Consider some great controversial medical topics to read and write about. They are meant for the general public, not for medical students only.

Essay topics on healthcare issues

1. Is there a link between the poverty and poor health? (How does poverty contributes to poor health?)

2. Is cost of the healthcare in the United States justified?

3. What drives the cost of healthcare in the United States? (Be informed that the state spends on healthcare much more than European countries but covers the smallest percentage of healthcare costs).

4.  Should there be an opt-in or opt-out donor system?

5. Should the state provide free health care to homeless people?

6. Should people be encouraged to turn to homeopathy first?

7. Should unconventional forms of medicine be part of a national healthcare?

8. Should uninsured people be provided any medical care?

9. Should there be criminal responsibility for medical errors?

10. Should doctors be allowed to promote particular medical products?

11. Should hospitals provide a translator when curing the minorities?

Essay topics on policies that can affect healthcare practices

12. Should euthanasia be illegal?

13. Should abortion be legal? (Better read but not write about this topic, many professors ask to avoid it as too overused)

14. Should surrogate pregnancy be used on demand or only for health reasons?

15. Is vomb transplantation a good alternative to surrogate pregnancy?

16. Should people with mental health issues be treated in or outside of the community?

17. Should children vaccination be mandatory?

18. Should people be refused organ transplantation for leading an unhealthy lifestyle?

19. Should the organ transplantation committee consider patient’s personal details (marital status, children, accomplishments, personal qualities) when choosing what person will receive an organ?

20. Should doctors be required to report the cases of organ trafficking (when a person has a needed organ though he did not get it being on the national list)?

21. Should a doctor be able to provide medical care to a minor despite their parent’s wishes?

Essay topics on policies and practices that affect health of the nation

22. Should marijuana/drugs be legalized? (legalization of marijuana is considered an overused topic too)

23. Are TV shows concerned with diets and losing weight a good idea? (Do shows humiliating people for their unhealthy choices motivate and inspire others or promote body issues ideals and develop prejudice?)

24. Do TV shows portraying cosmetic surgery make people more inclined to refer to it? If yes, should they be banned?

25. Should TV commercials for alcohol be banned?

26. Should TV commercials/ads of McDonald’s/fast food chains be banned?

27. Should there be a state regulation of fast food chains?

28. How should the issue of obesity be treated: as a personal problem or as a public concern? (Should obese people be entitled to better healthcare coverage or additional days off?)

29. Can exercising worsen health?

30. Should teens be able to obtain birth control pills?

31. Who should decide whether to place an elderly in the elderly center: an elderly person himself/herself, children, healthcare specialist?

32. Should the state refuse to import the products, which were manufactured/obtained at the cost of someone’s health? (Consider pollution in China, child labor, etc.)

33. Should the state do more or less to make people lead a healthy life style? Consider if such interference into the personal lives is justified or no. Try to think about all the state does and can do, e.g. ban smoking and drinking under certain age or in certain areas, ban advertisements and censor films promoting unhealthy life style or unhealthy body image standards, establish more recreation zones easily accessible and attractive to people, educate people on the effects of the unhealthy life style, … or instead invest the money in the economy as higher economic level is associated with better health.

Essay topics on medical research

34. Should cloning/genetic engineering research be allowed?

35. Can medical research pose threat? If yes, what are the ways to mitigate it?

36. Should scientists work to make computers displace doctors? What can be the potential benefits/drawbacks?

37. Can animals be used to test drugs?

38. Should there be any limits to medical tests on humans?

39. Should more funding be allocated to practical research projects, which provide direct medical help to individuals, or National Institute of Health dealing mostly with projects without immediate practical application?

40. Should scientists research options for people to become immortal? (Kurzweil manufactures and takes himself hundreds of pills to delay ageing and claims people will become virtually immortal soon).

41. If research was able to provide a solution to one healthcare issue, what should it be? (a cure from cancer, AIDS, infertility, creation of organs from artificial materials/with the help of cloning, etc.)