Questions like during a medical school MMI are partly designed to throw candidates off their feet. You have a minute or two to prepare, so it is okay to collect yourself and think about your answer rather than blurting out a response to avoid silence when face-to-face with your evaluator at this station.

"Great question! If a lie told by a doctor ever puts a patient at risk, covers up a mistake, or masks fraud, it is both very unethical and illegal in most cases. But with that said, there are certainly times when withholding some of the truth or bending it a bit is better for a patient. I know it is common to say things like 'this will only hurt for a bit' before a procedure or shot, but everyone knows this acceptable tactic can put a patient at ease and help them relax. Physicians can also withhold the truth to give patients and their families hope. A great example of this would be a situation where a person was diagnosed with late-stage brain cancer. So yes, there are times lying is perfectly acceptable as long as a patient's health and well-being were being compromised."

This is an opinionated question, and your interviewer will likely respect any answer you give as long as you can support your answer with valid reasons. Many factors come into play when dealing with patients and their health and well-being, and multiple physicians can handle similar situations very differently. No matter how you answer, ensure your interviewer has a great understanding of your ethical values.