MCCQE - Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination Medical Ethics and Legal Duties Questions and Answers

Question 1

A 15-year-old female patient, who appears insightful and articulate, requests a prescription for oral contraceptives.
She understands the risks, benefits, and alternatives, but explicitly asks you not to inform her parents.
What is the most appropriate course of action for a physician in Canada?

Accepted Answer

Assess her capacity to consent; if she is deemed a 'mature minor', provide the prescription without notifying her parents.

Answer

Refuse to prescribe until parental consent is obtained, as she is a minor.

Answer

Inform the parents of her request, respecting their role as legal guardians.

Answer

Provide the prescription but insist on booking a follow-up appointment with the patient and her parents together.

Question 2

A psychiatrist is treating a patient who reveals a credible and detailed plan to cause serious physical harm to his former supervisor. The patient has a history of violent outbursts. According to Canadian legal and ethical principles, the psychiatrist's primary duty is to:

Accepted Answer

Take reasonable steps to protect the potential victim, which may include warning them and/or notifying the police.

Answer

Maintain absolute patient confidentiality to preserve the therapeutic relationship.

Answer

Immediately discharge the patient from care to sever professional responsibility.

Answer

Document the threat thoroughly in the patient's chart and increase the frequency of therapy sessions.

Question 3

A 75-year-old patient has been deemed incapable of making medical decisions due to advanced dementia. He does not have a power of attorney for personal care or an advance directive. According to the typical hierarchy of substitute decision-makers (SDMs) in most Canadian provinces, who should the medical team approach first for consent?

Accepted Answer

The patient's spouse.

Answer

The patient's eldest adult child.

Answer

A close friend who has known the patient for 40 years.

Answer

A court-appointed guardian.

Question 4

A physician prescribes a beta-blocker to a patient with a known and clearly documented allergy to this class of medication. The pharmacy's computer system flags the error before the medication is dispensed, and the patient suffers no physical harm. What is the physician's primary ethical obligation in this situation?

Accepted Answer

Disclose the near miss to the patient, apologize, and explain the corrective measures being implemented.

Answer

Do not inform the patient, as no harm occurred and disclosure would only cause unnecessary anxiety.

Answer

Only document the event in the hospital's internal incident reporting system.

Answer

Thank the pharmacist for their diligence but take no further action regarding the patient.

Question 5

Which of the following is a mandatory eligibility criterion for a person to receive Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) under current federal legislation in Canada?

Accepted Answer

The person must have a grievous and irremediable medical condition.

Answer

The person's natural death must be reasonably foreseeable.

Answer

The request must be co-signed and approved by their substitute decision-maker.

Answer

The person's sole underlying medical condition can be a mental illness.

Question 6

Which of the following statements best reflects the guidance from the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) and provincial regulatory bodies regarding physicians providing ongoing medical care to their close family members?

Accepted Answer

It should be strictly limited to minor conditions or emergencies when no other physician is available.

Answer

It is encouraged, as it improves access to care and convenience for the family.

Answer

It is permissible without restriction, provided the family member gives explicit consent.

Answer

It is only prohibited for prescribing controlled substances, but is acceptable for all other care.