Practice Interview Question Thread

[whoartthou]

TL;DR: the trolley problem is just a cool thought experiment to demonstrate different ethical schools of thought, nothing more. I highly doubt that it will ever come up in an interview.

Yup agreed. However, jdog your response is way too simplistic. You need to think of the broader issues as mentioned by other posters. If you don't adopt this way of thinking you will always fall short in your answers for other questions too.

My take on it is that changing the course of the train basically puts you in the position of God. If I don't make any changes then I wipe my hands clean of the responsibility and let nature take its course. When the woman is pregnant your choice may preserve more lives however, to what degree would you live with the consequences. There are plenty of examples of this in real life though. The choice of subsidising one medication over another means certain patients will suffer but in a world of finite resources that line needs to be drawn somewhere.

The point of the question is not to get an answer but again it's about the discussion around consequences and ethical dilemmas.

Questions are not designed to be fair. Life is not fair. This attitude is defeatist and will result in you taking less responsibility for your role in the interview.

 

[JL538]

Yup agreed. However, jdog your response is way too simplistic. You need to think of the broader issues as mentioned by other posters. If you don't adopt this way of thinking you will always fall short in your answers for other questions too.

My take on it is that changing the course of the train basically puts you in the position of God. If I don't make any changes then I wipe my hands clean of the responsibility and let nature take its course. When the woman is pregnant your choice may preserve more lives however, to what degree would you live with the consequences. There are plenty of examples of this in real life though. The choice of subsidising one medication over another means certain patients will suffer but in a world of finite resources that line needs to be drawn somewhere.

The point of the question is not to get an answer but again it's about the discussion around consequences and ethical dilemmas.

Questions are not designed to be fair. Life is not fair. This attitude is defeatist and will result in you taking less responsibility for your role in the interview.

Yeah fair enough I didn't consider the ethical dilemma of basically killing someone.

Also are you meant to take the question in a literal way? Because for example I thought of the potential that one of the individuals may have a terminal illness that would kill them anyway as others have said, but the stimulus implies you don't really have time to ascertain such information since you have to make a decision quickly.

 

[Scorpion]

Yeah fair enough I didn't consider the ethical dilemma of basically killing someone.

Also are you meant to take the question in a literal way? Because for example I thought of the potential that one of the individuals may have a terminal illness that would kill them anyway as others have said, but the stimulus implies you don't really have time to ascertain such information since you have to make a decision quickly.

The question first asks you to place yourself in the shoes of somebody who can only save one person; the boy or the woman. You are expected to discuss the considerations you could take into account in that situation. While in the scenario, you don't have time to look through these people's histories or ask further questions, in the interview you have several minutes to discuss different outcomes. Some things to consider:

• Does changing the path of the train make you guilty of murder? Or are you equally to blame as someone who simply stood by? There is plenty of opportunity to discuss the ethical and emotional consequences of this on you and those involved (and legal? not sure about that one).
• Is it better to save a child or an adult? A child is more likely to have more years left to live, however the adult may have important responsibilities such as being a parent or having a meaningful career. Remember, the child may also have potential that is yet to be realised. What is more important? You cannot assume either of these things are true, but for the purpose of a quick decision where you don't have all the information, these could be discussed.
• If you saw one of the people was injured, (eg. had a leg brace, was bleeding severely) would it be justifiable to save the other? Why? How do you know whether some injuries are temporary or permanent?
• If one of the people was screaming for the other to be saved, or to be saved themselves, would you respect their wishes? Should this even be a consideration? Why?
• If one of the people appeared very unhealthy (for instance, extremely obese, extreme tooth decay, if they appeared to be under the influence of drugs) is this reason enough to save the other, or is this unfair discrimination based on assumptions? Why?
• If you knew one of the people, would you save them in favour of the other? Is it ethically okay for you to do this? In this case, what are the impacts on you, the decision-maker?

I'm sure you can think of plenty of other considerations, none of which you actually need to look over the people's medical histories/ ask questions to obtain. However, many of them are assumptions you are making about these people, so be careful with your wording. Even if you don't think something is worth considering, you can discuss it anyway and then explain why you don't think it should factor into your decision. As for the terminal illness suggestions, I would be bringing that up later on in the final question about medical scenarios. You don't have details of this in the train track scenario (unless of course somebody's medication is spilt over the tracks) but in a medical setting you probably have more time to ask questions and arrive at a more well-reasoned decision.

So what I'm getting at is- treat the question as a real scenario like you would in any other MMI station. Commenting on how unlikely/unfair the question is probably won't earn you points. I doubt your final decision will earn you too many points either. Your reasoning and the different factors you consider are the most important part, and there's plenty to choose from.

 

[kotoloper]

Hi guys! I think this question has been done a few times but here's my take on it. Any feedback at all would, as always, be appreciated!

You are close friends with a Joan (a mother of five children) whose husband is an entrepreneur who is always travelling. You meet Joan for coffee one day and you notice she is quite withdrawn and upset. Her 18 month old infant has recently been admitted into hospital for measles and is currently in a stable condition. She tells you that she was so busy at home, that she forgot to get him vaccinated. She feels extremely guilty and blames herself for her oversight.

1. What would you suggest to her as a friend?
2. Your friend asks you not to tell her husband. However, the husband suspects something and has called you. What do you say?
3. Your friend’s husband finds out what has happened and he becomes verbally abusive. Their relationship becomes strained. Your friend is asking for your advice.

1. I would first reassure Joan and reiterate that her son is now in a stable condition. However, this is quite a severe error which could have led to much worse scenarios for her son’s health, especially as an infant who is more vulnerable to disease due to an underdeveloped immune system. I would comfort Joan, as we all make mistakes, but emphasis to her the importance of acknowledging and correcting them. I would gently talk through the factors leading up to the situation –as she says she was so busy at home and thus forgot to vaccinate, I would explore methods on how to manage workload and remember to prioritise her children’s health. This could be as simple as writing to-do lists; the aim is to address her mistake and ensure that this oversight does not happen again. Her busyness at home can also suggest a need for assistance; as she is a mother of five and her husband is often not at home, it is understandable that she can get overwhelmed. As such, I would offer my assistance as a friend to help out when needed and be there for emotional aid. I would also encourage Joan to check her son’s medical records and history to ensure that all other vaccinations are up to date and that there were no oversights in the past. This goes for her four other children; I would suggest that she ensure all children have received the necessary vaccinations for their health.

2. I would break the trust between us if I tell her husband when she has specifically asked me not to. I understand his concern, as they are his children too, but I need to respect my friend’s wishes here and ideally not be involved as this is a family issue. However, a lack of communication can be a factor in increasing unhealthy tension in a relationship, and as such as I would encourage the two to talk together about the issue. If needed, my role would simply be as a mediator; I would try to minimise my involvement as this is really between Joan and her husband.

3. Verbal abuse should not be condoned in any circumstance, and this can be a pre-warning to escalating domestic violence. I understand that the husband would reasonably be upset with the situation, but there are a number of healthy ways he could’ve addressed the issue, such as talking with Joan on how to avoid this happening again in the future. I would encourage Joan to try and initiate a peaceful conversation with her husband, but as he has become verbally abusive this may not be possible. Verbal abuse can take a significant toll on someone’s mental health, so I would also make sure that Joan is not suffering mentally and if so, recommend talking to a therapist individually. I would also suggest couple counselling or therapy to delve into the issues in the family dynamic and try to address the husband’s abusive behaviour before it escalates into extreme verbal and physical abuse. Victims of domestic violence are often reluctant to speak up due to things such as fear or shame, and I would emphasise to Joan that in no situation this abuse can be condoned, and that it is paramount to stop the abuse and either salvage the relationship, or possibly leave the toxic relationship. I would also remind Joan of the numerous hotlines and organisations available for victims of domestic violence, such as 1800 Respect and White Ribbon to ensure that she knows of the help available to her.

 

[Sokka]

Hi MSO,
I found this question somewhere and there seems to be a lot of juicy bits in it. I've done my best to cover them, but I'd like to hear more perspectives. Any feedback, like always, is appreciated
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How might personal beliefs affect the care of patients?
The personal beliefs of the doctor and/or the patient are what can affect patient care.
First of all, I think it's important to understand that because patients come from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures, there are many different beliefs out there. As a result, a patients belief may conflict with the treatment recommended to them by their doctor. A very prominent example of this are Jehovas Witnesses, where it is against their religion to receive a blood transfusion under any circumstance, and so naturally there are situations where this has led to the preventable death of patients. In this case, it is apparent that patients do refuse treatment because of their beliefs, and this has adversely affected the healthcare they received. However, this raises many questions, such as can the personal beliefs of the parents affect the healthcare their (not yet competent) child receives)? Since doctors must respect patient autonomy, is it ever ok for the patients beliefs to be bypassed (for lack of a better word)?
Furthermore, the personal beliefs of a doctor may affect the care they give to their patients. While there are many regulations in place which prevent the beliefs of doctors to threaten their professionalism, there are still some cases where this may exist. One such example includes a doctor potentially having an ethical or moral conflict with terminating their patients pregnancy, and in the worst case scenario (such as in a remote area where there are no access to other doctors), this may ultimately lead to the patient having the child. In a much more common circumstance, although the doctor would advise the patient their right to go to another doctor, this may distress the patient and prolong the time before treatments, ultimately affecting patient care. A similar situation exists for child circumcision, but the issues are very similar to what was mentioned for pregnancy termination.
To combat this, there may need to be more research into alternative treatments of procedures regularly declined because of one's belief, such as an alternative to blood transfusions. On the other side, there may need to be a responsibility for employers to hire different doctors with a variety of beliefs, so in the case there is a conflict of interest another doctor can quickly step in.

 

[whys]

One such example includes a doctor potentially having an ethical or moral conflict with terminating their patients pregnancy, and in the worst case scenario (such as in a remote area where there are no access to other doctors), this may ultimately lead to the patient having the child.

Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't this illegal/not allowed? A doctor can't force their opinions or personal beliefs onto patients and patients ultimately have autonomy regarding their care, so shouldn't you be able to report this (should this happen) and find a solution? I thought this question was more targetting subtle influences personal beliefs may have, causing unintentional projection of certain opinions/beliefs onto the patient without realising and may alter their decision, especially because I assume patients trust their doctors quite a lot and may go forth with something a doctor may subconsciously be pushing, but not forcing the patient to choose. Correct me if I'm wrong, this is just my understanding - I just assumed forcing a patient based on your beliefs wasn't allowed in the first place and so doesn't happen, and if it does happen, it gets reported.

 

[Crow]

Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't this illegal/not allowed? A doctor can't force their opinions or personal beliefs onto patients and patients ultimately have autonomy regarding their care, so shouldn't you be able to report this (should this happen) and find a solution? I thought this question was more targetting subtle influences personal beliefs may have, causing unintentional projection of certain opinions/beliefs onto the patient without realising and may alter their decision, especially because I assume patients trust their doctors quite a lot and may go forth with something a doctor may subconsciously be pushing, but not forcing the patient to choose. Correct me if I'm wrong, this is just my understanding - I just assumed forcing a patient based on your beliefs wasn't allowed in the first place and so doesn't happen, and if it does happen, it gets reported.

Actually, it is legal for doctors to conscientiously object to things like abortion/euthanasia, HOWEVER if it is an emergent situation then conscientious objection is not an excuse to not perform a life-saving procedure. Certainly, and particularly prior to the recent changing of abortion law in some states, objections by doctors in rural areas - while legal - did actually result in a number of women passing the then legal gestational age for abortion, thus they either a) Had the child or b) Sought alternative and naturally unsafe means to terminate their pregnancy. Thankfully the laws have changed in QLD recently which should reduce the chance of situations like these from happening.

Sokka - good insights in your answer there. This is a particularly tricky area and your answer would really depend on how much time you were given in an interview. Generally speaking there are laws in place to protect children of Jehova's Witnesses from loss of life due to parental declines of consent for blood transfusions etc.

 

[Sokka]

Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't this illegal/not allowed? A doctor can't force their opinions or personal beliefs onto patients and patients ultimately have autonomy regarding their care, so shouldn't you be able to report this (should this happen) and find a solution? I thought this question was more targetting subtle influences personal beliefs may have, causing unintentional projection of certain opinions/beliefs onto the patient without realising and may alter their decision, especially because I assume patients trust their doctors quite a lot and may go forth with something a doctor may subconsciously be pushing, but not forcing the patient to choose. Correct me if I'm wrong, this is just my understanding - I just assumed forcing a patient based on your beliefs wasn't allowed in the first place and so doesn't happen, and if it does happen, it gets reported.

Disclaimer, I am a year 12 student and this is simply my opinion.
Well it’s not “forcing” anything imo. There just happens to be a conflict of interest and so a doctor can refuse treatment if they don’t want to do it (within reason of course). A patient does have the right to see other doctors.
Have a read of this:

https://www.thaddeuspope.com/images/GMC_Personal_Beliefs.pdf

“Patients may ask you to perform, advise on, or refer them for a treatment or procedure which is not prohibited by law or statutory code of practice March 2008 in the country where you work, but to which you have a conscientious objection. In such cases you must tell patients of their right to see another doctor with whom they can discuss their situation and ensure that they have sufficient information8 to exercise that right.”

 

[JL538]

Would dietary choices, cultural beliefs (like stigma for seeking help for mental health), medical beliefs (anti-vax, belief in homeopathy etc) also fall under personal beliefs?

 

[Sokka]

Would dietary choices, cultural beliefs (like stigma for seeking help for mental health), medical beliefs (anti-vax, belief in homeopathy etc) also fall under personal beliefs?

Oh damn that’s juicy!
How’d I miss that

 

[Crow]

Would dietary choices, cultural beliefs (like stigma for seeking help for mental health), medical beliefs (anti-vax, belief in homeopathy etc) also fall under personal beliefs?

It's a very open-ended question. Any answer which provides some form of insight would be able to score well, I am sure. Those you bring up could all be potential points of discussion, for sure.

 

[threefivetwo]

Hi! I'd love some feedback on my response to this question

You are a university student in a small seminar course run by your newly-appointed academic supervisor. With only 10 students in the course and class time mostly devoted to open discussion, everyone is eager to stand out and impress the professor. One morning, on the third day of class, one of your classmates approaches you. Appearing tired and flustered, she explains that she's been dealing with some personal issues that kept her from completing this week’s readings and asks if you can summarize these readings for her, so that she can at least follow along during class. You've already composed such a summary in preparation for today’s class discussion, so you gladly sit down with her and share your ideas. At the beginning of class, the professor asks if anyone can start the discussion with a summary of the readings. Ready and waiting, you confidently raise your hand; so does the girl you spoke with before class. The professor calls on her first, and she repeats - verbatim - the summary you gave her earlier. The professor commends her for her careful, nuanced, and sophisticated understanding of the deeply complex text, and beams as she proclaims the summary “perfect”. What do you do?

The issue is that my classmate has taken credit for my work within the context of a small university class that’s just started.

There are several considerations to take into account. The first is that my classmate is tired and flustered, and has been dealing with personal issues. Although it is inappropriate of her to take credit of my work, it is best to be compassionate in my response and assume that she perhaps slipped up in being tired, rather than jump to conclusions and assume that she’s trying to ‘impress the professor’, or let my emotions get the better of me and attack her for stealing my work.

The second consideration is the severity of the situation. The context of the situation is not an assessment that is weighted, but lecture readings - hence, the situation is not particularly serious. Although I would still speak to her about taking credit for other people’s work, this means it wouldn’t be particularly appropriate to escalate the situation beyond what’s needed, i.e. to the professor. The professor is settling in too - it’s best to let her focus on doing so and not cause any unnecessary burden on her.

The third consideration is that the course is small, hence it is important to handle the situation locally, discreetly, and at an appropriate time and place in order to prevent unnecessary rumors from spreading and best utilise the available resources.

The fourth consideration is that it is only the third day of class. With this in mind, it is preferable to resolve the situation in a peaceful manner in order to ensure a good working relationship with my classmate over the duration of the course.

Taking into account all of these considerations, I would approach the situation by catching her at the end of class and offering to buy her a coffee as she seemed to be tired. Assuming she accepts, over coffee I would ask if everything would be alright for next week’s readings and if she would like any help with them. I would ask if she followed along alright today, and kindly compliment her on making the effort to seek out a summary of the readings despite her ongoing personal issues that must be complicated. With that being said, I would gently tell her in a non-confrontational manner that I felt that she shouldn’t have repeated my summary as it wouldn’t be good academic practice. If she understands, I would ask that she not do so next time in the same manner. If not, I would explain to her the consequences of doing so in a formal assessment, as it would be dishonest and not acknowledge the source, then remind her as I would not make further discussion on the matter, as it is only the first time, she is dealing with personal issues and is tired, and it would not be advisable to escalate the situation further. As we finish our coffee, I would wrap up our conversation by kindly reiterating my offer of help for next week’s readings and wishing her the best for them.

If she declines coffee, I would repeat the same steps as I did over coffee, i.e. asking if everything would be alright for next week’s reading and the following steps.

 

[Sokka]

Hi! I'd love some feedback on my response to this question


The issue is that my classmate has taken credit for my work within the context of a small university class that’s just started.

There are several considerations to take into account. The first is that my classmate is tired and flustered, and has been dealing with personal issues. Although it is inappropriate of her to take credit of my work, it is best to be compassionate in my response and assume that she perhaps slipped up in being tired, rather than jump to conclusions and assume that she’s trying to ‘impress the professor’, or let my emotions get the better of me and attack her for stealing my work.

The second consideration is the severity of the situation. The context of the situation is not an assessment that is weighted, but lecture readings - hence, the situation is not particularly serious. Although I would still speak to her about taking credit for other people’s work, this means it wouldn’t be particularly appropriate to escalate the situation beyond what’s needed, i.e. to the professor. The professor is settling in too - it’s best to let her focus on doing so and not cause any unnecessary burden on her.

The third consideration is that the course is small, hence it is important to handle the situation locally, discreetly, and at an appropriate time and place in order to prevent unnecessary rumors from spreading and best utilise the available resources.

The fourth consideration is that it is only the third day of class. With this in mind, it is preferable to resolve the situation in a peaceful manner in order to ensure a good working relationship with my classmate over the duration of the course.

Taking into account all of these considerations, I would approach the situation by catching her at the end of class and offering to buy her a coffee as she seemed to be tired. Assuming she accepts, over coffee I would ask if everything would be alright for next week’s readings and if she would like any help with them. I would ask if she followed along alright today, and kindly compliment her on making the effort to seek out a summary of the readings despite her ongoing personal issues that must be complicated. With that being said, I would gently tell her in a non-confrontational manner that I felt that she shouldn’t have repeated my summary as it wouldn’t be good academic practice. If she understands, I would ask that she not do so next time in the same manner. If not, I would explain to her the consequences of doing so in a formal assessment, as it would be dishonest and not acknowledge the source, then remind her as I would not make further discussion on the matter, as it is only the first time, she is dealing with personal issues and is tired, and it would not be advisable to escalate the situation further. As we finish our coffee, I would wrap up our conversation by kindly reiterating my offer of help for next week’s readings and wishing her the best for them.

If she declines coffee, I would repeat the same steps as I did over coffee, i.e. asking if everything would be alright for next week’s reading and the following steps.

Disclaimer: I'm a year 12 student so take what I say with a grain of salt.
First of all, do we need this many considerations? Not rhetorical, as I genuinely want to know if we're supposed to preface our answer with this many considerations. My understanding was it's okay to let them know a couple of assumptions to show that you take in to account various factors, but this may be a bit overkill haha.

"Taking into account all of these considerations, I would approach the situation by catching her at the end of class and offering to buy her a coffee as she seemed to be tired."
- This might be unnecessary. Why can't you just catch her on the way out and tell her then (ensuring no one overhears of course)? The coffee comes across as a bit much imo

"With that being said, I would gently tell her in a non-confrontational manner that I felt that she shouldn’t have repeated my summary as it wouldn’t be good academic practice"
- I think the issue at hand is her taking credit for literally ALL of your work. Poor academic practice is a by product of this, but is not the crux of the prompt.

"The third consideration is that the course is small, hence it is important to handle the situation locally, discreetly, and at an appropriate time and place in order to prevent unnecessary rumors from spreading and best utilise the available resources."
- The prompt says everyone is keen to impress the professor though. Regardless how small this course is, the prompt suggests that this is important for a lot of the students and so I would think it's important to bring this up with the professor.

So yeah, overall not bad. I'm not a fan of the list of considerations, but I'm curious to know the thoughts of someone who is more experienced. Also, I would go about this differently. I'd tell her to tell the professor that she used my resources so she can maintain some of her reputation (and dignity ig), while also making the prof aware of who did the work. If she says no, I would escalate it and tell the prof myself.
I did really like the caring and gentle tone you used.

 

[Crow]

Disclaimer: I'm a year 12 student so take what I say with a grain of salt.
First of all, do we need this many considerations? Not rhetorical, as I genuinely want to know if we're supposed to preface our answer with this many considerations. My understanding was it's okay to let them know a couple of assumptions to show that you take in to account various factors, but this may be a bit overkill haha.

"Taking into account all of these considerations, I would approach the situation by catching her at the end of class and offering to buy her a coffee as she seemed to be tired."
- This might be unnecessary. Why can't you just catch her on the way out and tell her then (ensuring no one overhears of course)? The coffee comes across as a bit much imo

"With that being said, I would gently tell her in a non-confrontational manner that I felt that she shouldn’t have repeated my summary as it wouldn’t be good academic practice"
- I think the issue at hand is her taking credit for literally ALL of your work. Poor academic practice is a by product of this, but is not the crux of the prompt.

"The third consideration is that the course is small, hence it is important to handle the situation locally, discreetly, and at an appropriate time and place in order to prevent unnecessary rumors from spreading and best utilise the available resources."
- The prompt says everyone is keen to impress the professor though. Regardless how small this course is, the prompt suggests that this is important for a lot of the students and so I would think it's important to bring this up with the professor.

So yeah, overall not bad. I'm not a fan of the list of considerations, but I'm curious to know the thoughts of someone who is more experienced. Also, I would go about this differently. I'd tell her to tell the professor that she used my resources so she can maintain some of her reputation (and dignity ig), while also making the prof aware of who did the work. If she says no, I would escalate it and tell the prof myself.
I did really like the caring and gentle tone you used.

I actually thought the considerations were highly relevant and appropriate inclusions - they have a major impact on how a person would actually respond to this in real life and thus should impact the response. In my opinion, a good job there threefivetwo .

The response itself is maybe a little too "goodie-two-shoes" for my liking, personally. I'd be concerned you come across as a doormat if you did this in real life and that would make it easy for this classmate to manipulate you into falling into the same trap again. I think the way you responded is appropriate but it'd be worth at least acknowledging that what this classmate did was an incredibly snakey move, and a stab in the back. It would surely lead to your distrust and personally I wouldn't be so forthcoming with helping them again in future. If you convey that message appropriately, I really don't think it would cause you to be marked down, but it would show a little real insight beyond the goodie goodie response. You could also mention to this girl that while you completely appreciate she is having personal issues, if it happened again (particularly in an assessment setting) then you would have to escalate the matter further. Encourage her to speak to her professor if she is struggling to keep up with the material.

Overall, I think it's a strong response!

Note that questions like this are almost always accompanied with follow-ups that give you more information to work with. These will inform your response, so there's no need to go on with superfluous information to fill the 8 minute block. Unless it adds to your response, don't bother including it.

 

[ucatboy]

Hi! I'd love some feedback on my response to this question


The issue is that my classmate has taken credit for my work within the context of a small university class that’s just started.

There are several considerations to take into account. The first is that my classmate is tired and flustered, and has been dealing with personal issues. Although it is inappropriate of her to take credit of my work, it is best to be compassionate in my response and assume that she perhaps slipped up in being tired, rather than jump to conclusions and assume that she’s trying to ‘impress the professor’, or let my emotions get the better of me and attack her for stealing my work.

The second consideration is the severity of the situation. The context of the situation is not an assessment that is weighted, but lecture readings - hence, the situation is not particularly serious. Although I would still speak to her about taking credit for other people’s work, this means it wouldn’t be particularly appropriate to escalate the situation beyond what’s needed, i.e. to the professor. The professor is settling in too - it’s best to let her focus on doing so and not cause any unnecessary burden on her.

The third consideration is that the course is small, hence it is important to handle the situation locally, discreetly, and at an appropriate time and place in order to prevent unnecessary rumors from spreading and best utilise the available resources.

The fourth consideration is that it is only the third day of class. With this in mind, it is preferable to resolve the situation in a peaceful manner in order to ensure a good working relationship with my classmate over the duration of the course.

Taking into account all of these considerations, I would approach the situation by catching her at the end of class and offering to buy her a coffee as she seemed to be tired. Assuming she accepts, over coffee I would ask if everything would be alright for next week’s readings and if she would like any help with them. I would ask if she followed along alright today, and kindly compliment her on making the effort to seek out a summary of the readings despite her ongoing personal issues that must be complicated. With that being said, I would gently tell her in a non-confrontational manner that I felt that she shouldn’t have repeated my summary as it wouldn’t be good academic practice. If she understands, I would ask that she not do so next time in the same manner. If not, I would explain to her the consequences of doing so in a formal assessment, as it would be dishonest and not acknowledge the source, then remind her as I would not make further discussion on the matter, as it is only the first time, she is dealing with personal issues and is tired, and it would not be advisable to escalate the situation further. As we finish our coffee, I would wrap up our conversation by kindly reiterating my offer of help for next week’s readings and wishing her the best for them.

If she declines coffee, I would repeat the same steps as I did over coffee, i.e. asking if everything would be alright for next week’s reading and the following steps.

Sounds like a good answer to me, the considerations imo are really important what make the answer stand out. After all, is it really worth burning bridges with/vilifying someone in only a ten-person class on the third day? Sounds like a recipe for an overall poor course experience lmao. Buying coffee is a kind gesture, although it may across as too kind and deliberately "baiting" your classmate into a grilling. Even if I was in the wrong, I'd be a bit caught off guard if someone seemingly generously invited me to coffee only to use it as an opportunity to probe me about my academic dishonesty. That's just my opinion though, excellent answer overall.

 

[ucatboy]

I actually thought the considerations were highly relevant and appropriate inclusions - they have a major impact on how a person would actually respond to this in real life and thus should impact the response. In my opinion, a good job there threefivetwo .

The response itself is maybe a little too "goodie-two-shoes" for my liking, personally. I'd be concerned you come across as a doormat if you did this in real life and that would make it easy for this classmate to manipulate you into falling into the same trap again. I think the way you responded is appropriate but it'd be worth at least acknowledging that what this classmate did was an incredibly snakey move, and a stab in the back. It would surely lead to your distrust and personally I wouldn't be so forthcoming with helping them again in future. If you convey that message appropriately, I really don't think it would cause you to be marked down, but it would show a little real insight beyond the goodie goodie response. You could also mention to this girl that while you completely appreciate she is having personal issues, if it happened again (particularly in an assessment setting) then you would have to escalate the matter further. Encourage her to speak to her professor if she is struggling to keep up with the material.

Overall, I think it's a strong response!

Note that questions like this are almost always accompanied with follow-ups that give you more information to work with. These will inform your response, so there's no need to go on with superfluous information to fill the 8 minute block. Unless it adds to your response, don't bother including it.

threefivetwo you mean

 

[Sokka]

I actually thought the considerations were highly relevant and appropriate inclusions - they have a major impact on how a person would actually respond to this in real life and thus should impact the response. In my opinion, a good job there threefivetwo .

The response itself is maybe a little too "goodie-two-shoes" for my liking, personally. I'd be concerned you come across as a doormat if you did this in real life and that would make it easy for this classmate to manipulate you into falling into the same trap again. I think the way you responded is appropriate but it'd be worth at least acknowledging that what this classmate did was an incredibly snakey move, and a stab in the back. It would surely lead to your distrust and personally I wouldn't be so forthcoming with helping them again in future. If you convey that message appropriately, I really don't think it would cause you to be marked down, but it would show a little real insight beyond the goodie goodie response. You could also mention to this girl that while you completely appreciate she is having personal issues, if it happened again (particularly in an assessment setting) then you would have to escalate the matter further. Encourage her to speak to her professor if she is struggling to keep up with the material.

Overall, I think it's a strong response!

Note that questions like this are almost always accompanied with follow-ups that give you more information to work with. These will inform your response, so there's no need to go on with superfluous information to fill the 8 minute block. Unless it adds to your response, don't bother including it.

So I was doing some reading/watching YouTube videos on interviews and something important I found was to try and keep your answers within 2 minutes, as any longer and it’s likely the interviewers won’t be listening. By including all these considerations wouldn’t the interviewer get bored and lose interest in what you have to say? I agree that it does make your response stand out, but wouldn’t it be better to briefly go over the most important considerations? (In this case, the fact that she has personal issues, she took credit for my work and how she may not have understood the consequences of her actions)

 

[Crow]

threefivetwo you mean

I really hoped nobody had noticed

Sorry threefivetwo! Sleep deprivation is getting to me....

 

[ucatboy]

So I was doing some reading/watching YouTube videos on interviews and something important I found was to try and keep your answers within 2 minutes, as any longer and it’s likely the interviewers won’t be listening. By including all these considerations wouldn’t the interviewer get bored and lose interest in what you have to say? I agree that it does make your response stand out, but wouldn’t it be better to briefly go over the most important considerations? (In this case, the fact that she has personal issues, she took credit for my work and how she may not have understood the consequences of her actions)

The 2-minute recommendation could be referring to answers to personal questions. In that case, I'd be bored out of my mind if someone went on for 10 minutes about how they once demonstrated generosity or something. For MMI questions though, the more detail you can come up with on the spot, the better. Obviously don't bring up things that are irrelevant to the question or the scenario, but I think threefivetwo's considerations are perfectly valid for the situation at hand.

 

[JL538]

Wait guys do you get questions like this in interviews?

Please select one of the following words and explain it in a way that could be understood by someone without a science background. Use an every day example as part of your explanation.

pH, gene or momentum

Aren't they not supposed to test prior science knowledge?