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BMAT Writing Practice Questions

Time: 30 MINUTES

DIRECTIONS:
Answer only one task from the choice of four essay titles. You must write your answer by hand, and
are limited to a space consisting of one side of A4. You are permitted to make any preparatory notes
as needed, but time spent on such notes counts against the 30 minutes allowed for the essay. In this
task, you are expected to show how well you can order and explore ideas, and convey these ideas in
clear, effective writing. You may not use dictionaries or any other reference books or
resources. Essays are assigned a numerical score. To achieve a top mark, you must address all
aspects of the question and write compellingly with few errors in logic or in use of English.

1. A scientific man ought to have no wishes, no affections – a mere heart of stone. Charles Darwin

Write an essay in which you address the following points:

Why should those who practise science or medicine have ‘no wishes, no affections’? What is the
negative impact when scientists or doctors have ‘hearts of stone’? How could a scientist or doctor
best reconcile these competing concerns?

2. If animals matter morally – if animals are not just things – they cannot be property. Anna Charlton
and Gary Francione.

Write an essay in which you address the following points:

Is pet ownership morally acceptable? Under what circumstances might it be wrong for animals to be
bought and sold by humans? How could a veterinarian address ethical issues involving animal
ownership?

3. I observe the physician with the same diligence as the disease. John Donne, English poet (1572-
1631)

Write an essay in which you address the following points:

Why would a patient observe his physician with the same diligence as his disease? Under what
circumstances might a patient be more concerned with his disease than with his physician? How
would you advise a patient to best balance these two concerns?

4. Parents who withhold vaccines from their children have betrayed their duty of care.

Write an essay in which you address the following points:

Why would parents withhold vaccines from their children? In what ways would doing so betray their
duty of care? How can a doctor best advise a parent who is considering withholding a vaccine from a
child?