The following is a list of some of the potential MMI Stations that you might encounter.
Imagine that you are provided with the following ethical scenario. What medical ethical pillar or pillars would you highlight? A doctor refuses to provide a patient with an abortion, and fails to refer them onto another doctor to provide it.
Here I believe that the most important pillars to highlight would be nonmaleficence and beneficence, as the doctor is certainly failing in their duty to do no harm – as harm could certainly now befall the patient – and nor have they provided the best treatment possible for the patient. An argument could be made for Justice as well, as they have not guaranteed access to healthcare – but this is not as clear an answer as beneficence or nonmaleficence.
500+ Questions, Model Answers with Expert Techniques & Simulated Interview Circuits
Mock Interviews, Personalised Feedback & Support From Your Own Interview Specialist.
20+ Interview Stations & Expert Feedback. Taught By Medical School Interview Specialists.
Why do doctors need to display empathy?
Doctors need to display empathy for a variety of reasons. Chief amongst these are the fact that empathy increases the trust between patient and doctor, that empathy allows the doctor to understand the patient and learn more about them, and that empathy makes the patient feel more comfortable. Essentially, the doctor’s goal is to develop a trusting relationship in which patients share all information – and their goal is to support their patients and make them feel as comfortable as possible.
What is a risk of sympathising with patients, or of spending too much of one’s time empathising with all one’s patients?
I believe that the main risk here would be compassion fatigue. Compassion fatigue, defined as burnout linked to or stemming from caring for others is a problem that affects all healthcare professionals. Healthcare workers must empathise with their patients in order to deliver good quality care. However, devoting too much of oneself to patients can lead to compassion fatigue, which in turn will lead to the doctor becoming tired and the quality of care that they are able to produce reducing.Â
Learn the best interview strategies and practice with past interview questions & model answers.
What would you say are some of the most noted causes of stress and burnout for doctors?
All of long hours, social expectations, and extensive bureaucracy are noted causes of stress for doctors. IT systems and bureaucracy that holds doctors back from interacting with and treating patients is a huge cause of compassion fatigue and burnout. Long hours are, sadly, part of the job – night shifts are expected, as are back-to-back shifts that can lead to exhaustion.. Social expectations (that doctors are respectable and live comfortably) can cause problems, particularly if doctors encounter problems with money or their personal lives.
Describe some situations to me that would involve a conflict of interest.
There are many different situations that could involve a conflict of interest for doctors. I would say that an obvious one is a doctor accepting funding from the manufacturer of a particular piece of equipment – or the manufacturer of a particular drug – and then trying to use their influence to have that piece of technology adapted. Equally, doctors having relationships with their patients, or with a medical student in their care, would be seen as conflict interest. Doctors must be aware of the risks of conflicts of interest, and thus avoid such situations.
Consider the following scenario. Which concern or pillar is most relevant, and why?
‘A doctor, realising that they have been working long hours for relatively low pay, decides to accept a financial contribution from a pharmaceutical company.’
I would argue that the most important concern here is conflict of interest. The core ethical pillars, like beneficence and nonmaleficence, are perhaps less relevant. One could argue that Justice is not being followed, as a doctor ought to ensure equal care for all and equal access to care, but this isn’t a clear link.Â
Primarily, why would you say that confidentiality is so important in Medicine?
I believe that the most important reason is so that patients can understand that they can share information honestly and openly. This ensures that relevant information is provided to the doctor, who in turn can therefore make a correct diagnosis.
