and begs you not to tell her parents. What do you do?

  Confidentiality · Patient safety · Communication

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  1. 1Notice the age. At 12, sexual activity is a safeguarding concern in most places, so the child's safety comes first.
  2. 2Before she shares more, explain honestly what you can keep private and what you can't.
  3. 3Talk gently and privately: who she is involved with, whether she feels safe, any signs of coercion or abuse.
  4. 4Follow mandatory reporting duties where they apply, with your supervisor and child protection services.
  5. 5Still meet her health needs: information, protection, and encouragement to involve a trusted adult.

  What makes it work

  • It recognizes the safeguarding issue many applicants miss.
  • Being honest about the limits of confidentiality keeps her trust.

  Avoid

  • Promising total secrecy.
  • Treating it like the same request from a 16-year-old.

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• EthicsIntermediate·MMI station · MD, DO, PA

  A family begs you not to tell their grandmother she has cancer because "it'll kill her faster." What do you do?

  Autonomy and consent · Cultural humility · Communication

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  Sample answer outline

  1. 1Listen to the family first: their fear and any cultural norms around sharing bad news.
  2. 2Explain that the information belongs to the patient, and that you won't lie to her.
  3. 3Ask the grandmother how much she wants to know and who she wants involved. Some people choose to let family decide.
  4. 4Share news at her pace, with the family present if she wishes, and plan support together.

  What makes it work

  • Asking the patient what she wants resolves the dilemma respectfully.
  • It honors culture without giving up honesty.

  Avoid

  • Telling her bluntly against the family's wishes without asking her first.

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• EthicsBeginner·MMI station · MD, DO, PA, Nursing, Residency

  A dying patient asks you to pray with them. You're not religious. What do you do?

  Empathy · Cultural humility · Communication

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  1. 1Respond to the need behind the request: comfort and connection at the end of life.
  2. 2You can be present respectfully, by staying quietly, holding their hand or listening, without claiming a belief you don't hold.
  3. 3Offer the chaplain or their own faith leader.
  4. 4Keep your own views out of it; this moment is about them.

  What makes it work

  • Presence over performance: honest and kind at once.

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• EthicsIntermediate·MMI station · Dental

  A patient insists on a cosmetic procedure you believe is unnecessary and could damage healthy teeth. They've already paid in full. What do you do?

  Autonomy and consent · Integrity · Communication

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  1. 1Understand their goal: what do they want to change about their smile, and why now?
  2. 2Explain the risks honestly: removing healthy tooth structure is irreversible.
  3. 3Offer conservative alternatives that meet the goal, such as whitening, bonding or orthodontics.
  4. 4If you still believe it causes harm, decline and refund. Payment doesn't change your duty.
  5. 5Document the discussion.

  What makes it work

  • It separates the patient's goal from the procedure they asked for.
  • Being clear about the payment shows integrity.

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• EthicsIntermediate·MMI station · Vet

  A cat needs emergency surgery to survive, but the owner can't afford it and declines treatment. The cat will suffer without intervention. How do you handle this?

  Empathy · Equity and access · Communication

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  How to approach ethical dilemma questions

  1. 1Clarify the facts and what you would want to know before acting.
  2. 2Name who is affected and the principles in tension: autonomy, doing good, avoiding harm, fairness, confidentiality.
  3. 3Walk through realistic options, starting with the least drastic.
  4. 4Choose a course of action, explain why, and say who you would involve.

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• EthicsAdvanced·MMI station · MD, DO, PA

  How would you explain informed consent to a minor who disagrees with their guardian?

  Autonomy and consent · Communication

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  How to approach ethical dilemma questions

  1. 1Clarify the facts and what you would want to know before acting.
  2. 2Name who is affected and the principles in tension: autonomy, doing good, avoiding harm, fairness, confidentiality.
  3. 3Walk through realistic options, starting with the least drastic.
  4. 4Choose a course of action, explain why, and say who you would involve.

  We haven't written a sample answer for this one yet. Practice it out loud and the AI interviewer gives you feedback on your own answer.

  Open the question page