118 Ethics interview questions

You're a junior doctor on a surgical ward. A patient's husband notices unexpected information in her chart and starts questioning her loudly. While outside the room, you can hear his voice escalate to shouting. What do you do? Follow-Up: What do you do if the patient later confides she is being abused by her husband?

You are a junior doctor conducting a consultation with an elderly patient, Mr Brown, about his upcoming treatment plan. A medical student, Alex, who is shadowing you, interrupts to suggest an alternative treatment, claiming they recently read about it in a journal. Their interruption confuses Mr Brown and disrupts the flow of the consultation. What do you do? Follow Up: Imagine the next time you see this patient they're adamant that they want alternative treatment that isn't approved by the NHS that their friend recommended. How do you handle this?

A patient with terminal cancer wants to continue aggressive treatment despite medical futility. Their family wants comfort care. How do you navigate this?

You discover that a patient's family is pressuring them to refuse treatment. How do you respond?

A 16-year-old patient asks for contraception but doesn't want their parents to know. What do you do?

How do you balance patient autonomy with medical expertise?

What would you do if you witnessed a colleague being dishonest?

How would you maintain patient confidentiality?

What are the four pillars of medical ethics?

How would you handle a situation where a colleague makes a mistake?

A patient refuses treatment that could save their life. What do you do?

What would you do if a patient asked you to keep information from their family?

You discover your hospital is systematically overcharging patients. What do you do?

A patient refuses blood transfusion due to religious beliefs, but needs it to survive. What do you do?

How would you handle a patient who is angry and aggressive?

What is informed consent?

What would you do if you made a mistake that harmed a patient?

A patient wants to try alternative medicine instead of proven treatment. How do you respond?

You notice a colleague coming to work under the influence of alcohol. What do you do?

How do you handle disagreements with senior colleagues about patient care?

A patient asks you to lie to their insurance company about their condition. What do you do?

A patient's family offers you a large gift for saving their loved one's life. How do you respond?

A pharmaceutical company offers you money to prescribe their new drug. What do you do?

You're treating two patients who need the same organ transplant, but only one organ is available. How do you decide?

What ethical considerations are involved in treating minors?

What would you do if you made a mistake that could harm a patient?

What would you do if a patient's family disagreed with the patient's treatment decision?

What are your thoughts on euthanasia and assisted dying?

How would you handle a situation where you witness discrimination in healthcare?

A patient refuses a blood transfusion on religious grounds, but will die without it. What do you do?

You discover that a colleague has been making medication errors. What do you do?

A patient asks you to lie to their family about their diagnosis. How do you respond?

What would you do if you witnessed a colleague being discriminatory towards a patient?

A 14-year-old patient wants to undergo a medical procedure without parental consent. Discuss the ethical considerations involved.

How should you handle a situation where a patient shares information that they are considering harming themselves?

Discuss the ethical considerations of using AI in diagnostic medicine.

A terminally ill patient requests assistance in dying, which is illegal in the UK. How do you respond?

You are a junior doctor and notice a lack of resources for two patients needing immediate care. How do you decide who gets them?

A patient wishes to opt out of the organ donation register. How should you approach this conversation?

Discuss the ethical implications of providing genetic testing for hereditary conditions.

Should healthcare professionals be allowed to conscientiously object to certain procedures? Why or why not?

How should public health measures be balanced with individual liberty during a pandemic?

A patient wants to use social media to document their treatment journey and ask for medical advice. How do you guide them?

You are a junior doctor in a busy A&E department. Two patients need urgent attention, but you can only see one immediately. How do you decide?

A pregnant patient is requesting a termination due to severe fetal abnormalities. What ethical considerations do you need to address in this situation?

A colleague who is a conscientious objector refuses to participate in abortion procedures. How should this be managed ethically within the team?

Discuss the ethical challenges surrounding global health initiatives in low-resource settings.

How should you approach a situation involving the potential breach of duty of candour in a medical error?

You're a junior doctor and notice a patient is consistently refusing consent for a necessary but non-emergency procedure. How do you address this?

You are approached by a pharmaceutical company offering funding for your research in exchange for using their medication. How do you respond?

Discuss the ethical implications of prioritising organ donation for younger patients over older ones.

A vulnerable adult under your care has expressed suicidal thoughts. How do you handle this situation?

A patient in an NHS hospital is refusing a blood transfusion required for their surgery due to personal beliefs. How do you respect their autonomy while ensuring their safety?

You are a medical student shadowing in a paediatric ward when you suspect a child is being neglected. What should you do?

What are the ethical considerations in conducting clinical trials in low-income countries?

A junior doctor posts patient stories on social media without identifying details. What ethical concerns arise, and how should they be addressed?

Discuss the ethical considerations when allocating scarce resources during a pandemic.

How should a healthcare professional respond to a request for genetic testing from a patient concerned about a hereditary condition?

You notice a colleague accepting frequent gifts from a patient. How do you handle this ethically?

A patient discloses they are using an AI app for health advice. How do you address this?

A colleague shares a patient's personal information on social media. What actions should you take?

You suspect a child is at risk of abuse during a home visit. What steps should you take?

A healthcare professional is asked to participate in an international clinical trial that lacks clear ethical oversight. What should they consider before proceeding?

Discuss the ethical considerations of a healthcare professional conscientiously objecting to participating in certain medical procedures.

How should a healthcare professional approach a situation when a vulnerable adult refuses necessary medical treatment?

Discuss the ethical considerations in conducting research involving mentally incapacitated adults.

A patient confides in you that they have begun assisted dying arrangements abroad. How do you respond?

You are a junior doctor faced with two patients requiring ICU beds, but only one is available. How do you decide?

Imagine you are asked to participate in a research trial involving a new genetic therapy. What ethical considerations should you evaluate?

A medical student shares concerns about a colleague's mental health potentially affecting their practice. How do you proceed?

Discuss the ethical implications of using social media as a healthcare professional.

How should you approach a situation where a patient requests information about abortion services?

You are a medical student and suspect a fellow student is engaging in unethical behavior during clinical rotations. What steps do you take?

A patient under your care expresses a desire to pursue assisted dying services abroad. How do you handle this ethically?

A junior doctor makes a medication error that could harm a patient. How do you approach this situation as a colleague?

What are the ethical considerations of participating in a clinical trial with a potential conflict of interest?

How do you navigate a situation where a patient with diminished capacity is refusing treatment, but the family insists on proceeding?

You're a junior doctor and a colleague asks you to sign off on a research trial proposal that lacks ethical approval. How do you handle this?

You are working in a paediatric clinic and notice signs that a child might be a victim of neglect. What steps do you take to address this?

A colleague asks you to administer a treatment that you believe is not in the patient's best interest. How do you respond?

You are a junior doctor discussing DNACPR orders with a patient's family. They disagree with the decision. How do you handle this?

A patient requests genetic testing to identify potential hereditary diseases. What ethical considerations should you address?

You are a healthcare professional and your patient, who is now stabilized, was sectioned under the Mental Health Act without family knowledge. They want to keep it confidential. How do you proceed?

A junior doctor discovers that an AI system used in diagnostics is biased against certain ethnic groups. What steps should they take?

You are a doctor in a resource-limited setting where a disease outbreak has occurred. How do you ethically prioritize care?

A 13-year-old patient requests information about contraception without parental consent. How do you handle this request?

Discuss the ethical considerations involved when a clinical trial drug shows promising results but is yet unapproved for widespread use.

A patient in a mental health facility requests to be discharged against medical advice. How do you proceed?

How should healthcare professionals navigate professional boundaries when patients offer personal gifts?

How do you navigate a situation where a healthcare professional uses social media to voice controversial medical opinions that could influence public trust?

A medical student on rotation witnesses a senior doctor accepting gifts from a pharmaceutical representative. What steps should they take?

A patient is interested in accessing assisted dying services abroad, which is illegal in the UK. How do you handle their request?

A clinician is involved in a trial for a new AI diagnostic tool showing bias towards specific populations. What should they do?

Consider the ethical implications of a healthcare worker conscientiously objecting to vaccination. Should it be allowed?

How do you approach a situation involving potential genetic testing for hereditary conditions in a family with differing opinions?

Discuss the ethical implications of prioritizing healthcare resources for pandemic response in low-resource settings.

Discuss the ethical considerations involved in a healthcare professional accepting gifts from patients.

You are a medical student observing a senior doctor who is making ethically questionable decisions during a clinical trial. What should you do?

A vulnerable adult you're caring for discloses they feel unsafe at home. What steps do you take to safeguard them?

Discuss the ethical considerations in safeguarding confidentiality when a patient confides in you about abuse but requests secrecy.

A junior doctor is involved in a medical error that has the potential to cause harm. How should they proceed ethically?

What ethical considerations arise when discussing organ donation with families who have just experienced the loss of a loved one?

A patient expresses concern about their genetic information being shared without consent. How do you address their apprehensions?

What are the ethical considerations when addressing reproductive ethics in the context of abortion?

A patient under your care expresses suicidal thoughts but requests that their family is not informed. How do you proceed?

How should a doctor approach the ethical dilemma of a conscientious objection to certain medical procedures, such as abortion?

Discuss the ethical implications of using AI in diagnosing mental health conditions. Consider potential biases and patient autonomy.

A patient under your care refuses treatment for a mental health condition, citing personal beliefs. How do you manage this situation while respecting autonomy and ensuring their safety?

A healthcare professional is offered an expensive gift by a patient's family in gratitude for the care provided. How should they approach this situation ethically?

Discuss the ethical considerations of implementing a nationwide organ donation opt-out system.

You are a junior doctor involved in a clinical trial for a new drug. You suspect that the trial's data collection methods might breach patient confidentiality. What steps should you take?

You're a junior doctor and a patient requests that their genetic testing results are kept confidential from their family. How do you handle this?

Discuss the ethical implications of AI being used to make treatment decisions in mental health care.

You are a junior doctor faced with a patient who is awaiting an organ transplant. They express concerns about organ allocation fairness. How do you address this?

You discover that a colleague is struggling to maintain professional boundaries with a patient and has accepted a personal gift from them. What do you do?

What are the ethical implications of using AI for diagnostic purposes in healthcare? Consider both benefits and potential drawbacks.

Reflect on the ethical considerations when a healthcare professional receives a gift from a patient's family. What factors should be considered, and how might this impact professional relationships?

Reflect on the ethical challenges involved in balancing patient confidentiality with the duty to protect others. How should healthcare professionals navigate situations where these duties conflict?