Research, Ethics, and Professionalism
Core concepts
Understand study design (RCTs, cohort, case-control), bias, confounding, and the interpretation of p-values and confidence intervals. Know levels of evidence and how to appraise systematic reviews. Recognize ethical principles: autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, justice. Understand informed consent, capacity, confidentiality, and conflicts of interest. Know professionalism: honesty, boundaries, and appropriate communication with patients and colleagues.
Traps
Questions test whether you distinguish statistical significance from clinical significance. Another trap: confusing a surrogate endpoint with a patient-important outcome. Watch for ethical scenarios where the correct answer respects patient autonomy over clinician preference. Also know that a p-value does not quantify effect size.
Worked example
A trial reports a statistically significant 1-day reduction in length of stay: ask whether that difference is clinically meaningful and whether the confidence interval excludes trivial effects. Rule of thumb: effect size and confidence intervals matter more than p-values alone; and in ethics questions, the patient's informed choice generally prevails when capacity is intact.