NAC OSCE Medical Ethics & Professionalism

Question 1

A competent 17-year-old presents requesting contraception and asks that her parents not be told. According to Canadian law and medical ethics, what is the appropriate response?

Accepted Answer

Provide confidential contraceptive counselling and prescription — mature minors have the right to consent to their own care in all Canadian provinces

Answer

All Canadian provinces recognise the mature minor doctrine; a competent minor can consent to healthcare without parental involvement, and confidentiality must be maintained unless there is a safety concern.

Question 2

A surgeon declares a conflict of interest because they own shares in a medical device company whose implants they use. According to the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) Code of Ethics, what is the MOST appropriate action?

Accepted Answer

Disclose the conflict of interest to patients and the institution, and consider recusing from decisions involving that device

Answer

The CMA Code of Ethics requires full disclosure of conflicts of interest to both patients and the institution, with recusal from relevant decisions if the conflict cannot be managed, to preserve trust and integrity.

Question 3

A patient with capacity refuses a blood transfusion on religious grounds despite being told it may be life-saving. What is the ethically and legally correct response in Canada?

Accepted Answer

Respect the refusal, document it thoroughly, and explore alternative treatments

Answer

Canadian law (Malette v Shulman, 1990 Ontario Court of Appeal) established that a competent adult's informed refusal of treatment must be respected even if it results in death; autonomy overrides beneficence.

Question 4

Under Canadian mandatory reporting laws, which situation REQUIRES a physician to report to authorities regardless of patient confidentiality?

Accepted Answer

Reasonable suspicion of child abuse or neglect

Answer

All Canadian provinces have mandatory child protection reporting laws; any regulated professional with reasonable grounds to suspect child abuse or neglect must report to child protective services — confidentiality does not apply.

Question 5

A physician is asked to complete a medical-legal report for a patient involved in a motor vehicle accident. What is the physician's primary obligation according to the CPSO and CMA?

Accepted Answer

To provide an honest, objective, and accurate report based on clinical findings — not to advocate for the patient's legal position

Answer

CMA guidelines on medical-legal reporting require physicians to be impartial and accurate; a treating physician's duty in a medico-legal context is to the truth and the court, not to advocate for the patient.

NAC OSCE Practice Test

NAC OSCE Practice Test

NAC OSCE Medical Ethics & Professionalism