Choosing a Thesis topic for your Post Graduate course : Beginners

Thesis is one of the most uttered out word heard from PG residents. It’s  a part of PG course and is essential for completion and achievement of the Degree. It is also one of the most happening event in the life of a resident. Choosing a right thesis topic is one of the most difficult and confusing issue.

Whatever field you are into, may it be Internal Medicine, Surgery, Pediatrics, Gyne, Dermatology, ENT or similar fields, know your area of interest. Choose a topic that will boost your further opportunity. Like if you want to be a Cardiologist, a Thesis on Cardiology would be the best.

Don’t just get taken away by your future dreams.

Choosing a Good and Feasible topic

1. Look whether it is possible to achieve your goal on time or not? and whether the setting you are doing your research has the capacity to give you result. Eg. You cannot perform a good thesis on Blood cultures and its result in a lab with poor yield.

2. Look at the sample size and the number of cases attending you center in 6 months-  Choose a topic which has samples that are readily available and wont bother you during your sample size collection. Eg. Study on Triplets may not be possible topic if the sample size turns out to be 50 or more even in a good maternity center in a duration of 6 months. On the other hand choosing role of Zinc in diarrhea or pneumonia will have adequate samples in most of the centers.

3. Choose a topic of your interest. Do not just do a thesis as a regular part of residency but make it a research that answers your query and of many others. Let it be a basis on which further studies can be made. Make it worth it.

4. Look through the previous thesis and researches that has been done in your University. Make sure you are not repeating same topic, because its likely to get rejected. Also scroll through the Thesis files of seniors. It’ll give you an overview on what thesis really is.

5. Consent- Think whether obtaining the patients or parents consent is possible or not. Any intervention other than normal routine procedure would be an issue for patients. Like extra blood sampling, new drug trials etc.

6. Ethical issues – Try to address all the possible ethical issues including monetary while presenting a topic. Ethics is one thing you must address. You cannot perform unnecessary test or put financial burden on patient to complete your study.

7. Discuss with your Guides , the topic you are choosing and possible hindrances that might arrive in the future.

8. Funds- Think about how you will arrange the monetary fund to conduct the thesis. Too expensive topic would be irrational for students. You can even apply for grants in different organisation for fund like NHRC.

9. Have a clear plan- when talking about thesis you should be able to see till the end. Without a clear vision, you’re likely to get in troubles.