The candidate card
Setting
General practice
Candidate
This original independent practice scenario contains fictional patient details and proposed individual investigations. You are a GP seeing Mrs Illa Kihn, aged 61, who reports unintentional weight loss, heat intolerance and disturbed sleep over the past few months. You suspect an overactive thyroid, but no thyroid blood test has yet been performed and she is clinically stable today. You recommend thyroid blood testing and a results discussion, with specialist assessment if the findings confirm hyperthyroidism, but she is reluctant because she welcomes the weight loss.
Task (interlocutor: patient)
- Find out about Mrs Kihn's symptoms, her understanding of the possible thyroid problem and her reasons for hesitating about tests
- Explain what an overactive thyroid is and why a blood test is needed before confirming the diagnosis
- Encourage her to investigate the symptoms without judging her feelings about weight or promising a particular weight outcome
- Outline the main treatment options briefly, explaining that a specialist would help choose treatment if the diagnosis is confirmed
- Agree arrangements for testing and discussing the results, and check her understanding
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.
Prepare this card, then say it out loud.
Plan your opening and the tasks below. Keep these notes when you move to the AI role-play.
This original independent practice scenario contains fictional patient details and proposed individual investigations. You are a GP seeing Mrs Illa Kihn, aged 61, who reports unintentional weight loss, heat intolerance and disturbed sleep over the past few months. You suspect an overactive thyroid, but no thyroid blood test has yet been performed and she is clinically stable today. You recommend thyroid blood testing and a results discussion, with specialist assessment if the findings confirm hyperthyroidism, but she is reluctant because she welcomes the weight loss.
Getting your plan ready…
Preparation is free without an account. AI conversation and marking need sign-in; your first role-play is free. Notes are saved on this device when available. This checklist is your plan, not a score.
How to approach this card
- Start with her account of the weight loss, heat intolerance and disturbed sleep, then ask what she understands about the possible thyroid problem. Explore what makes testing unattractive; do not assume she has already decided against any future treatment.
- Acknowledge that she welcomes the weight loss before explaining why the symptoms still deserve investigation. This keeps the discussion respectful and makes room for mixed feelings; avoid praising the weight change or framing her hesitation as irresponsible.
- Explain an overactive thyroid in everyday language, then clearly label it as a possibility requiring blood testing. Keep the distinction between suspicion and confirmation prominent; the usual trap is discussing treatment as though the diagnosis has already been established.
- After explaining the test, give only a brief overview of medicines, radioactive iodine and surgery as possible treatments if hyperthyroidism is confirmed. Explain that specialist assessment would guide selection, without recommending an option or predicting a particular weight outcome.
- Agree how the blood test and results discussion will be arranged, and ask her to describe what testing would clarify. If time runs short, prioritise informed agreement to investigation and review over detailed comparisons of treatments she may not need.
Phrases to adapt
Use your own words; these show the register, not lines to memorise.
- You can welcome the weight loss and still have questions about your health.
- May I explain why I have suggested this test?
- We can pause before discussing possible treatments.
- What would make this discussion more useful for you?
Medical words in plain English
| Term | How you might say it to the patient |
|---|---|
| hyperthyroidism | An overactive thyroid gland. |
| thyroid blood testing | Blood tests to check whether your thyroid is overactive. |
| specialist assessment | A review by a doctor with expertise in this condition. |
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). See the AI Speaking practice guide for what each criterion looks for.
More Medicine role-play cards
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- Persistent dyspepsia: discuss arranging gastroscopy Gastroenterology clinic
All sets: nurses, doctors, other professions. Your profession's guide: OET Medicine.
Questions about this role-play
What if she asks whether agreeing to the blood test commits her to treatment?
Explain that consent to investigation is a decision about obtaining information. It does not replace a later discussion about treatment choices. Give her room to ask what happens after either result, without implying that testing will necessarily lead to a prescription.
How much detail should I give if she asks what the treatment options involve?
Briefly describe medicines to reduce thyroid hormone production, radioactive iodine treatment, and surgery involving the thyroid. Avoid procedural details, doses or a recommendation for her. Explain that these are possible options for confirmed disease, with specialist advice guiding the choice. [Australian treatment information](https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/conditions/hormonal-diseases/hyperthyroidism).
What if she says she will only investigate if her weight stays unchanged?
Do not negotiate using a weight guarantee. Explain that you cannot promise a particular weight outcome and ask what that uncertainty means for her decision. Keep consent voluntary, acknowledge her preference, and establish whether she would like further discussion before deciding.
Sources
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