How would you handle a situation where a patient’s advance directive conflicts with the needs of surgery?
Specialty-Specific
Purpose
This question digs into your ethical reasoning and how you advocate for patients. Interviewers want to see if you can balance patient wishes with the demands of surgery.
Tips
- Acknowledge the ethical dilemma clearly; show you understand the conflict between surgery and patient autonomy.
- Emphasize the importance of discussing the advance directive with the patient or their surrogate before surgery.
- Highlight the need for team communication and possibly involving an ethics consultation if there's confusion.
Common mistakes
- Don't just assume the advance directive can be ignored for the sake of surgery; that shows a lack of respect for patient wishes.
- Avoid being reactive; don't wait until the OR to address these conflicts.
- Steer clear of vague answers; be specific about how you would handle the situation and involve the team.