How to Answer: What has been your biggest ethical challenge thus far in medicine?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for an OBGYN Residency job interview.
2. What has been your biggest ethical challenge thus far in medicine?
How to Answer
The interviewer here wants to sincerely know how you solved your biggest problem. This is not a trick question. Your answer should reflect that you know what is ethical vs non-ethical, where you need to intervene and how, and that the patient-physician relationship puts the patient first, but not at the expense of the physician's ethics.
Written by Ryan Brown on December 21st, 2020
Anonymous Interview Answers with Professional Feedback
Anonymous Answer
"During my second year of medical school, I had to make the tough decision to turn in a couple of my classmates for cheating on quizzes in class. This was a deeply troubling experience for me because I consider myself a loyal friend but I also care about the rules and about fairness. Also, I personally would not want to be treated by a physician who cheated their way through medical school. This situation made me really ponder my own morals and integrity. It helped me to realize that as physicians we have to be held to higher standards and sometimes we have to make difficult decisions."
Amanda's Feedback
Using a specific example to address this question is a great way to respond! You can strengthen it further by relating how ethical behavior in issues that seem small reflects an ability to think and respond ethically when larger issues arise in the medical setting.
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Anonymous Answer
"When Roe. v. Wade was overturned, I was rotating at a hospital made up of an extremely conservative staff, all levels included. I found myself at odds with nearly every person on the L&D floor, besides one nurse who somewhat understood my viewpoint. I found my body boiling, the sensations that come when anger heats up inside me. I could have had an emotional outburst, but I managed to summon my emotional intelligence and listen, watch, and learn rather than damage potential relationships by angrily stating my opinion. I did make a comment about the dramatic variances in socioeconomic levels throughout the country and the effect this could have on access to abortion. It felt satisfying to maintain my cool, knowing my emotions were high, and to allow that to be fuel to go do further research in order to have more informed, rational, and constructive conversations about the issue in the future."
Marcie's Feedback
Your response here is very well stated, but be careful about bringing up such a controversial topic during an interview. The problem is that it could turn off the interviewer, particularly if they don't agree with your viewpoint. You might want to think of a different ethical challenge to explore here. Obviously, it's up to you and if you decide to bring up this topic, you've done so in the best way possible, but just note that this is a bit of a risky move during an interview.
Anonymous Answer
"During my first year of medical school, we had a friend group that had an appointment for anatomy tutoring. One of the students had changed the appointment on purpose through email and did not notify the other members of the group so that she could have a one-on-one meeting with the professor. Our friendship suffered and I did not talk to her much anymore until we were made partners for another lab the following year. I decided to let go of our past and help her even beyond the lab we were in, for the sake of our future patients and the profession. I realized we are both going to be doctors one day and we owed it to our patients to help each other learn and grow. We are now friends again, and she even gave my son gifts when he was three years old."
Marcie's Feedback
Your example is an interesting one that emphasizes your choice to be the bigger person in that situation, which is great. It also shows that you evolved and learned. Did you ever talk to her about that time? Did she ever apologize or explain why she did it? Just curious! The more details you can include, the better! Great job!
Anonymous Answer
"Providing autonomy to patients while still providing good medicine."
Jaymie's Feedback
You're off to a great start. Can you elaborate a bit more? Why do you feel this is a challenge? What steps are you taking or strategies do you use to overcome this challenge?