"I feel strongly about protecting patient rights, and I would be very uncomfortable in this situation. I would feel compelled to address it immediately and say that I don't feel comfortable with the conversation and ask them to stop. I realize that I will be discussing situations with my colleagues during learning opportunities. If private information wasn't shared in this situation, and the discussion was educational, I would jump right in to learn or teach."

First and foremost, talk about the importance of keeping private patient information confidential and explain how you would squash the conversation immediately if your fellow physician colleagues were disobeying HIPAA laws. Then, make sure to leave the door open to discussions of situations that can be learning opportunities between yourself and your colleagues as long as protected health information isn't shared.