In many MD and MS practical examinations, the examiners have your thesis in front of them. It is a natural place to start: you spent two years on it, so they expect you to know it inside out. A confident, clear discussion of your own study sets a good tone for the rest of the viva. A hesitant answer to “Why did you choose this sample size?” does the opposite.
This guide covers what to revise, the questions examiners commonly ask about a thesis, how to give a crisp two-minute summary, and what to do when you genuinely do not know the answer.
1Where Thesis Questions Fit in the Examination
The format differs between universities and boards. In some, a short discussion on the thesis is a formal part of the practical or viva; in others, examiners simply choose to begin with it. Some universities evaluate and accept the thesis before the final examination, so the viva discussion is less about passing the thesis and more about showing you understand research. Ask your department and recent seniors how it is done in your university.
Whatever the format, examiners are usually checking three things:
- Did you actually do the work, and do you understand it?
- Can you justify your choices – topic, design, sample size and statistics?
- Are you honest about the limitations and what the results really mean?
You are not expected to be a statistician. You are expected to explain your own study clearly and accurately. A simple, correct answer beats a complicated one you cannot defend.
2What to Revise from Your Own Thesis
Months may have passed since you submitted. Read your thesis again from cover to cover, then make a single revision sheet with:
- The exact title, aim and every objective, word for word.
- Study design, setting, study period and duration.
- Inclusion and exclusion criteria, and the reason for each.
- Sample size: the formula or method, the values used, and the source of the expected proportion or mean.
- Sampling method and how participants were actually recruited.
- Main variables and how each was measured, including any cut-off and its source.
- Statistical tests used for each objective, and why.
- Your key results – the main numbers for each objective, not every table.
- Two or three studies you compared with in the Discussion, and how your results differed.
- Your limitations and your conclusion.
Also be ready for basic questions on the topic itself: the disease, the test or the procedure at the centre of your study. Examiners often move from your thesis into the related clinical subject.
3Likely Examiner Questions and How to Answer
The table lists questions that come up often in thesis discussions and what a good answer covers. Prepare your own answer for each in two or three sentences.
| Question | What a good answer covers |
|---|---|
| Why did you choose this topic? | The clinical problem, the specific gap in evidence, and why it mattered in your setting |
| What type of study is this? | The correct design name (for example, hospital-based cross-sectional study) and why it suited your question |
| Why not a different design? | Practical and ethical reasons – time, resources, feasibility within the PG period |
| How did you calculate your sample size? | The formula or software, the values used, where the expected value came from, and the final number |
| How did you select your participants? | The actual sampling method, named correctly – for example, consecutive sampling rather than “random” |
| What biases could affect your study? | Specific biases – selection, measurement, recall, confounding – and what you did to reduce them |
| Which statistical tests did you use and why? | The test for each objective, linked to the type of variable and comparison |
| What does this p-value mean? | A correct plain-language interpretation, and the difference between statistical and clinical significance |
| What are the limitations? | Honest, specific limitations and their likely effect on the results |
| What would you do differently? | One or two thoughtful improvements – larger or multicentric sample, follow-up, a control group, a different design |
| How will this change your practice? | A realistic, proportionate implication, not an overstatement |
Why this topic and this design
“Why this topic?” is rarely a trick question. Link your answer to the gap you described in the Introduction: what was not known, and why it mattered for patients in your setting. For design, name it precisely – “hospital-based prospective observational study” is better than “prospective study” – and give the practical reason. If an examiner suggests a randomised trial or a case-control design would have been stronger, agree where that is fair, then explain what made your design feasible within the PG period and acceptable to the ethics committee.
What would you change?
Have one or two genuine answers ready, such as a larger or multicentric sample, a longer follow-up, a control group or a more objective outcome measure. This shows that you understand your study’s weaknesses without undermining its value.
Sample size and statistics
These are where residents most often stumble, usually because someone else ran the calculation or the analysis. Even if you had help, you must understand it. Re-read our guides on sample size calculation and understanding p-values, and be able to explain why you used, for example, a chi-square test for comparing proportions or a t-test for comparing means.
Bias and limitations
Examiners respect a resident who names limitations before being asked. If your study was single-centre, say what that means for generalisability. If you used consecutive patients from a tertiary hospital, say that they may be sicker than patients in the community. Our guide on writing the Discussion covers how to frame limitations honestly.
Do not call your sampling “random” unless you actually used a random method such as random number tables or computer-generated random numbers. Most hospital-based theses use consecutive or convenience sampling, and examiners will ask how the randomisation was done.
4Presenting a Two-Minute Summary
Examiners may say, “Tell us about your thesis.” Have a two-minute answer ready and practise it aloud until it sounds natural, not memorised. Use this structure:
- Title and design (15 seconds): “My thesis was a [design] study titled [title], conducted in the Department of [department] over [period].”
- Why (20 seconds): “[Condition] is [important because…]. Evidence on [specific gap] in [your population] was limited.”
- Aim and objectives (15 seconds): “The aim was to [aim]. The objectives were [list briefly].”
- Methods (30 seconds): “We included [number] patients who [eligibility], selected by [sampling method]. We measured [main variables] using [method]. Data were analysed with [tests] using [software].”
- Key results (25 seconds): “The main finding was [result with key number]. We also found [secondary result].”
- Conclusion and limitation (15 seconds): “We concluded that [conclusion]. The main limitation was [limitation].”
Then stop and let the examiners lead. A summary that runs on for five minutes leaves them less time for the questions you have prepared well.
Keep a single page with your key results – sample size, main percentages or means, and p-values for each objective – and read it the morning of the examination. Examiners often ask for one specific number.
5Handling Questions You Cannot Answer
Every resident gets at least one question they cannot answer. How you respond matters more than the gap itself.
- Pause and think. A few seconds of silence is fine. Ask the examiner to repeat or clarify the question if needed.
- Answer the part you know. If asked about a test you did not use, explain the one you did use and why.
- Say so honestly. “I am not sure, sir/ma’am, but I think…” or “I did not consider that – it would be a useful addition in a future study.” Examiners generally prefer honesty to a confident wrong answer.
- Do not argue. If an examiner points out a flaw, acknowledge it. You can explain the constraint that led to your choice, calmly and briefly.
- Do not blame others. Saying the statistician or guide chose the test suggests you do not understand your own work.
- Do not make up numbers. If you do not remember a figure, say approximately what it was and that it is in your results table.
6A Two-Week Mock Viva Plan
| When | Task |
|---|---|
| Days 1–3 | Re-read the full thesis; make the one-page revision sheet |
| Days 4–6 | Revise sample size, sampling and every statistical test you used until you can explain them simply |
| Days 7–8 | Write two- or three-sentence answers to every question in the table above |
| Days 9–10 | Practise the two-minute summary aloud; time yourself |
| Days 11–13 | Mock viva with your guide, a senior resident or a co-PG; ask them to challenge you on limitations and statistics |
| Day 14 | Light revision of the key results sheet only |
If a mock examiner finds a weakness, do not panic. Prepare an honest explanation now rather than discovering it in front of the external examiner.
Title, aim and objectives memorised; design named correctly; sample size explained; sampling method named honestly; tests justified; key numbers on one page; two limitations ready; one thing you would change.
7Getting Help with Viva Preparation
If parts of your thesis – the sample size, the statistics or the interpretation of results – still feel unclear, it is far better to sort them out before the examination. The PubMedico team can walk you through your own study’s methods and analysis so that you can explain them confidently. Reach us on WhatsApp at +91 78787 33004.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to common questions on this topic
Not always, and the format varies between universities and boards. In many examinations, examiners begin with the thesis or ask a few questions about it, because it is the topic you should know best. Ask your department and recent seniors how thesis discussion is handled in your university, and prepare for it either way.
Check your university’s instructions and ask your department. Examiners usually have access to the thesis, and some candidates are allowed to bring a copy. Even if you can, do not rely on reading from it during the viva. Revise your key methods and results so you can answer without looking anything up.
Explain calmly how the sample size was calculated, which values were used and where they came from. If the study was limited by feasibility, say so and mention it as a limitation. Acknowledge that a larger or multicentric study would give more precise estimates. Do not argue or claim the sample was large enough if it was not.
Learn the reasoning behind each test before the exam. For every objective, know the type of variables, which test was used, why it suits that comparison, and how to interpret the result. You do not need to calculate by hand, but you must be able to explain what was done and what the p-value or confidence interval means.
Yes, if you do it honestly and briefly. Try answering the part you do know, or suggest how you would find the answer. Examiners generally prefer a candidate who admits uncertainty over one who gives a confident wrong answer. Avoid repeatedly saying you do not know questions about your own methods, which you are expected to understand.
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