Texas Tech University Medical School Mock Interview
Practice 40 Texas Tech medical school interview questions covering clinical scenarios, rural healthcare, and ethical reasoning.
Question 23 of 40
A woman comes into the ER after a car accident. She needs a blood transfusion but states that her religion is against blood transfusions. What decision do you make?
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Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
This is a loaded question, indeed! The interviewers would like to know if you are ready to face tough decisions while maintaining the integrity and code of ethics expected of you as a physician. Patients have the right to choose what they want for their bodies. It is not up to you as a physician to do anything that violates a patient's rights. However, you do want to express that as a physician, you would inform the patient what could happen if she refuses a blood transfusion.
Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
"From what I understand, if the patient is of sound mind and they understand the risk they are taking by refusing medical assistance, I do not have the right to override her religious choice. Many factors could change this, such as an unconscious patient, someone under the influence of a narcotic, or perhaps if the person and I had a significant language barrier. I should refer to my facilities' leaders and ethics community in these situations. This is a decision I would not feel comfortable making entirely on my own."
Krista Wenz has been on thousands of interview panels hiring EMS professionals and firefighters for public and private agencies.
You may not be able to answer this question entirely correctly as there are many policies and legal requirements that you may not even know about. Answer to the best of your ability by displaying that you would make the soundest choice possible while maintaining the patient's integrity.
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