Now that the OET is accepted in the UK, Ireland and Ukraine, many people are contacting us (Specialist Language Courses) to ask about our online OET courses. First timers are often confused about the structure of the OET and wonder, if each profession sits a different course.
The answer is 'Yes' and 'No'.
How is this so?
The OET is a medical English test which is offered for 12 healthcare professions in some countries (e.g. Australia and New Zealand). This means that people within the professions of optometry, Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy etc are able to sit for the OET Optometry, OET Occupational Therapy and OET Physiotherapy and so on.
However, in the UK and Ireland for example, only nurses and doctors can use the OET as proof of their language competence, when registering as a healthcare professional in these countries.
Even though there are 12 OET tests (or OET available for 12 professionals),
the test should be thought of as one test with slight variations in two sub-tests. The other two sub-tests are common to all professions.
Reading and Listening
These are the same for all professions. This means that in Reading, everyone will read texts of a general medical nature. The same is true for Listening. The dialogues (Listening A) and short talks (Listening B) all relate to a medical topic.
What does this mean for candidates?
1. You all need to read widely about medical topics, e.g. current research, recent health issues, cross professional topics (think of dental (tooth caries) and surgery (patient has a history of Rheumatic Fever).
2. Any course which covers Reading and Listening practice is relevant for any of the professions.
Speaking
Speaking is profession-specific, so doctors will perform a role play dealing with a situation they may be expected to manage in real life. Nurses will do the same and so on.
What does this mean for candidates?
1.Whilst the role plays are profession-specific, the communication strategies used are often similar.
For instance:
asking for information
providing advice/ making suggestions
empathising and persuading
and so on
Any course or book which helps you to practise these skills will be useful.
2. Role plays often follow a similar 'flow of conversation', e.g.
ask the reason for the conversation
find out more information
explain what will happen/ treatment/ 'the next step'
clarify information / persuade a reluctant patient
summarise the conversation
What does this mean for candidates?
Candidates may find examples of role plays which are not in their profession, but which they can easily modify to suit.
For example,nurse role plays in which medication is explained to patients is easily transferable to a doctor role play with minor modification (doctors talk about prescribing medication, where nurses may explain why a doctor has prescribed a certain medication).
Writing
The Writing sub-test is the writing of a letter (referral, discharge letter or informational letter) which is tailored to each profession.
Again, there are many similarities:
1. Any course / practice materials which help you to structure a letter in a logical and appropriate format will be useful.
2. Grammar practice which helps you write meaningful sentences will be useful
3. An understanding of a range of common abbreviations and acronyms used in Case Notes will be useful
Above all, candidates should keep in mind that they need to practise communication skills, rather than demonstrate clinical competence.
The answer is 'Yes' and 'No'.
How is this so?
The OET is a medical English test which is offered for 12 healthcare professions in some countries (e.g. Australia and New Zealand). This means that people within the professions of optometry, Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy etc are able to sit for the OET Optometry, OET Occupational Therapy and OET Physiotherapy and so on.
However, in the UK and Ireland for example, only nurses and doctors can use the OET as proof of their language competence, when registering as a healthcare professional in these countries.
Even though there are 12 OET tests (or OET available for 12 professionals),
the test should be thought of as one test with slight variations in two sub-tests. The other two sub-tests are common to all professions.
Reading and Listening
These are the same for all professions. This means that in Reading, everyone will read texts of a general medical nature. The same is true for Listening. The dialogues (Listening A) and short talks (Listening B) all relate to a medical topic.
What does this mean for candidates?
1. You all need to read widely about medical topics, e.g. current research, recent health issues, cross professional topics (think of dental (tooth caries) and surgery (patient has a history of Rheumatic Fever).
2. Any course which covers Reading and Listening practice is relevant for any of the professions.
Speaking
Speaking is profession-specific, so doctors will perform a role play dealing with a situation they may be expected to manage in real life. Nurses will do the same and so on.
What does this mean for candidates?
1.Whilst the role plays are profession-specific, the communication strategies used are often similar.
For instance:
asking for information
providing advice/ making suggestions
empathising and persuading
and so on
Any course or book which helps you to practise these skills will be useful.
2. Role plays often follow a similar 'flow of conversation', e.g.
ask the reason for the conversation
find out more information
explain what will happen/ treatment/ 'the next step'
clarify information / persuade a reluctant patient
summarise the conversation
What does this mean for candidates?
Candidates may find examples of role plays which are not in their profession, but which they can easily modify to suit.
For example,nurse role plays in which medication is explained to patients is easily transferable to a doctor role play with minor modification (doctors talk about prescribing medication, where nurses may explain why a doctor has prescribed a certain medication).
Writing
The Writing sub-test is the writing of a letter (referral, discharge letter or informational letter) which is tailored to each profession.
Again, there are many similarities:
- need to extract relevant information from the Case Notes
- need to structure a letter of 180-200 which is relevant to the task.
- need to use appropriate language for the person you are writing to (colleague, parent of a child, parents and carers in general about a health issue)
- need to use clear and concise language, when writing sentences which convey information correctly.
1. Any course / practice materials which help you to structure a letter in a logical and appropriate format will be useful.
2. Grammar practice which helps you write meaningful sentences will be useful
3. An understanding of a range of common abbreviations and acronyms used in Case Notes will be useful
Above all, candidates should keep in mind that they need to practise communication skills, rather than demonstrate clinical competence.
RSS Feed