<p>What would be the best response to questions asking what you think of </p>
<p>a) healthcare in the US</p>
<p>b) abortion</p>
<p>C) stem cell research</p>
<p>An informed, rational, well-spoken one that shows interest, empathy, and awareness of the issues raised by each topic.</p>
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<p>You need to do your own research about these topics and figure out what you think about them and then present that in a well-thought-out way during your interview. There are a lot of resources out there that help provide various viewpoints on all these topics. UWash has a good bioethics site that does just that.</p>
<p>I would imagine that your answers might differ, for instance, if you were applying to Catholic med schools. </p>
<p>My son is pro-life…he is Catholic. There’s no way he’s going to agree to perform abortions. Aren’t there conscience clauses for healthcare professionals - especially since most do not want to participate in abortions?</p>
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<p>For now, yes. Sebelius has hinted that, in her private opinion, these should be eliminated. (e.g. If you don’t want to do abortions, don’t become an ob/gyn.) I’m not sure she has the power to do this anyway, though. (Withhold Medicaid funding? She doesn’t have a lot of sticks in her toolbox.) I think it’s a state-by-state regulatory issue.</p>
<p>*For now, yes. Sebelius has hinted that, in her private opinion, these should be eliminated. (e.g. If you don’t want to do abortions, don’t become an ob/gyn.) *</p>
<p>She would be an idiot to make such a req’t. Many/most ob/gyn’s refuse to do abortions. It is kind of hard to rationalize figuring out how to save pregnancies in one room and destroy them in another. Doctors are humans…they can’t just turn on and off their motivations to save lives. </p>
<p>The OB/GYN specialty already has enough issues with high malpractice rates, which is why some give up their OB practice and only do GYN. By eliminating the conscience clause, even fewer will choose to be OB/GYNs. </p>
<p>I just don’t see it being a viable option to get rid of the conscience clause…too many doctors and nurses would loudly complain.</p>
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<p>I disagree - changing your answers to say what you think the interviewers want to hear, especially on questions of ethics, will backfire. And its just a bad idea in general - you should answer truthfully and be able to back up your positions with a reasonable argument. And I dont’ think any school will care what your position is, assuming it’s reasonable (unless you’re applying to Loma Linda haha).</p>
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<p>This might be getting close to a political discussion (still bummed they closed that forum), but there are plenty of reasonable, rational arguments in favor of abortion. If you are pro-abortion (a term I prefer to the ridiculous ‘pro-life’ and ‘pro-choice’ labels), just be able to back up your position. But they probably aren’t going to ask you “what do you think about abortion” - it is far more likely you’ll get a question like “a 14 yo comes to you and wants an abortion, what do you do?” And there are a lot of issues in this question beyond the simple issue of “do I agree with abortion or not”…</p>
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Agreed. IMO, an answer that would suggest an absolutist position without regard to the wishes/needs of the patient or the law of the land will not be viewed favorably by some professors at some schools. (Catholic schools and Loma Linda excepted.) Some profs will be thinking " If they want to preach, preach. Just don’t do it to your patients seeking medical care." An absolutist position will not go over well with those profs.</p>
<p>Yuck. I hate these discussions. Feelings just get hurt and I’m not here to do that or to convert anybody. So as far as the politics part of it, IMO that shouldn’t be a part of the discussion here. So, I’m not commenting on the “factual” assertions made or views expressed up thread. Nothing good will come of it, so why bother?</p>
<p>In the past several OB/Gyns that I know whose practices were based at St Paul here in Dallas but would perform an abortion if deemed medically necessary simply performed the procedure at another private hospital around the corner…not sure how it works now that St. Paul is owned by UT and now part of UTSW …</p>
<p>*I would imagine that your answers might differ, for instance, if you were applying to Catholic med schools. </p>
<p>I disagree - changing your answers to say what you think the interviewers want to hear, especially on questions of ethics, will backfire. And its just a bad idea in general - you should answer truthfully and be able to back up your positions with a reasonable argument. *</p>
<p>I was not suggesting that one should flip his position based on the school. My point really was that while applying to a Catholic med school one could more freely and comfortably express his position against subjects such as abortion and euthanasia. </p>
<p>I agree that no one should flip their answers based on the school.</p>
<p>Just say:</p>
<p>a) sucks</p>
<p>b) I guess so</p>
<p>c) awesome.</p>
<p>There is no right or wrong answer to this, and no one is going to reject you for your personal opinion on abortion. Just be articulate enough to have an opinion and back that up with solid reasoning.</p>
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<p>There is a right and a wrong answer to the abortion question but it is not because of * your personal opinion*. First of all, your answer must show your compassion towards the patient and how importance it is to address the patient’s concerns. In most situations, the physician should follow the patient’s wishes unless there is an implicit violation of the hippocratic oath, a violation of state law or a violation of regulatory medical guidelines. </p>
<p>An answer to this scenario must mention that your decision will have to take into consideration all those factors. And if because of your beliefs you do not feel comfortable treating the patient, then you need to facilitate the appropriate referral.</p>
<p>Yea ok patient’s concerns are important, however as a doctor its important to have your own opinion about such controversial issues to frame your moral values and moral standing. You can’t successfully practice medicine without some kind of personal notion as to what is right and wrong. Therefore what maybe moral to yourself as a doctor, may not always be in the best interest of the patient, in these cases, you need to sacrifice your own moral beliefs and do what is best for the patient.</p>
<p>However your own opinion is still something that should be true to yourself, and not to anyone else, patient or not.</p>
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<p>As a doctor, the MOST important thing to do is to RESPECT the patient’s wishes regardless of wether you feel that it MAY NOT BE in the patient’s best interests. Your opinion is only relevant in deciding whether you have a conflict treating the patient or not, and in whether you choose to continue providing care for that patient or not. If that is the case, then you transfer the care to someone else.</p>
<p>Your patient is a Jehova witness who refuses a blood transfusion during a life threatening hemorrhage. You explain to the patient that he/she may die, but you CAN NOT give the patient blood even when that action is “against your patient’s best interest”, because above all, you need to respect and take into consideration your patient’s wishes.</p>
<p>As a doctor, it is less about “your own” opinion and more about what the patients wishes and about what the standard of care should be.</p>
<p>Now if you had read my post, thats pretty much what I said. A doctor does need to go against his morals or beliefs for the benefit of the patient. However it is still important for a doctor TO HAVE a personal moral standing on these beliefs in order to be able to advise patients, and successfully practice. Without any moral foundation to fall back on, without the ability to question if what you are doing is correct, medicine becomes a slippery slope. In terms of the interview, its ok to have an opinion that maybe different as long as you communicate that with competence to the interviewer and explain that it would not be at the cost of the patients wishes.</p>
<p>Read my friend. Read.</p>
<p>KS</p>