Can doctors accept freebies from Pharma Companies? MBBS exam question goes viral

Chennai: "Can doctors accept gifts from the pharmaceutical industry? Explain your choice"- A question from the MBBS Third Professional Part II exam at Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University has created quite a stir online. This ethics-focused question, part of the Attitude, Ethics, and Communication (AETCOM) module, rapidly gained attention on social media, amassing approximately 34,000 views on platform X since posted on March 26, 2025.

While some users believe ethical questions like this are pertinent for interviews, some argue they may not be suitable for a written exam. Others view it as an opportunity for students to score easy marks, and some worry it distracts from essential medical knowledge.

The Question- “Can doctors accept gifts from the pharmaceutical industry? Explain your choice.”

The MBBS Third Professional Part II, General Surgery exam, conducted for the 2019-2020 batch of MBBS students, included the question on accepting gifts from the pharmaceutical industry as part of its short notes section.

Once shared on X, the question sparked a variety of reactions.

Some X users found humor in the question, commenting that it felt more appropriate for an ethics paper in the UPSC examination rather than a medical one. One comment humorously compared it to an inquiry about politicians, asking, "Can a politician loot a country?" while highlighting the parallels with broader ethical issues.

One user remarked, "AETCOM (with a laughing emoji)," suggesting that the question seemed more like a playful take on the Attitude, Ethics, and Communication (AETCOM) module rather than a serious exam inquiry. Others echoed a similar sentiment, highlighting that the question felt more suited for an ethics paper in the UPSC exam, rather than an MBBS exam, with one response reading, "This is the question of ethics paper of UPSC."

Meanwhile, some users found merit in the question, emphasizing the importance of ethical discussions in medical education.

However, the question's relevance to written exams was debated. Some believed it might be more suited to interviews or theoretical discussions. A user said, "Kya ek IAS ko dahej lena chahiye!? Type questions. There is always a well-curated exhaustive course to attempt these questions comfortably.”

A few responses took a more critical tone, with some questioning the exam's focus. "Such a disgrace, ask the examiner to ask the same questions directly to the HOD," one user remarked, criticizing the examination system for not reflecting real-world medical challenges. Others voiced concerns over the potential consequences, with one comment stating, "Lol... if they write the truth, they lose their license."

The inclusion of ethical questions in the medical curriculum sparked mixed opinions. Some felt that these issues should be addressed across all medical papers, with one response stating, "It should be there in all the papers," while others saw it as a necessary part of the broader AETCOM curriculum, with comments like, "That is a part of AETCOM" and "AETCOM module ka question bhi daalna hota h."

“Oh yes!! Those fuddu AETCOM modules. About ethics and stuff. Students won't attempt the surgery questions but will write essays in this because story hi to likhni hai,” another user said.

The debate also highlighted concerns beyond the medical field. One user provocatively compared the question to broader ethical dilemmas in politics and governance, asking, "Can a politician loot a country? Can babus take rishwat? Can a judge hoard crores of money in his house? Can police take bribe?" drawing parallels between ethics in medicine and other spheres of public life.

What is AETCOM?

The AETCOM (Attitude, Ethics, and Communication) module has been prepared as a guide to facilitate institutions and faculty in implementing a longitudinal program that will help students acquire necessary competence in the attitudinal, ethical and communication domains. It offers framework of competencies that students must achieve. It also offers approaches to teaching learning methods