Prompt
Ruth, an 87-year-old widow who lives alone next door, has become a friend over the four years you have lived there, and you check on her most evenings. Her last hospital stay lasted three weeks and left her confused and frightened. Since then, she has told you that she never wants to go back. She asks you to promise that if you ever find her unwell, you will not call an ambulance and will call her niece instead, who lives two hours away. She says she has made peace with dying and would rather die in her own armchair than in a hospital bed. How would you respond to her request?
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 how you'd respect an older friend's end-of-life wishes while recognizing the limits of what you can promise as a neighbor. Name what matters to Ruth: her fear after her last hospital stay, her independence, and her wish to die at home. Acknowledge your own position, since you're a friend without the authority or training to judge how serious a future emergency would be. Consider responses beyond yes or no, such as honoring her values while encouraging her to write down her wishes and share them with her doctor and her niece, so the right people can act on them. Explain why a blanket promise could put you in an impossible position. When a later scenario tests that promise, weigh her stated wishes against her pain in the moment, and say clearly what you'd do.
More on end of life
All 8 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.
