ECFMG Professionalism & Ethics 2

Question 1

A patient with limited English proficiency refuses a professional interpreter and asks her adult son to translate during a sensitive gynecologic exam. What is the most appropriate next step?

Accepted Answer

Use a professional interpreter after explaining the risks of using a family member

Answer

Physicians should explain confidentiality and accuracy risks of using family interpreters and offer professional services, while ultimately respecting a competent patient's informed choice.

Question 2

During a residency program, a supervising attending asks a resident to document a procedure as 'performed by attending' when the resident actually performed it independently. The resident should:

Accepted Answer

Document accurately and report the discrepancy to the program director if pressured

Answer

Falsifying medical records is fraud; the resident must document accurately and escalate if pressured to commit dishonest documentation.

Question 3

An IMG receives a gift of significant monetary value from a grateful patient's family after a successful surgery. According to ECFMG professional standards, what is the best response?

Accepted Answer

Decline the gift and explain the professional reasons for doing so

Answer

Accepting significant gifts can compromise objectivity and violate professional boundaries; declining with a kind explanation is the ethical standard.

Question 4

A physician discovers that a colleague has been practicing while impaired by alcohol during overnight shifts. The physician's primary obligation is to:

Accepted Answer

Report concerns to the appropriate authority to protect patient safety

Answer

Protecting patients from an impaired colleague supersedes collegial loyalty; reporting to appropriate authorities is the professional duty.

Question 5

A terminally ill patient who is a Jehovah's Witness and has decision-making capacity refuses a life-saving blood transfusion. The ethical principle that most directly supports honoring this refusal is:

Accepted Answer

Autonomy

Answer

Autonomy grants competent adult patients the right to refuse any treatment, including life-saving interventions, based on personal or religious beliefs.

(ECFMG) Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates Practice Test

(ECFMG) Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates Practice Test

ECFMG Professionalism & Ethics 2