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Interview Question Time #2

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Matt

Emeritus Staff
Emeritus Staff
A reincarnation of the very popular previous thread, this is a new thread for a new year. The idea remains the same, to discuss the different ways of approaching difficult questions with feedback from other members about your answering style.

Many universities use scenarios including UWS, UNCLE, Monash, UWA and almost all of the graduate universities. The questions proffered here are based on the style of questions used at these universities. The idea though, is not to tell you what's going to be in the interview, but to tease out a good response from a mediocre one from a great response and what makes it so.

So, the first question:

You are a member of the university disciplinary committee and have been asked to review a case of a full fee paying medical student who forged a doctor's signature to confirm he completed his attendance requirements during placement. The student is in his 4th year of 5, both his parents are educated professionals to have met with the committee to vouch for their son's otherwise exceptional standing in the community. The student argues that the doctor had been busy and that he couldn't find him to sign his attendance form.

The other two members of the committee are advocating the student repeat the year and pay the full fees for the extra year's tuition. What argument would you make as a committee member?


Provide your answer in this thread and hopefully we can create another valuable interview resource for MSO.
 

peanutbutter

Regular Member
a couple of points to make:

- if you let him get away which what is essentially not completing the course requirements, that is not fair to other students who completed them, nor is it fair to other students who did NOT complete them and have to repeat the year themselves. Not only this, but what he did was dishonest - not an admirable quality for a future doctor. It may have been a better approach to speak to the course conveners and see if some kind of make-up class could have been taken, or something like that.

- his 'exceptional standing in the community' and his educated professional parents should NOT be taken into consideration when making the decision. If this was considered, it would just add to the issue that class and 'supposed' prestige can have an influence on success, or more specifically, what you can get away with. i.e, people should not be allowed to bend the rules simply because of their social status!

- on the flip side, was he really sick? are there doctors records to show that he was, even if theres no signed certificate? or was he REALLY missing classes because of another reason? surely the doctor could weigh in at this point to advise....

hmm thats all i can think of for now..... but as far as I can see, i guess the real issues are about honesty and fairness here. It is a harsh punishment, though.
 

Benjamin

ICU Reg (JCU)
Emeritus Staff
First of all I think it's important to establish whether or not the student actually did meet the requirements. If, as he says, the doctor was merely too hard to find and he did meet the requirements, then the penalties should be much less severe than if he didn't complete them at all.

At the same time however, if the doctor truly was too hard to find, then how reliable is their input on whether the student met his attendance requirements going to be? Was the doctor always that busy and difficult to find or was the student merely lazy? More specifically, did the student absolutely have to have the form in that day? Could they not have gotten the form signed in the weeks leading upto that moment? With something so important why did they not allocate time to this endeavour and try harder to find the doctor? Here is where the parent's would come in, if at all. Is the student this unorganised in their other endeavours, or only in their university studies?

I then the comittee would need to consider, if they really were trying so hard to find the doctor and could not, whether or not their placement has been worthwhile. Surely without the help and ability to refer to a doctor(since they aren't there or are too busy) then the student would largely have been left on their own and thus without the mentoring that you're apparently supposed to receive from the doctors.(Feel free to clear me up on that one, not sure on the level of autonomy a 4th year has..)

I think regardless of all the above however, forging a doctor's signature signifies a distinct lack of honesty that cannot be allowed to carry over into their later career. If the precedent for letting them get away with it is set now, then what prevents further illegalities from occuring? What stops other students from doing the same and complaining that the 'doctor was too hard to find'? The precedent that would be set by letting him get away with it could be exploited by too many and in far, far worse ways(assuming he actually completed his placement) and thus I believe there should, undoubtedly, be consequences. Since this is essentially fraud, I think it is fair that the student should be forced to deal with legal consequences that would apply to this sort of situation, that is, if the doctor decided to press charges then they should not be protected by the university. When considering making them repeat the year though, I think all the above questions need to be assessed first, along with whether this is financially viable for the student or whether this is action is going to prevent them from completing their degree due to financial issues.

Okay, so I asked more questions than submitted answers.. is that okay?
 

sainteced

Regular Member
There is a major ethical consideration here, to the point where the student is willing forge a doctors signature. Although it may seem a relatively minor fault it does have some far reaching consequences:

1. The fact he forged the signature for what seems like a superficial reason, 'cause the doctor was busy', it does raise questions about the students ability to essentially keep within barriers. Getting ahead of yourself, which can be seen as a form of arrogance, reflects negatively on your work ethic and emphasizes your subconscious lack of respect for other medical practitioners. This is one reason he should be punished, forced to repeat the year at full fee, in order to hopefully teach him a very valuable lesson.

2. The medical student is there at the 'kindness' (couldn't think of another word) of the doctor, so forging the doctors signature is similar to living in another persons house and trashing the place.

3. Not only does the student show a lack of respect, he also subverts the role of a doctor within society i.e. someone who should be assertive/truthful and reliable (what we would like to have in doctors). The medical student has failed to consistently uphold these values and hence may even be a hazard to his patients (by taking risks). Hence, in my position as a board member I would vote FOR the student to repeat.

Like the post before the parents should have no standing in the decision, unless they are directly involved. This situation is firmly between the doctor and the student. Also it is not the doctors job to constantly be available to sign the medical students roster, hence it is the medical students responsibility.
 

Matt

Emeritus Staff
Emeritus Staff
All excellent replies so far but I think I should give a few more people the chance to respond before I give any real feedback. Well done to those who have replied so far, though.
 

Havox

Sword and Martini Guy!
Emeritus Staff
You are a member of the university disciplinary committee and have been asked to review a case of a full fee paying medical student who forged a doctor's signature to confirm he completed his attendance requirements during placement. The student is in his 4th year of 5, both his parents are educated professionals to have met with the committee to vouch for their son's otherwise exceptional standing in the community. The student argues that the doctor had been busy and that he couldn't find him to sign his attendance form.

The other two members of the committee are advocating the student repeat the year and pay the full fees for the extra year's tuition. What argument would you make as a committee member?

-Forging the signature: Breach of medical ethics and breach of the doctor's trust (on whom's good graces he is learning under). Probably should have pursued the proper channel's like informing the medical school instead of doing something like this. I'm sure its not an uncommon situation and this was handled very poorly by the student. I would reprimand the student for such behaviour as repeating something similar as a doctor could have serious consequences not only for yourself, but for the patients under your care.

-Parents: The student's parents should have absolutely no influence on the decision of the committee nor should the student's "exceptional standing in the community". Prestige or reputation never excuses poor judgement so it should not be taken into consideration. The fact that the student is a 4th year should emphasise the fact that he should have known better.

-Committee: While forcing the student to repeat the year is a fair enough judgement, I don't believe forcing him to pay full fee is fair nor is it going to make any difference - the parents are going to where the cost of that. This seems like money grubbing to me. Many students have failed years and have not been forced to pay full fee for the lost year, this is an equity issue.

-Argument made: What the student did was wrong and totally inexcusable, for that he should be punished. However, while it is fair enough to make the student repeat the year, I don't believe it is fair to remove his HECs support.
 

JeremiahGreenspoon

Regular Member
It’s very tempting to read other responses before having a crack, but that kind of defeats the purpose.

Given that interviewers are looking at your ability to make a decision, rather than just make an argument, first up I suggest that no, the student is permitted to continue with his studies unpenalised financially. He should be required to perform a supplementary placement that provides the necessary skill development that may or may not have been missed due to missing attendance.

My argument would be that (based on the information provided):
1. This is the student’s first offence, and may have been brought about by extenuating circumstances that the student was unable to deal with
2. Although the act is serious, and may send alarm bells in that it betrays the trust and responsibility granted someone in the professional role, being a 4th year, the student could be 21 or 22 years old and has a good deal of personal growth ahead of them before this responsibility is granted
3. The punishment proposed by the committee is excessively harsh. I believe the process of being brought before a committee and having the act discussed extensively would be enough to portray the seriousness of the action and prevent any future occurrences of a similar kind.
4. The status of the parents is irrelevant, and the standing in the community is to some degree
 
The question has stated that he forged the signature to confirm that he had completed his attendance requirements during placement so I would first like to speak to the doctor and see if the student actually met the requirements of his palcement.

If the student had not completed his requirements then I would recomend that the student be repremanded according to course policy, which I believe would be to repeat the year because this particular placement would have been a compulsory component of his course (this should not be full fee paying however). This is because not only has the student forged a signature but he has shown complete disrespect to the medical school and his supervising doctor. It was dishonest and he should know much better as a 4th year student. I would recomend he complete a module of some sort on medical ethics also to remind him of his responsibilities when he becomes a doctor.

If the student had indeed completed the requirements then I would reccomend he have to repeat a similar placement before being able to move on to 5th year.
Being a 4th year student he would be well aware that it was very wrong to do what he did, and thus should know that there are consequences. He should have gone through proper procedures instead of forging the signature. He should be reminded about the doctors role in society as someone who is reliable and trustworthy, and his forging of the signature was not acceptable, and such behaviour as a doctor could have consequences not only for himself but for his patients especially. I'd remind him that if it happened again in the future, there would be harsher consequences (I think one must give some sort of leniancy to someone who has committed their first offence, and given that this person is indeed a student, and not yet a doctor)

I have not talked about the parents because their role doesnt concern the matter at hand.
 

Dr Worm

Regular Member
His PARENTS think he's a fine young man?! What are they even doing here?

Likewise, we can chuck out the information about his fee-paying status as irrelevent, unless there is the suggestion that the other comitee members see a financial benefit in repeating him. I don't think the view of the other members in relevant to my decision.

Ceratinly I can see how it could happen, and that the student might be truthful but....We are left with the fact that AT BEST the student did do the hours, but forgery is both criminal and decietful. That behavior was unprofessional, and also presumably illegal. And we know that students with unproffessional conduct are at risk and more likley to become doctors with proffessional conduct issues. AT WORST he also lied and didn't complete the hours. I really think that we need to speak to the doctor who was allegedly unavaliable. SUrely the onus was on the student to go find the doctor, and plead for support, if he did do the hours? In the absense of evidence that he completed the hours, he needs to make up the placement hours. Can he can do this without repeating the year? I am happy for him to do this if it's an option. Otherwise he'll have to repeat this may make him repentant in the short term, but I think being the oldest and more experienced is as likely to make him resentful and cocky, separated from his peers etc. I still think some punitive/counselling/careful, careful watching is in order iether way.

I want him to have additional (closer) supervision, to repeat the placement, and to apreciate the gravity of the offense. I would rather we occupy his holidays with this and let him continue to progress under someones watchful gaze. I would like the student to have additional support in either case; ideally from someone in the medical school.

I would like to avoid repeating him. It's a serious consequence, but so's the offense. I do not want to see a good student with some residual immaturity and foolishness become a student with a chip on his shoulder. However, if the student doesn't make it up, or if it isn't possible, they will have to repeat
 

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Dr Worm

Regular Member
Likewise, we can chuck out the information about his fee-paying status as irrelevent, unless there is the suggestion that the other comitee members see a financial benefit in repeating him. I don't think the view of the other members in relevant to my decision.

Oh, I see. I didn't read the other answers first either. Well, it can't affect our decision abut his ethics, I don't think. He wasn't in a position of equity to begin with, if he's got a full fee place. It is, essentially, what he signed on for. HOwever, if there is a hecs place avaliable in that year, I don't see why we shouldn't offer it. We need to make the decision first. If the money turns out to be an issue, then we need to try to work that out afteer a decision is made.
 

peanutbutter

Regular Member
Here's a question tho... if he was given a CSP the following year, is that fair to the person (whoever they may be) who would have had that CSP instead? even worse though - him repeating at ALL means 1 less place for a student the following year - so one person will miss out completely! I think it needs to be considered that in fairness of that future student, an alternative punishment should be arranged (one that doesnt involve repeating the year). It IS a unethical, illegal offense to forge someone's signature, no matter what the reason.. so the punishment must fit the crime! But not at the expense of others...
 

Havox

Sword and Martini Guy!
Emeritus Staff
Here's a question tho... if he was given a CSP the following year, is that fair to the person (whoever they may be) who would have had that CSP instead? even worse though - him repeating at ALL means 1 less place for a student the following year - so one person will miss out completely! I think it needs to be considered that in fairness of that future student, an alternative punishment should be arranged (one that doesnt involve repeating the year). It IS a unethical, illegal offense to forge someone's signature, no matter what the reason.. so the punishment must fit the crime! But not at the expense of others...

Academic/professional misconduct constitutes failure of the year and its well within the student's rights to repeat if he wasn't kicked out completely. It's the same as failing exams, Universities don't actually fill up each year's intake in expectation of people failing.
 

Season

Emeritus Staff
Emeritus Staff
The replies here are all of a good standard, I'm so proud :)

However there is one point which I think many of you are missing, which I'd like addressed if I was on the interview panel.

For a clue I think JeremiahGreenspoon came the closest to the issue I'm talking about.
 

Cathhy

Lurker
So, the first question:

You are a member of the university disciplinary committee and have been asked to review a case of a full fee paying medical student who forged a doctor's signature to confirm he completed his attendance requirements during placement. The student is in his 4th year of 5, both his parents are educated professionals to have met with the committee to vouch for their son's otherwise exceptional standing in the community. The student argues that the doctor had been busy and that he couldn't find him to sign his attendance form.

The other two members of the committee are advocating the student repeat the year and pay the full fees for the extra year's tuition. What argument would you make as a committee member?


Provide your answer in this thread and hopefully we can create another valuable interview resource for MSO.

Firstly, we should establish the facts by asking the Doctor whether or not the student had completed his hours. As this decision would greatly impact this student's future, it's our responsibility to ensure the punishment is proportional to the crime, and that any decisions we make are based on evidence.

Personally, I'd like to know why he forged the signature. There may have been personal circumstances that meant he could not finish his hours.

Perhaps there was a rift between doctor and student that prevented him from getting his form signed. For example, the Doc may have refused to sign the form even though the hours were complete, as he personally felt the student's training was incomparable to the hours he worked as a student. Perhaps the student was unsatisfied with the Doctor's teaching and therefore that his signature would be inconsequential? Maybe we are too quick to assume the fault lies with the student, preventing the full issue to be examined.

If he truly did not complete his hours, then I would take this as a serious breach of school code and also the Doctor's code, "First do no harm" - inadequate hours at this point in time may mean patients in the future are at risk from the student's loss of experience. Therefore the punishment of repeating the year is appropriate, in order to make up lost placement hours and to deter other students from following his example.

If he did complete the hours, I think repeating the year is a little excessive, breeding resentment rather than guilt.

Although a forged signature may just be immaturity (or laziness ;D), it may also point to underlying ethical concerns. Since maturity and a strong ethical compass are very important in medicine, I would recommend speaking to him of his commitment to this lifestyle and his role as a doctor in his own time, regardless of whether or not he has completed his placement.

Thanks for the thread Matt!!
 
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Dooraven

Member
Firstly I would enquire to what lengths the student took time to try and see the doctor eg if the doctor has a receptionist I would enquire how many times that the student had tried to make an appointment , then I would contact the doctor and the people with whom student worked with and check with them if the student was lying with his excuse. If the doctor states that he was geniuenly busy or doesn't bother to respond to my requests then I would move to asking the people who worked with him, to see if the student has fulfilled all the requirements for that particular placemen and how he has been with the rest of the staff and patientst.

If the Doctor on the other hand states that he was free for a significant amount of time then I would enquire about the relationship between the doctor and student by asking both of their peers - if the relationship was a standard relationship between a doctor and student then I would immediately know that this student has acted unethically and then lying about the reason why to the committee, thus invoking a repeatment of a year - however if the relationship was unstable then I would continue to the people who worked with the student on this placement and check if he has completed the minimum requirement and generally how he has been with the rest of the staff and patients.

If said student has completed minimum requirements then I shall continue on, if not - however then regardless of the reason this would mean that the person was effectively being dishonest about the true reason as to why he forged the signature and thus ought to repeat the year with fees as he failed to complete the course and then proceeded to be dishonest to the committee.

If the student has completed the minimum requirements and is good with his peers and his patients seem to like and respect him then I would see if the student really felt remorse or understood that what he did was wrong and violates the ethical code of conduct of the profession and would try to ensure that it will never happen again. If he does, I would only send him to do an ethics course (if punishment at all) because everyone has difficulties from time to time and hopefully that this student will learn from this mistake and become a better doctor because of this situation.

If however he refuses to acknowledge that he is at fault, he must be taught ethics properly and must be made to understand that what he did was not acceptable as professional conduct.
 

Matt

Emeritus Staff
Emeritus Staff
Below is my answer to this question. Please understand it is not the 'correct answer' (there is, of course, no correct answer) nor is it a model answer. It, like Havox's answer is merely one for med hopefuls to consider:


This represents a difficult situation for all involved, to have a student fail and need to repeat a year (at financial cost) is a huge deal for the student and for his parents (upon whom he is likely to be financially dependent). I don’t think it’s a good idea to put such a heavy burden on the student and his family in order to teach him a lesson. Forging the signature of a doctor however is a very serious issue, especially considering the weight such a signature has and the weight this student’s signature will have when he graduates as a doctor. I think the goal should be to do the least harm while still addressing the very serious problem this student has created. Ideally this student will not have to repeat the year.


One of the first things I would be interested in knowing is what the student’s attendance or any other measures of professionalism have been like throughout the degree, I might also be interested in hearing the opinions of other staff members of this student. It may be that a pattern had already developed in which case more severe disciplinary action probably can’t be avoided. If the student was otherwise professional in his study so far I’d be inclined to see if he could not repeat the attachment during a holiday period or in some other way make up the time. This would highlight the significance of the issue without creating the significant burden associated with repeating the year.


The arguments I see for the student repeating the year are to send a message of zero-tolerance of unprofessional behaviour to other students, and to underline the significance of the problem this student has created. While I think there is merit in both of these, I think they could probably be achieved without having the student repeat the year if the time can be made up some other way. If however this incident falls into a pattern that has already begun to develop more serious action would need to be taken.


Assuming then the student were able to make up the time, I think the school would need to make a serious point of discussing the scope of the problem with the student and also communicating the importance of professionalism on clinical placements with the entire student body since prevention would have been much better than the ugly situation in which we have now come.


Things I did well were to present a balanced argument, looking at both sides, identifying relevant factors upon which the argument might depend (without letting this become the substance of my argument), considering the person around which the argument is based and not getting lost in ethical principles, and tempering my argument according to those situations that I have already identified it as depening on.

There are things I didn't do well, but I'd rather let other people point those out.
 

Season

Emeritus Staff
Emeritus Staff
One thing Matt did do was he talked about the student's background of this sort of behaviour. The fact that someone generally is well behaved in the community does matter. What you're trying to determine is whether this behaviour is out of character for them or the tip of the iceberg.

If the student forged the signature on the run to various jobs or voluntary work, after hospital, that doesn't sound too bad. However if he never left home to go to hospital... Its a very different situation.
 

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Matt

Emeritus Staff
Emeritus Staff
a couple of points to make:

- if you let him get away which what is essentially not completing the course requirements, that is not fair to other students who completed them, nor is it fair to other students who did NOT complete them and have to repeat the year themselves. Not only this, but what he did was dishonest - not an admirable quality for a future doctor. It may have been a better approach to speak to the course conveners and see if some kind of make-up class could have been taken, or something like that.

- his 'exceptional standing in the community' and his educated professional parents should NOT be taken into consideration when making the decision. If this was considered, it would just add to the issue that class and 'supposed' prestige can have an influence on success, or more specifically, what you can get away with. i.e, people should not be allowed to bend the rules simply because of their social status!

- on the flip side, was he really sick? are there doctors records to show that he was, even if theres no signed certificate? or was he REALLY missing classes because of another reason? surely the doctor could weigh in at this point to advise....

hmm thats all i can think of for now..... but as far as I can see, i guess the real issues are about honesty and fairness here. It is a harsh punishment, though.

Good post to open the thread, I think you've defintely shown you're able to think about issues with some depth and realise there's always more to a problem than what is presented at the surface.

What might be helpful for next time in this thread (and in interviews) is to present an opinion an argue rather than simply list points. Important, always, is to make sure you're answering the question and to do so you need to be able to say I think this and these are the reasons.

First of all I think it's important to establish whether or not the student actually did meet the requirements. If, as he says, the doctor was merely too hard to find and he did meet the requirements, then the penalties should be much less severe than if he didn't complete them at all.

At the same time however, if the doctor truly was too hard to find, then how reliable is their input on whether the student met his attendance requirements going to be? Was the doctor always that busy and difficult to find or was the student merely lazy? More specifically, did the student absolutely have to have the form in that day? Could they not have gotten the form signed in the weeks leading upto that moment? With something so important why did they not allocate time to this endeavour and try harder to find the doctor? Here is where the parent's would come in, if at all. Is the student this unorganised in their other endeavours, or only in their university studies?

I then the comittee would need to consider, if they really were trying so hard to find the doctor and could not, whether or not their placement has been worthwhile. Surely without the help and ability to refer to a doctor(since they aren't there or are too busy) then the student would largely have been left on their own and thus without the mentoring that you're apparently supposed to receive from the doctors.(Feel free to clear me up on that one, not sure on the level of autonomy a 4th year has..)

I think regardless of all the above however, forging a doctor's signature signifies a distinct lack of honesty that cannot be allowed to carry over into their later career. If the precedent for letting them get away with it is set now, then what prevents further illegalities from occuring? What stops other students from doing the same and complaining that the 'doctor was too hard to find'? The precedent that would be set by letting him get away with it could be exploited by too many and in far, far worse ways(assuming he actually completed his placement) and thus I believe there should, undoubtedly, be consequences. Since this is essentially fraud, I think it is fair that the student should be forced to deal with legal consequences that would apply to this sort of situation, that is, if the doctor decided to press charges then they should not be protected by the university. When considering making them repeat the year though, I think all the above questions need to be assessed first, along with whether this is financially viable for the student or whether this is action is going to prevent them from completing their degree due to financial issues.

Okay, so I asked more questions than submitted answers.. is that okay?

Nice answer, Benjamin. A very considered response, identifying important contingency factors and the need for more information. I think the same feedback as above applies to you though, it's better practice for interviews if you present an argument and defend it. Similar to what I was saying to Dr. Worm in the old question time thread, it's comparatively easier to list a bunch of thing upon which something depends than it is to give a position. You've already realised this, as per the last sentence in your post.

Quick note about the committee considering whether the placement was worthwhile, I think it's a good idea to address those issues that are important but not immediately obvious (makes you sound like an abstract thinker) but this is probably outisde your scope. Good general advice for all scenario questions is to avoid or acknowledge where you're out of your depth (and you sort of did this anyway).

The final paragraph is good because you start to identify more of a position, but you need to be careful about being too harsh. I'm not saying you're wrong, but you answer sounds more considered if you can show that you're thinking about the student's well-being as well.

It's easy in these sorts of questions to feel like you have to take the strict moral approach without exception but I think its best to answer honestly (general advice specific to no one in particular).

There is a major ethical consideration here, to the point where the student is willing forge a doctors signature. Although it may seem a relatively minor fault it does have some far reaching consequences:

1. The fact he forged the signature for what seems like a superficial reason, 'cause the doctor was busy', it does raise questions about the students ability to essentially keep within barriers. Getting ahead of yourself, which can be seen as a form of arrogance, reflects negatively on your work ethic and emphasizes your subconscious lack of respect for other medical practitioners. This is one reason he should be punished, forced to repeat the year at full fee, in order to hopefully teach him a very valuable lesson.

2. The medical student is there at the 'kindness' (couldn't think of another word) of the doctor, so forging the doctors signature is similar to living in another persons house and trashing the place.

3. Not only does the student show a lack of respect, he also subverts the role of a doctor within society i.e. someone who should be assertive/truthful and reliable (what we would like to have in doctors). The medical student has failed to consistently uphold these values and hence may even be a hazard to his patients (by taking risks). Hence, in my position as a board member I would vote FOR the student to repeat.

Like the post before the parents should have no standing in the decision, unless they are directly involved. This situation is firmly between the doctor and the student. Also it is not the doctors job to constantly be available to sign the medical students roster, hence it is the medical students responsibility.

What I like about your post is that you're the first and one of the few to identify just how serious it is to forge a doctor's (or anybody's) signature. Think of the criminal repercussions of forging a signature on a prescription pad for example. So well done on that, this is a good quality answer.

The feedback from both the posters before you applies as well, while you did actually adopt a position (which was good) you should be careful about simply listing points and then giving a conclusion. This can come across as beig 'impersonal', which means you're all about the set-in-stone ethical argument and not considering the person its centred around. Also, it'd be good if you considered the merit in this student not repeating the year to balance your argument and not come across as being too harsh.

Another general piece of advice (specific to no one and always relevant) is to avoid being to one-sided in any ethical scenario. Have an opinion, sure, but don't lean significantly toward one side because the interviewer might have a different opinion to you. And in any case there is no right answer to these questions so the best response will usually be one that looks at both sides of the coin.

**note: Please feel free to question feedback, ask for clarification, or anything else. It may be helpful to you.
 

JeremiahGreenspoon

Regular Member
Just out of interest, with such scenario-based questions, is it likely that in an interview it would emulate the genuine situation to an extent?

That's to say, in arguing your point to the committee, it's unlikely to be a monologue - would the interviewers enter into a dialogue to challenge your argument or tease out some issues that they see you're on the brink of but haven't expressed overtly?

(My impression is that they might, but it would depend on the individual interviewer).



I also tossed up the idea of zero-tolerance, but considered repeating a full year too strong a way to send a message. Correct me if I'm wrong though, but as a 4th year med student, would repeating the placement not be sufficient deterrent to other students? (All of that is assuming that word has reached other students of the misdemeanour - would the student really share it with anyone or be too fearful/ashamed?)
 

Season

Emeritus Staff
Emeritus Staff
Generally what will happen with these interview questions is they'll give you some space to answer the question and then probe your logic.

I doubt you'd have enough time to speak any of these answers completely. This thread is more about helping you approach these sorts of questions, ie You want to cover all the bases and then make a decision on the evidence you've gathered.

I agree repeating an entire year is incredibly harsh. I think treating it as if the student hadnt' signed the form, eg not completed his requirements, would be sufficiently harsh treatment.
 
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