The Essay Question covers a wide range of topics and the best preparation for this is the kind of background reading applicants should be doing anyway to prepare them for medical interviews (i.e. reading broadsheet newspapers, journals and popular science books). Applicants need to develop a view on, and arguments for and against, some of the most common medical ethical debates (e.g. ventilating terminally ill patients, the purchase of unproven drug treatment regimens, etc.). Applicants will need to have the knowledge and evidence to back up both sides of an argument and explain fully any conclusions they come to.

Applicants should make sure that they spend ten minutes of the time writing an essay plan so that they structure their arguments well. Planning an essay allows applicants to write an effective introduction and conclusion and means that they shouldn’t run out of time or space as well as fitting in a good number of different points or arguments. Applicants should avoid bias. They should make sure that they answer the question being asked, avoid straying off-topic, and cover as wide a range of points as possible.

Example Question

Our genes evolved for a Stone Age life style. Therefore, we must adopt Stone Age habits if we are to be healthy.

Write a unified essay in which you address the following:
- Explain the logical connection between the two sentences
- What might be the practical implications if we were to agree with the reasoning?
- Discuss the extent to which the argument is valid