How to answer a question on advance requests for assisted dying in a medical school interview
- Topic
- End of life
- Kind
- Policy and health systems
Prompt
Some places allow a person who is suffering near the end of life to request help to die. Should a person be able to make that request years in advance, to take effect once they can no longer recognize their family, even if by then they seem content?
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How to approach this question
What this question tests
- Ethical reasoning
- Critical thinking
How to approach it
This panel interview question tests whether you can weigh a person's earlier wishes against the person they've become, one of the hardest tensions in debates about assisted dying and end-of-life care. Name both sides of the same person: the self who made the request while able to decide, and the later self who seems content but no longer recognizes family. Consider the family, who may disagree, and the people who'd be asked to carry out the request. Ask which safeguards might matter, such as how specific the request was and who would decide when it takes effect. Weigh respect for autonomy against the duty to protect someone who can't speak for themselves now. Then give a clear position and acknowledge why thoughtful people reach the opposite conclusion.
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