Professionalism & Ethics Flashcards
7 cards from real ECFMG practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Professionalism & Ethics flashcards as text
A physician caring for a VIP patient is pressured by hospital administrators to expedite discharge prematurely to free a suite. The physician's ethical obligation is to:
Answer: Discharge based on clinical readiness, not administrative or social pressure
Clinical decisions must be based on medical need; discharge decisions driven by privilege or administrative convenience violate the principle of justice and patient welfare.
A physician who personally opposes abortion on moral grounds is asked to provide pregnancy termination services. Which option best balances the physician's conscience with professional obligations?
Answer: Decline to perform the procedure but provide timely referral to a willing provider
Conscientious objection is recognized, but physicians must provide timely referral to ensure patients can access legal medical care.
During a research study, an enrolled participant develops a serious adverse event possibly related to the intervention. The principal investigator must first:
Answer: Report the event to the IRB and sponsor according to protocol-defined timelines
Serious adverse events must be promptly reported to the IRB and sponsor per federal regulations and study protocol; participant safety is paramount.
A physician is asked by a defense attorney to provide expert testimony exaggerating the plaintiff's injuries for compensation. Providing such testimony would violate:
Answer: Medical ethics and potentially constitute perjury
Expert witnesses have an ethical duty to provide honest, evidence-based opinions; fabricating or exaggerating findings constitutes perjury and professional misconduct.
An intern is unsure about a medication dose but is afraid to ask the attending at 3 AM. She administers what she believes is correct and a patient error occurs. This scenario best illustrates the risk of:
Answer: Hierarchy-induced communication failure
Fear of hierarchical reprisal discourages speaking up, a known patient safety threat that professional culture should actively counter.
A patient signs an advance directive designating a healthcare proxy but later develops capacity and verbally contradicts the directive. Which statement is correct?
Answer: The patient's current verbal wishes take precedence when they have decision-making capacity
Advance directives apply only when a patient lacks decision-making capacity; a capacitated patient's current wishes always govern.
Which of the following is the best example of the ethical principle of justice in clinical practice?
Answer: Distributing scarce ventilators using objective, clinically-based triage criteria
Justice requires fair allocation of resources using objective, non-discriminatory criteria rather than wealth, social status, or personal favoritism.