We received a great question from one of our OET YouTube students, Serendipitous, who asked, "What if the role play suggests that you are halfway through the consultation? For example, if you have already examined the patient, how would the play start in the scenario?"
Should I introduce myself?
It's a great question, because, if you already know the patient, and / or have already examined them or their child according to the background information, would it really make sense to start by saying, "Hello, my name is Oti, the district nurse"?
It wouldn't, would it? In fact, it would be really strange. Imagine how you would feel if you had a check-up, and after taking your pulse and blood pressure etc, the nurse or doctor suddenly told you their name!
Just as in real life, it would be strange to start your OET speaking role-play in this way if the card and background information indicates that you are already midway through a consultation. In fact, you would score less in the "Initiating the role-play appropriately" criterion because that certainly isn't an appropriate way to start!
What can I say instead?
So, what can you say instead? Well, of course, it depends on the situation, but generally, just try to think what you would say in real life.
Examples of how you can start the OET role play if you are halfway though a consultation
Here are some ideas:
If you are visiting a baby for a check-up and all his / her vital signs are fine, you can say, "Thanks for letting me examine baby X. Everything is absolutely normal. Now, did you have any questions for me?"
If you are in Emergency and a patient has come in with glass fragments in their hand, and you've just cleaned and stitched their wound, you can say. "OK, that's all done for you. I'd just like to explain a bit about aftercare if that's ok?"
If a patient has come in for a blood pressure check and the readings are slightly elevated, you could say something like this: "Well, I've just taken your blood pressure and actually, it's a bit higher than we would like it to be. Can I ask you a bit about what's going on in your life right now?"
So don't worry if the OET role play card indicates that you are mid-way through a consultation, just go with it. You don't need to start with an introduction each time. In fact, it's a good idea to start each role-play slightly differently to show the examiners that you can adapt to the situation and initiate the role-play appropriately according to the patient and situation in front of you.
For more OET Speaking Help
If you would like further help with your OET speaking role plays, why not take a look at our self-access, on-demand video course that you can work through in your own time. Click below for some lovely discounts as well.
Or, if you would like to book a speaking mock test with feedback, click here for more information.
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