A brother buying study drugs: a medical school interview question
- Kind
- Ethical dilemma
Prompt
Your 17-year-old brother tells you that he has been buying a prescription stimulant from a classmate to help him study for exams. He says it works and that half his class does it. He asks you not to tell your parents. What would you do?
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How to approach this question
What this question tests
- Ethical reasoning
- Communication
- Empathy and compassion
How to approach it
This panel interview question tests how you balance your brother's trust against a risk to his health and his future, when he's asked you to keep a secret from your parents. Show that you'd start by listening and asking questions rather than lecturing, such as how often he takes it, who sells it, and what pressure is driving him. Name the risks in everyday terms, such as taking a medication nobody prescribed for him, from a source nobody can vouch for, and the academic and legal trouble if he's caught. Weigh keeping his confidence against involving your parents, and consider a middle path where you encourage him to tell them himself, with you beside him. Be clear about what would make you tell your parents anyway, and say so to him directly.
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