Professional Standards & Ethics Flashcards
7 cards from real ABCS practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Professional Standards & Ethics flashcards as text
A cosmetic surgeon is approached by a medical device company offering significant financial incentives to exclusively use their implants. What is the most ethically appropriate response?
Answer: Decline and report the offer to the hospital ethics committee
Accepting undisclosed financial incentives from device manufacturers creates a conflict of interest that compromises patient care and violates professional ethics standards.
Under the ABCS Code of Ethics, which practice is considered a violation regarding patient referrals?
Answer: Accepting fee-splitting arrangements for patient referrals
Fee-splitting for patient referrals is prohibited under ABCS ethics standards as it places financial incentives above patient welfare.
A patient requests a procedure that the surgeon believes is medically unnecessary but not harmful. What is the ethically correct course of action?
Answer: Discuss concerns with the patient, ensure psychological screening if indicated, and respect autonomous decision-making
Surgeons must balance patient autonomy with professional judgment, including appropriate psychological evaluation before proceeding with elective cosmetic surgery.
Which of the following best defines 'non-maleficence' in the context of cosmetic surgery ethics?
Answer: Avoiding actions that cause unnecessary harm to the patient
Non-maleficence is the ethical obligation to avoid causing unnecessary harm, one of the four core principles of biomedical ethics.
A cosmetic surgeon posts before-and-after patient photos on social media without written authorization. This violates which ethical and legal standard?
Answer: Patient privacy and HIPAA confidentiality requirements
Posting identifiable patient images without written consent violates HIPAA privacy rules and the ethical duty to protect patient confidentiality.
When a cosmetic surgeon realizes during a procedure that an unexpected finding warrants a significant change in surgical plan, what is the ethical obligation?
Answer: Proceed with the extended procedure if it is clearly in the patient's best interest and document thoroughly
In emergent intraoperative situations where halting is not feasible, proceeding in the patient's best interest with thorough documentation is ethically justified, though post-op disclosure is mandatory.
An ABCS-certified surgeon is asked to provide expert testimony in a malpractice case against a colleague. What ethical standard governs this role?
Answer: Expert testimony must be truthful, objective, and based on accepted standards of care
Expert witnesses are ethically obligated to provide honest, evidence-based testimony regardless of their professional relationship with the parties involved.