Are there any situations when a physician is justified in lying to a patient?

Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
How to Answer
1st Answer Example
2nd Answer Example
Community Answers

As you prepare for your medical school interview, you'll want to focus on questions that involve ethics surrounding the proper care of patients because it is an important topic for individuals heading into medical school. With this question, your interviewers are questioning your knowledge, character, and ethics at the same time.

You should have a well-versed answer to this question, as it may come up many times during your time in medical school and into your career as a practicing physician. One great way to answer is to research the concept of "therapeutic privilege" before your medical school interview and then create a reply from there. Your answer should be brief, clean, and not convoluted.

"This is a difficult question because being upfront and honest with a patient is the morally correct thing to do in 99.99% of patient care situations. But, I am aware of therapeutic privilege and how it can be important in psychiatry for patients that may become suicidal after certain diagnoses."

"Overtly lying to a patient is immoral and should not be encouraged except in a very limited circumstance where a patient may pose an immediate threat to him or herself. That being said, few aspects of medicine are black and white; in the context of a difficult patient or complex disease, open discussion of treatment benefits, risks, and research data is always encouraged."

Anonymous Answer

"I think it is more important to be honest in any situation, even when it is hard because it keeps the autonomy of the patient. Consent is a big factor in treatment, and when the patient doesn't know everything involved, that isn't true consent."