OET SANDWICH

What is the OET Sandwich? Really, its a very simple way of thinking about paragraphs in the OET exam: OET Letters are a bit like a sandwich. Why? Because they have parts that don't change (the pieces of bread!) and parts that do change (the filling! The cheese, tomato, meat, etc.). I don't know why, but this simple (and silly?) idea is something that has remained through my years as an OET teacher. I think it is just partly because people like sandwiches! But also its a just a good starting point: it is a simple place to begin writing a letter. Some of my past students have even told me that it made them feel less nervous in the exam. Why? Because it gives you a simple way to start planning your letter: it gives you a way in.

Who is this book for? This is a book that is for both doctors and nurses, equally. There are a number of reasons for this: First, both nurses and doctors are assessed according to exactly the same criteria in OET. That is to say, the official OET Criteria of: Purpose, Content, Conciseness and Clarity, Genre and Style, and Language. There is no difference in terms of assessment categories.

Second, the ideas in this book have emerged from teaching doctors and nurses together. While we have had many compliments from doctors about our classes at my school, our students who are nurses have also told us that they love our techniques.

Finally, in comparison to the medical knowledge required of both nurses and doctors, the ideas below are not at all complicated. They represent a simple, clear and logical way of writing a medical letter in 45 minutes.

What about other medical professions covered by OET? Although this book doesn't have a lot of examples from other professions, many the of the techniques are still very useful. If you are a physiotherapist, or a pharmacist, or a dentist, etc. then you should still read this book! The basic principles that I discuss are very general and can be applied to many different types of letter.