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EPQ for medicine

I'm hoping to go into medicine and I'm doing an EPQ this year (Year 12) but I'm not completely sure about topics. I thought doing something along the lines of, What are the environmental causes of birht defects?, How does substance abuse affect fetal development?

Medicine relating to children and babies particuarly interests me as I like the idea of going into pediatrics. I just wanted to see if other people think this is something medical schools would find satisfactory and if it relates enough to medicine.

I also wasn't sure exactly how much research had been done on this topic, although I assume there is a fair amount. Other topics I thought of were perhaps something to do with childhood leukemia and for example the ethics of new treatements.

Reply 1

Tulipbloom

Original post by Holly3005

Hey yes definitely! I think its wonderful that you have an interest in pediatrics and wish to do an EPQ based on this interest. For med questions you will have to one that is in the to what extent... format. This allows you to explore both sides of the topic and allow you to evaluate on ethics and alternatives. If you are concerned on how much research is available, it would be better to seek for resources now and to see if writing an essay would be a feasible option. I initially wanted to do an EPQ on dermatology but switched to cardiology due to a lack of relevant resources. Medicine being a dynamic field, you must incorporate old and outdated research and new, relevant research (highly appreciated). Keep in mind resources are not limited to websites, published articles, and books but also extend to online lectures, magazines, and newspapers. I think the leukemia topic might be a better option. Med schools will definitely be satisfied with the topic you have chosen so be sure to mention your EPQ in your personal statement. For me at least, during my interviews, the panel seemed quite pleased that I enjoyed the self-learning process in the EPQ and with the fact that I chose to do topic that is really popular at present. Hope this helps!