OET Writing How Can You Get A Good Score
OET writing sub-test will require you to write a letter.
And this can be anything from a referral letter to a transfer letter and letter of discharge.
Referral Letter
This will indicate that the patient is going to another hospital, clinic or healthcare facility (the reason can be anything from a different kind of treatment to investigation, a new medical problem, etc).
Transfer
This may mean that the patient is going to another healthcare facility or another department within the same hospital or clinic for further diagnosis, or treatment, etc.
Discharge
This indicates that the patient will now be going back to his home (leaving your healthcare facility, hospital or clinic).
Word Count:
The word count will be around 180-200 words. You can increase the word count but that is not recommended. It is always good to follow the rules and make your letter as precise as possible with only information that you have been asked to produce.
Read the case notes and understand the given task.
For example:
Write a letter regarding Ms. Adana who is being discharged from hospital back to her nursing home.
Before you answer, you will have to focus on
The patient’s case notes
Check out full medical history
Current medical problem
Has the problem been solved or not?
Condition of the patient
What is the next course of action?
Before you write, also pay attention to the following:
Who are you writing this letter to? (if the name is given, use that name)
What has happened (what problem the patient is facing?)
Who are you writing about (is the name of the patient given? If yes, then use the name of the patient in your letter).
First 5 minutes to understand the case notes
It is always recommended that you should spend at least 5 minutes understanding the case notes. Because, if you do not understand the case notes properly, you will not be able to create a good letter.
Remember, the first 5 minutes are given for you to read and understand the notes. And the candidates are not allowed to begin writing the letter until this time is up. So, use this time smartly.
Difficulties faced by candidates
One of the major difficulties is that the given case notes will not perfect sentences. And this can be challenging for anyone to understand. But, as a medical professional, you are expected to be familiar with these types of case notes. It is your job to focus and understand the notes. And then transform these notes into perfect sentences. No grammatical errors.
Abbreviations in your letter
There can be some abbreviations in the notes and you are expected to use them in your writing as well. For instance, BP stands for Blood Pressure. Or PHx means Patient’s History.
Pt will mean patient.
Some of the common abbreviations that you may find in the case notes include the following:
r/v - Review
OTC - Over The Counter
BMI - Body Mass Index
ICU = intensive care unit
Relevant Information
You are expected to include only the most relevant information. Do not copy anything from the case notes. You can rewrite or present the information in different words.
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