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SJT questions are carefully designed to test your professional judgement, and many contain deliberate traps — answer options that seem reasonable on the surface but are actually inappropriate, or options that seem uncomfortable but are actually the correct response. Recognising these traps before you encounter them in the exam is one of the most effective preparation strategies.
An action where you take on a task that is beyond your competence or authority because it seems like the right thing to do. It appeals to your desire to help, but it oversteps your role.
| Heroic action | Why it is a trap | Correct alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Prescribing medication for a distressed patient (as a student) | You are not qualified to prescribe | Find a qualified prescriber |
| Performing a clinical procedure you have seen but never practised | Puts the patient at risk | Ask for supervision or find someone qualified |
| Taking over a colleague's entire workload because they are struggling | Does not address the root cause; may compromise your own work | Offer support and encourage them to speak to their supervisor |
| Diagnosing a patient's condition and recommending treatment | Beyond a student's scope | Share observations with the clinical team |
Ask: "Am I qualified and authorised to do this?" If the answer is no, the action is probably the "heroic" trap.
"Inappropriate, but not awful" or "Very inappropriate" — depending on the risk involved.
An option that involves taking no action — often justified by phrases like "it is not my responsibility," "someone else will deal with it," or "it will probably resolve itself."
| Do-nothing action | Why it is a trap |
|---|---|
| "Do nothing because the nurse will notice" | Assumes someone else will act; abdicates your responsibility |
| "Say nothing because you are just a student" | Your duty to raise concerns applies regardless of your role |
| "Wait and see if it happens again" | Delays action on a current concern |
| "It is not your patient, so it is not your problem" | Patient safety is everyone's responsibility |
Ask: "Is there a problem that needs to be addressed?" If yes, doing nothing is almost always inappropriate.
"Inappropriate, but not awful" (when the risk is low) or "Very inappropriate" (when patient safety is involved).
This is not about a specific answer option — it is a mental trap. Many candidates answer based on what they would do in real life (often influenced by anxiety, social pressure, or personal comfort) rather than what they should do according to professional standards.
| What you would do (honest but wrong) | What you should do (professional standard) |
|---|---|
| Stay quiet because the consultant is intimidating | Raise your concern professionally |
| Cover for your friend because loyalty matters | Refuse to be dishonest on their behalf |
| Avoid the difficult conversation because it is awkward | Have the conversation because it is necessary |
| Defer to the nurse because they have more experience | Share your observation because it is relevant |
Before answering, ask: "What would a good, ethical, competent doctor do?" — not "What would I personally do in this stressful moment?"
An action that addresses the issue directly but fails to escalate when escalation is needed. The candidate deals with the immediate problem but does not involve the appropriate senior or reporting system.
| Action | What is missing |
|---|---|
| Correcting a prescribing error yourself | Not reporting it through the incident system |
| Speaking to a colleague about their behaviour | Not informing a supervisor if the behaviour continues |
| Helping a deteriorating patient | Not calling the doctor on call for a formal review |
| Catching a confidentiality breach | Not following up to ensure it does not happen again |
Ask: "Have I addressed both the immediate issue AND the systemic issue?" The immediate fix is important, but so is ensuring the system learns and the issue does not recur.
"Appropriate, but not ideal" — the action has merit but is incomplete.
An action that escalates too far, too fast — going directly to the GMC, CQC, or medical school for a minor issue that could have been resolved with a direct conversation.
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