The candidate card
Setting
Community health centre (dietetics clinic)
Candidate
You are a dietitian. Mr Oisin Sarkar, aged 72, is a retired bus driver who was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes by his GP last week. The GP has not started any medication yet and has referred him to you for first dietary advice. Mr Sarkar has heard that he must stop eating bread, potatoes and fruit altogether.
Task (interlocutor: patient)
- Find out about Mr Sarkar's usual eating pattern and what he understands about diet and diabetes
- Explain in simple terms that carbohydrate foods do not need to be cut out, and that the type and amount matter
- Suggest practical changes to his meals (e.g. higher-fibre bread, portion sizes, whole fruit instead of juice, fewer sugary drinks)
- Reassure him that he can still enjoy the foods he likes
- Agree one or two realistic goals and arrange follow-up
In the test you get 3 minutes to read the card and plan, then about 5 minutes to talk. This card is original, written for this site; the interlocutor's card is not shown.
How to approach this card
- Start with what he has heard and how he feels about it, then walk through a usual day of eating. Hearing his belief first lets you correct it respectfully instead of contradicting him.
- Correct the belief early and in one sentence: carbohydrate foods do not need to be cut out, and the type and amount matter. Do this before your suggestions so they sound like adjustments, not bans.
- Anchor changes in his own meals. Choose two or three from his day, such as the type of bread, portion size, whole fruit rather than juice, or fewer sugary drinks. Avoid long lists and numbers you have not been given.
- Make the reassurance specific by asking which foods he enjoys most and showing how they can stay. No medication has been started, so do not speculate about future treatment. If he asks, refer him to the GP.
- Close with one or two goals he chooses, ask him to repeat them, and book follow-up. If time is short, prioritise the correction, two changes and goals. The typical error is overloading a newly diagnosed patient.
Phrases to adapt
Use your own words; these show the register, not lines to memorise.
- Thanks for telling me what you've heard; let's sort out what applies to you.
- Which foods would you least like to give up?
- You don't have to change everything at once.
- What feels realistic for you to try before we meet again?
Medical words in plain English
| Term | How you might say it to the patient |
|---|---|
| type 2 diabetes | A condition where the body has trouble keeping blood sugar at a healthy level. |
| carbohydrate foods | Starchy and sugary foods, such as bread, potatoes and fruit, that the body turns into sugar. |
| higher-fibre bread | Bread made with more wholegrain, which has more fibre than plain white bread. |
How this card is marked
Two assessors mark the recording on nine criteria: intelligibility, fluency, appropriateness of language and resources of grammar and expression (each 0–6), then relationship building, understanding and incorporating the patient's perspective, providing structure, information gathering and information giving (each 0–3). Grade B usually means 5 on each language criterion and 2 on each clinical one. See the AI Speaking practice guide for what each criterion looks for.
More Dietetics role-play cards
- Weight loss in an aged care resident Aged care facility
- Husband caring for wife with Parkinson's disease Home visit
- Renal dietitian: managing fluid and potassium between haemodialysis sessions Hospital renal dialysis unit
All sets: nurses, doctors, other professions. Your profession's guide: OET Dietetics.
Questions about this role-play
Should I talk about medication?
The GP has not started any, so keep to diet. If he asks whether he will need tablets, say that is a question for his GP. Avoid predicting anything, as the card gives no information about future treatment.
How do I correct the myth without criticising whoever told him?
Do not focus on the source. Say that the advice is a bit more detailed than that and that the type and amount of carbohydrate matter. This keeps his trust in his other health contacts intact.
How many changes should I suggest?
Offer a few examples drawn from his own day, then let him choose one or two as goals. A newly diagnosed 72-year-old is more likely to keep a small, chosen change than a long list from you.
Sources
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