Medical law and ethics: dual loyalty: practice question

A Forensic Medicine question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

Try it

Forensic Medicine · Medical law and ethics: dual loyalty

Sample item

A prison doctor is told by the superintendent to certify an injured inmate as fit for interrogation. The doctor finds signs of recent beating. What should he do?

AOmit the injuries to avoid troubleBLeave the decision to the superintendentCRecord the findings accurately and treat the patient, putting the patient's welfare ahead of the authoritiesDCertify fitness, as the employer has authority

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

C. Record the findings accurately and treat the patient, putting the patient's welfare ahead of the authorities

A doctor working for an institution has a dual loyalty to the employer and the patient, but clinical duty and honesty must prevail. Accurate documentation of injuries and treatment is required, and false certification is misconduct and may be a criminal offence.

Option by option

A. Omit the injuries to avoid trouble
Omitting injuries is concealment and professional misconduct.
B. Leave the decision to the superintendent
Delegating the clinical decision to a non-doctor abandons professional judgement.
C. Record the findings accurately and treat the patient, putting the patient's welfare ahead of the authorities (correct)
Correct. The doctor's duty to treat and report honestly overrides pressure from the authorities.
D. Certify fitness, as the employer has authority
Certifying fitness against the findings would be a false certificate.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

Questions about this Forensic Medicine question

What is the answer to this Forensic Medicine question?

The best answer is C, Record the findings accurately and treat the patient, putting the patient's welfare ahead of the authorities. A doctor working for an institution has a dual loyalty to the employer and the patient, but clinical duty and honesty must prevail.

Why is "Omit the injuries to avoid trouble" not the answer?

Omitting injuries is concealment and professional misconduct.

Why is "Leave the decision to the superintendent" not the answer?

Delegating the clinical decision to a non-doctor abandons professional judgement.

Why is "Certify fitness, as the employer has authority" not the answer?

Certifying fitness against the findings would be a false certificate.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Medical law and ethics: dual loyalty in Forensic Medicine. Accurate documentation of injuries and treatment is required, and false certification is misconduct and may be a criminal offence.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as a multi-step question: it asks you to combine more than one idea. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Medical law and ethics: dual loyalty?

Learn postmortem changes with their timelines, and toxicology as poison, sign, test and antidote. Then use the flashcards and the other Forensic Medicine questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.