Breaking Bad News (Personal)
MMIHardPersonal Qualities · 8 minSelf-marked
How to use this: start the timer and answer the question out loud (or type it). Then grade yourself 0–3 on each skill with a note of your evidence — exactly as our examiners do. Hit Reveal benchmark & score to see what a model answer scores and how you compare. Everything saves to your browser automatically.
Answer timer
8:00/ 8 min suggested
1
Answer the question
Breaking Bad News (Personal)
Describe a situation where you had to deliver difficult news to someone close to you.
Likely follow-ups
1
How did you prepare?
2
What did you say in the first 30 seconds?
3
What would you do differently?
Your answer
Speak it out loud and we'll type it for you (free), or type your own notes — then mark yourself below.
Resources & frameworks
- Answer the question directly, give evidence, then reflect on what it means for you as a doctor.
What strong answers doReveal the benchmark
Hidden so they don't bias your answer. Score yourself first, then reveal them to compare.
- A real story, even small (a result, a family situation, a friendship breakdown), is much stronger than a hypothetical.
- Reference the structure intuitively: warning shot, plain language, pause, support.
- Be honest about what was difficult. Showing struggle is a strength here, not a weakness.
2
Mark yourself
Score each skill against the rubric, then add a line of evidence. Scale:
0Not shown1Limited2Good3Excellent
Quick mark:Completion: 0%
Communication
0/3Structured under emotional pressure
Empathy
0/3Recipient-centred
Reflection
0/3Can identify own learning
Resilience
0/3Held the difficulty
3
Reflect & score
What would you change next time?
Your overall score / 10
Total: 0/12(Core 0/6 • Extra 0/6 • Score 0/10)
Saved to your browser