Were your ethics ever tested in a medical setting?

"During my first year of residency training, I had a pediatric patient with bruises on their back and lower torso. When I questioned the mother, she indicated that she had tried a coining procedure to rub warm oils on her child with a coin to 'raise out the bad blood and improve healing.' The child was wincing in pain upon my examination, and I was internally struggling if this should be reported to Child Protective Services. Knowing this was a cultural practice made the decision very difficult. I immediately consulted with my attending, and we decided to educate the mother on the potential harm of her self-treatment method."

The first thing you need to remember when answering this question is that the interviewers are looking for a direct example of a time your ethics were tested. Before your interview, think of a time this happened to you, and you proved that you could overcome it. Some examples could be witnessing someone cheat or steal or someone asking you to do something you knew was morally wrong. You could also discuss a patient confidentiality matter if you handled it professionally and ethically. No matter how you answer, stress that you would come to this medical genetics residency with high moral standards and integrity.