How to answer a paid vs unpaid surrogacy question in a medical school interview
- Kind
- Policy and health systems
Prompt
Some places allow people to pay a woman to carry a pregnancy for them, while others allow only arrangements in which she is not paid beyond her expenses. Which approach do you think is fairer, and why?
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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 reason through a contested ethical issue, paying surrogates, without retreating to a vague middle. Name the interests involved: the surrogate, the intended parents, the child and society. Present the case for payment fairly, including fair compensation for real time, effort and risk, and the argument that unpaid arrangements quietly rely on women's generosity. Present the case against with equal care, including the pressure on women in poverty and the worry about treating pregnancy as a commercial service. Consider safeguards that could address concerns on either side, such as independent legal advice for the surrogate. Then choose the approach you find fairer and explain why your reasons outweigh the strongest objection.
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