Lesson 1 Homework (Medicine)
How do I do my homework?
1. Read the case notes 2. Write your 3. Upload your letter in the
letter Student Area
Before you get started with the homework task, you may find it useful to
read the following information to revise what you learnt with your teacher in
your first lesson.
How to Achieve a Grade B in your OET Writing
Step 1: Read the ‘Task’ first
• The ‘Task’ is written in a box at the end of the case notes. You should
always read this first.
• The Task will give you information about the recipient (who you are
writing to) and the type of letter you need to write. You cannot
understand the case notes effectively unless you know this information
first.
• There are three types of letters you might come across in OET Nursing. It
is important that you are clear about what each letter type involves:
o Referral – sending a patient to a specialist for assessment or
treatment.
o Discharge – sending a patient home; providing their
GP/community nurse or home care nurse with information about
how to care for patient at home.
o Transfer – moving a patient from one facility to another, for the
same or slightly different treatment.
Step 2: Read the case notes carefully
• Having read the ‘Task’, you will know who you are writing to and the
reason why you are writing to them. You now need to read through the
case notes carefully, thinking about which case notes are relevant to the
task.
• In addition to determining which case notes are relevant, you should
also think about how to prioritise the information you have been given.
• Not all the case notes will need to be included in your letter. Think about
which ones you can leave out.
• Be aware that the case notes will include abbreviations and symbols,
and will be written in short note form, so it may take you longer than
you think to work out the meaning.
• You will keep the case notes with you for the whole exam. Refer back to
them regularly while writing your letter to check details for accuracy.
Step 3: Have a strong structure
• Using the following template for your letters will ensure that you have a
clear purpose and will help organise the information logically.
Para. Information to include... Example
Address Recipient name Dr Tanya Williams
Respiratory Specialist
Bayview Private Hospital
Recipient address 81 Canyon Road
Bayview
Date 18.10.2019
Intro. Greeting Dear Dr Williams,
Patient name and age/DOB Re: Zach Foster, DOB: 25/10/1998
1 Patient’s name I am writing to refer my patient Zach
Reason for writing Foster to you for an assessment of
Main medical issue his lung function and for advice about
management of his asthma.
2 Further details about patient’s main REFERRAL:
medical condition Mr Foster first presented to me on
• REFERRAL: a timeline of what 11.10.19 complaining of shortness of
has been happening to the breath on exertion… Upon review on
patient during your involvement 18.10.19, it became clear that...
with them.
• DISCHARGE & TRANSFER: an DISCHARGE & TRANSFER:
overview of what has happened When the patient was first admitted
to the patient during their he was diagnosed with pneumonia.
admission in hospital. He was treated with antibiotics. He
has since made good progress...
3&4 Any other relevant information, Mr Foster was first diagnosed with
including: asthma aged 3...
• Past medical history
• Lifestyle It should be noted that Mr Foster is a
• Medication smoker...
5 Any tasks that the recipient will need to Firstly, please undertake an
do assessment of the patient’s lung
functioning...
6 Offer to be contacted for any queries or Please do not hesitate to contact me
questions. if you have any questions.
Yours sincerely Yours sincerely,
Your profession Doctor
Step 4: Keep it simple
• In OET, your vocabulary must be professional and show familiarity with
the medical context. However, you should also keep your language as
simple as possible to avoid making unnecessary mistakes. The examiner
is not expecting to see exciting and adventurous vocabulary so don’t
take risks with your language!
• The same point can be made for your grammar. Use the simple versions
of tenses as far as possible, and keep your sentences short. Always think
about how you can express an idea as simply as possible and choose that
option when writing.
Step 5: Read your letter like an examiner would
• Try to leave yourself 5 – 10 minutes at the end of the exam for reading
your letter over. As you do so, check your letter over for the following to
ensure you are working towards the marking criteria:
o Purpose – is it clear why you are writing this letter? Is the type of
letter clearly stated in the first paragraph? Will the recipient have
a clear understanding of what they are required to do for the
patient?
o Content – is all the information you have included from the case
notes relevant? Have you prioritised the information from the
case notes? Is all the information included about the patient
accurate (e.g. check dosages of medication, check relevant dates)?
o Conciseness and Clarity – is your letter between 180 – 200 words?
If your letter is shorter than this, have you included enough
information? If your letter is longer than this, is all the information
included relevant?
o Genre and Style – is your letter professionally presented? Do you
use vocabulary which is appropriate for a medical context? Do you
write about the patient respectfully?
o Organisation and Layout – have you used the correct letter
format (address, date, etc.)? Do you have clear paragraphs? Is
your information organised into paragraphs effectively?
o Language – check for mistakes relating to vocabulary and
grammar.
OCCUPATIONAL ENGLISH TEST
WRITING SUB-TEST: MEDICINE
TIME ALLOWED: READING TIME: 5 MINUTES
WRITING TIME: 40 MINUTES
Read the case notes below and complete the writing task which follows.
NOTES
You are a doctor at Bayview Medical Clinic. You are assessing a 22-year-old man who has
worsening asthma.
Patient details
Name: Mr Zach Foster
DOB: 25/10/1998
Address: 77 Creek Road, Bayview
Medical history: Asthma, since age 3 – problematic at times, 2 previous
hospital
Admissions (most recent – 3 years ago)
Eczema
Smoker – 4 years, 10-20/day
Allergies: Cats
Hayfever
Medications: Ventolin prn
Pulmicort 200mcg one puff bd
Family history: Sister (age 18) – asthma
Social history: Builder, single
Presenting complaint: For last 3/52 (3wks):
- SOB – when playing sport
- Wheeze & cough – waking Pt at night.
- ↑ use of Ventolin for symptoms.
Treatment Record
11.10.19
Subjective: Preventative inhaler (Pulmicort): compliance unclear; claims to
use inhaler some of the time.
Burning sensation in lower part of chest after meals –
consistent with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD).
Objective: Chest clear.
Peak flow 500L/min.
Abdomen lax & non-tender.
Tests: CXR, FBE
Diagnosis: Unstable asthma, possible trigger GORD
Treatment: -- Ensure compliance with Pulmicort.
-- Trial of pantoprazole (PPI) for GORD.
-- Discussion about smoking cessation.
-- Review 1/52.
18.10.19
Review: Still smoking.
Non-compliant with Pulmicort – forgets to take it.
PPI – effective, nil side effects.
Test results: CXR – clear
FBE – normal
Treatment: -- Use pantoprazole for another 7/52 (7wks) then review.
-- Discussion about Pulmicort missed dosage – take as soon as
remember, then back to normal, do not double dose.
-- Advice on smoking cessation (e.g. nicotine patch,
information brochures, support groups, etc.).
-- Continue current management; refer to respiratory
specialist for lung function & advice about asthma
management.
-- Review appointment 7/52.
WRITING TASK
Using the information given in the case notes, write a letter of referral to Dr Williams, a
respiratory specialist, for further management of Mr Foster’s asthma. Address the letter to
Dr Tanya Williams, Respiratory Specialist, Bayview Private Hospital, 81 Canyon Road,
Bayview.
In your answer:
• Expand the relevant notes into complete sentences.
• Do not use note form.
• Use letter format.
The body of the letter should be approximately 180-200 words.
