Endorsing a fundraiser for unproven treatment
- Kind
- Ethical dilemma
Prompt
A family in your community is raising money online to send their 6-year-old son abroad for an experimental cancer therapy that costs $450,000 and has not been shown to work. They have raised $300,000. As the boy's physician, you are asked by the parents to record a video endorsing the campaign so they can raise the rest. What would you do?
Practice this question
After you practice: what this question tests and how to approach it
What this question tests
- Ethical reasoning
- Empathy and compassion
- Communication
How to approach this question
This MMI station tests whether you can stay honest about an unproven treatment while supporting a desperate family whose son you care for. Name the tension: a video endorsement would lend your authority as a physician to a claim you can't support, and it could sway donors and other families. Show compassion for the parents' hope while explaining your concerns clearly and kindly. Consider what you could offer instead, such as helping them understand the evidence, encouraging a second opinion, or supporting the family in other ways. Decide what you'd do and how you'd say it. When a follow-up raises the financial stakes for the family, consider whether that changes your professional duty or only deepens your sympathy.
More on children and families
All 9 questions on this topicMock interviews
If you want to practice with a person, we run mock MMI and panel interviews with feedback on every answer.
